Food：

• Samgye-tang（Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup）

Wine of my choice：

• Contrada Salandra Campi Flegrei Falanghina DOC Campania Italy 🇮🇹  2016

We have had Samgye-tang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup) many times here in New York, but not until two years ago that we finally had the chance to taste the authentic Samgye-tang on our trip to Seoul.  Tosokchon, a restaurant near Gyeongbokgung Palace, is known for its Samgye-tang and rotisserie chicken. We ordered both of their signature dishes and the dishes were beyond our expectation. We were so glad we made it there. Tosokchon made our top 5 restaurants we enjoyed during our trip to Seoul.

I always remember how good the Samgye-tang we had in Seoul was, and I have urged Chef Bruce to make it after the trip. I even brought back dried ginsengs from the trip just so we can try to replicate the dish one day. Ａ few days before Thanksgiving, Chef Bruce suggested that why don’t we skip turkey for Thanksgiving this year and have Samgye-tang instead since it will be only two of us for this holiday. I told him that’s a wonderful idea. Beside that, I have longed for Samgye-tang for a long time. We get all the ingredients ready and I know what I’m going to pick to pair with the the Samgye-tang.

I decided to pair the Samgye-tang this Campi Flegrei Falanghina from Campania, Italy, made by Contrada Salandra. First of all, let’s dive into the region and find out what’s so special about this place.

Region: Campi Flegrei DOC

Located in the west of the Naples, the capital city of Campania, Campi Flegrei is known for its intensive volcanic activity. Although these volcanos have been dormant for more than 400 years, there are still gas emissions and geothermal activities in the area. What make Campi Flegrei special are the soils. Decomposed lapilli, pumices, volcanic ash and yellow tuff rocks are major components. These soils are also the reasons that phylloxera didn’t affect the area too much due to the character of loose and sandy soils. Therefore, there are many centenarian vines in Campi Flegrei. Piedirosso and Aglianico are the most important red grape varieties in the area. On the other hand, Flanghina is the most important and most planted white grape variety of the appellation. Mentioned in my previous article, ‘Falanghina Two Ways”, there are two genetically distinct Falanghinas grown in Campania. The most planted type here is Falanghina Flegrea. Falanghina can be made into sparkling wine, still whites and passito style dessert wine. It is a grape with so many capabilities.

The Producer: Contrada Salandra

Contrada Salandra is run by a husband and wife team, Giuseppe and Sandra Fortunato.  The 5 acres property consists of an apiary and ungrafted vines of Falanghina and Piedirosso farmed with organic practice. Giuseppe believes, keeping the balance of the ecology and biology diversity in the vineyards are the key to producing healthy fruits.

This Falanghina is made from two different parcels of the family estate. Harvested by hand, the grapes are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tank. The wine is aged in tank for 8 months then transferred into bottles to age for at least another year before it is released to the market.

This Falanghina glows in the glass with light golden color. Aromas of faint white blossoms arise from the glass, followed by ripe pear, apricot, lemon peel and dried thymes. Secondary notes of honey, golden dates, guava with hint of yeast and round mouthfeel are found on the palate. Bright acidity with powdered mineral and salinity add another dimension to the wine. Pairing this Contrada Salandra Falanghina with Samgye-tang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup) is like hugged by your old friend.  You feel the warmth, the care, and the support from them.  The inclusiveness and love are in the air.  

Thank you, Chef Bruce, for making the Samgye-tang. I can finally revisit this dish and reminisce our trip to Seoul . Even though we cannot travel at the moment but we can certainly travel country to country, region to region through our dinning table, doesn’t it? Wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and happy holidays!

另類感恩節餐酒搭配：韓式蔘雞湯 Ｘ 法蘭吉娜

餐點：

• 韓式蔘雞湯

餐酒：

• Contrada Salandra Campi Flegrei Falanghina DOC Campania Italy 🇮🇹  2016

第一次吃韓國正宗的蔘雞湯是在2018年秋天拜訪首爾的時候。記得那一家餐廳座在景福宮附近，是韓屋式的建築與裝潢。從大門進到餐廳後，別有洞天，好似時光倒流，進到了古裝韓劇的場景一般。11點不到，整個餐廳已經高朋滿座，觀察著吃客是觀光客與本地人參半，讓我們安心不少，應該不會踩雷才是。

