Recently I had the honor and pleasure of meeting head winemaker Juan Munoz Oca, from Columbia Crest Winery. Juan brings generations of expertise with him so I learned a ton about wine that evening. Juan introduced me to some great wines, and one of my favorites was the 2010 Moscato wine. Its crisp and cheerful notes make it a perfect white wine to pair with a fresh summer salad, light appetizers, or something as simple as fruit and cheese. Can you scream delish? Later that evening I even had some with dessert and it was perfecto.

Recently while visiting my sister and mom in Colorado we treated ourselves to a perfect trio of Moscato, figs, and brie. I love cheese and fruit and the bottle of Moscato paired perfectly. The bouquet found in Moscato goes well with several other foods; this was simply our pairing that evening. I can’t wait to try Moscato with something else. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. Following our own advice we decided to give the brie and figs our own little Mexican twist, in this case we added a little orange zest and piloncillo to the fig jam. Warm, gooey, and fruity, oh my!

The next time you want to start off your evening with a little fancy hors d’oeuvre, which doesn’t take a ton of time to make, try out this simple recipe. All it takes is seven simple ingredients: a wheel of brie, fig jam, fresh figs, an orange, piloncillo, water crackers, and Moscato wine. You will be so glad you did.

To all my WINOS, Women In Need Of Serenity, this one’s for you. Please drink responsibly.

Gracias Columbia Crest for the chance to meet Juan Munoz Oca, the delicious dinner, and the great bottles of wine.

This is not a sponsored post. The recipe and comments are our own.

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Baked Brie with Fig Preserves

5 (1 rating)
The perfect appetizer for the holidays! I decided to give the baked brie and figs a little Mexican twist, and added a little orange zest and piloncillo to the fig jam. Warm, gooey, and fruity, oh my!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup fig jam
  • 2 tablespoons grated piloncillo, brown sugar can be substituted
  • 1 8-ounce Brie cheese round
  • 4 fresh figs cut in half
  • 1 box plain water crackers
  • 1 bottle Moscato white wine from Columbia Crest

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cut the brie in half, creating two rounds.
  • Mix orange zest, fig jam, and piloncillo, and spread onto one of the brie rounds. Carefully place the other brie half on top.
  • Place the brie on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook the brie or you will have a gooey hot mess.
  • This step is optional: While the brie is baking, place figs on a hot comal (griddle) for a quick sear. This gives them a warm smokiness and goes oh so well with the warm brie.
  • Place the baked brie on a cutting board and serve with water crackers, sliced figs, and a chilled glass of Moscato wine. Salud!

Notes

  • Nutrition facts do not include crackers and wine. 
Calories: 293.15kcal, Carbohydrates: 26.2g, Protein: 12.21g, Fat: 15.86g, Saturated Fat: 9.9g, Cholesterol: 56.7mg, Sodium: 361.66mg, Potassium: 212.96mg, Fiber: 1.76g, Sugar: 21.51g, Vitamin A: 406.66IU, Vitamin C: 4.27mg, Calcium: 124.63mg, Iron: 0.59mg