Lapsang Souchong-Braised Duck Legs + 2024 Rkatsiteli Dr. Konstantin Frank

I received several bottles from the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery and was thrilled to take them with us on vacation so I could share the pairing with our now-adults I have been on a mission to make wine drinkers of my kids. You can read my post From Xers to Zoomers: Exploring the Decline in Wine Consumption + Our Thanksgiving Wines from Tablas Creek.

Rkatsiteli (pronounced ruh-KAT-see-TELL-ee) is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world. I have had a few different bottles over the years, but for less common varieties, I usually pull my copy of Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey Through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine by Jason Wilson off the bookshelf.

Wilson writes, "While many Americans have yet to hear about rkatsiteli, it's actually very widespread in the former Soviet states, which more than 100,000 acres planted - and this even after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ordered millions of wines uprooted during the 1980s" (pp. 269-270). Wilson also explains that he was cautioned against calling it 'orange' wine. "Lisa Granik, a Mater of Wine from New York, asked us not call them orange wines. 'I plead with you to call them amber,' she said, adding that many consumers heard 'orange wine' and believe it to be wine made with oranges" (pg. 278).

A little more research revealed that rkatsiteli is a white grape whose name literally translates to 'red stem,' inspired by the reddish hue its stalks develop near harvest time. The grape is wildly popular in its native country and vines are grown in practically in every wine region within Georgia’s borders. There are a few plantings outside of Georgia, including the Finger Lakes region of New York when Dr. Konstantin Frank planted the vines in the 1950s and 1960s. There area few plantings in California and Colorado and, across the Pacific, there are some in China where it is called 'Baiyu.'

2024 Rkatsiteli Dr. Konstantin Frank

Dr. Konstantin Frank has two versions of Rkatsiteli - this one and the Amber Rkatsiteli which is produced in a more traditional manner with skin-contact. Dr. Konstantin Frank was the first to plant Rkatsiteli in the Finger Lakes region.

This is a single varietal sourced from two different estates, both New York Sustainable Winegrowing certified: 77% from the Keuka Estate and 23% from the Seneca Estate.

The wine poured a ridiculously pale hue - almost as clear as water! But it was strikingly aromatic. I noted aromas of tropical fruits and ripe summer stone fruit with underlying layers of pine and grass. Like the aromas, the flavors were also surprisingly strong with pineapple and herbs with a crisp finish.

It was the pine aroma that headed me down this path to this pairing: lapsang souchong is a bold, smoky tea with piney undertones and a subtle sweetness.

Lapsong Souchong-Braised Duck Legs

Ingredients

Duck Legs

• 4 duck legs

• 1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced

• 1/2 red bell pepper, thickly sliced

• 1/2 green bell pepper, thickly sliced

• 1 Tablespoon tea spice blend (recipe below)

• 1-1/2 cup stock, preferably homemade

• 1/2 cup brewed lapsang souchong tea

Tea Spice Blend

• 2 Tablespoons lapsang souchong

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

• 3/4 teaspoon ground fennel

• 3/4 teaspoon rosemary

• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated honey

• 1/2 teaspoon organic dark brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• Also needed: mortar and pestle or food processor

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a Dutch oven, place duck legs, skin side down. Turn heat to medium. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the fat is rendered and the skin golden and crisped. Flip to the other side and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the duck to a plate. Place the onions and bell pepper in the same Dutch oven with the rendered duck fat in the bottom. Lay the browned duck pieces on top.

Divide the spice blend between the four legs, approximately 3/4 teaspoon per leg then pour in the stock and brewed tea. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven. Braise for 90 minutes.

Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Return the duck to the oven, uncovered and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the duck is browned and the skin on top crispy.

To serve, plate the duck. Spoon the sauce on the side or over the top.

Stay tuned for the other Dr. Konstantin Frank wine pairing we did.