坐定點好菜之後，各式小菜依序上桌，妙的是還送了一小杯人蔘酒。可以飲用也可以加到湯中，增添厚度。劉佬佬進大觀園的我還當我還沈靜浸於免費贈送的人蔘酒的小確幸中時，烏骨雞蔘雞湯及烤雞已悄悄的送上桌。接下來就是一陣沈默，我和先生靜靜地吃了好一會兒，才回過神來，彼此交換心得。我們一致認為蔘雞湯的風味差異不大，但烤雞絕對是亮點。烤的是皮脆而肉汁滿溢，吮指留香。這蔘雞湯與烤雞可以榮登我們首爾行難以忘懷的美食Top 5。

一直惦記著這蔘雞湯美妙滋味，卻始終沒有真正動手做。今日，先生終於心血來潮，說要來煮蔘雞湯。我自然是喜不自勝，終於等到了這天。趕緊替先生備好做蔘雞湯所需的材料，再挑一瓶合適的葡萄酒，兩個小時後就能好好的享受這睽違已久的大廚版韓式蔘雞湯了。今年的感恩節不吃火雞改吃蔘雞湯何嘗不也是一種另類慶祝方式？

為了搭配韓式蔘雞湯，我特地挑了這瓶來自義大利南部卡帕尼亞裡坎匹弗雷格雷苡產區的法蘭吉娜（insert link to Falanghina two ways）釀製而成的。首先，讓我們來了解一下這個產區有什麼特別之處。

產區：坎匹弗雷格雷苡（Campi Flegrei DOC)

位於拿坡里卡帕尼亞的首都的西邊，坎匹弗雷格雷苡自古以來便以頻繁的火山活動而聞名。雖然這附近的火山群都屬於休眠的狀態（已有四百年的時間），仍然有天然氣的噴發及地熱景觀等等火山現象發生。這個產區最有名的便是由各式的火山岩而組成的土壤，像是火山礫、多孔火山岩、火山灰及黃色的凝灰岩。這些鬆散砂石般的土壤能有效地阻止葡萄根瘤蚜蟲病的生長，因此，在此地有許多超過百歲而且還是沒有嫁接過葡萄老藤呢！在此區最主要的釀酒紅葡萄品種是皮耶迪羅梭（Piedirosso）， 阿利亞尼冦 （Aglianico）; 白葡萄品種則是法蘭吉娜。在法蘭吉娜的一酒兩餐搭一文中，有提及此葡萄至少有兩種以上基因完全不相同的法蘭吉娜，在這裡種植最多的則是Falanghina Flegrea。在這裡，法蘭吉娜可以被拿來做成氣泡酒、白酒及甜酒，物產價值相當的高。

 酒莊：Contrada Salandra

Contrada Salandra 酒莊目前是由Giuseppe Fortunato 及他的太太 Sandra 兩夫妻共同經營。在自家擁有的葡然園裡（大約5公頃）除了架設了一個養蜂場之外，其他的土地則種滿了沒有嫁接過的法蘭吉娜及皮耶迪羅梭並採用有機的方式來耕種。Giuseppe 認為保持葡萄園裡的生態平衡及生態的多樣性有助於葡萄的生長。

這瓶法蘭吉娜是採自兩個不同的地塊栽種的法蘭吉娜混釀而成。全程手工摘採，去梗後於不鏽鋼筒中發酵，並在鋼筒中熟成8個月後裝瓶。裝瓶後的法蘭吉娜還得靜置於瓶中至少一年的時間才能上市。這瓶法蘭吉娜在杯中閃耀著淡淡金黃色澤，低頭一親芳澤，若有似無的白花清香隱隱襲來，西洋梨、杏桃、檸檬皮、乾燥的百里香則慢條斯理地緩緩迎來。輕嚐一口，蜂蜜、金棗蜜餞、芭樂心，還有微微的酵母味伴著爽滑圓潤的口感，真是美妙極了！石灰似的礦物感、海風鹹鹹的風味及爽脆的酸度為這瓶法蘭吉娜增添了些許立體感。搭配蔘雞湯一起飲用是一種溫柔地相擁，是屬於知己、老朋友擁有的默契。誰都不出風頭，卻又各自默默的為著彼此。

以後有機會吃韓式蔘雞湯的時候，不妨買瓶法蘭吉娜搭搭看吧！祝福大家有個愉快的感恩節！