Recipe by Nancy Johnson; Wine Commentary by Gary Twining.
This is the easiest, fastest appetizer to prepare; it’s salty and sweet, a bit like yin and yang. Its success depends on using the sweetest, freshest melon and best-quality prosciutto, an Italian dried ham. Choose a cantaloupe that is heavy for its size with a fresh, sweet scent. The stem end should yield slightly when pressed.
1 cantaloupe, peeled, deseeded and sliced
Thinly sliced prosciutto
Fresh rosemary
Wrap a few slices of prosciutto around each melon slice. Serve a few slices on each plate, sprinkled with fresh crumbled rosemary. Serves 6.
Gary: The salt and sweetness set up a unique pairing opportunity with wines with a hint of sweetness that also complement the dry-cured, salty ham. Try a lightly sweet sparkler such as an extra dry Prosecco or Demi-sec Champagne. Riesling is a perfect foil for this appetizer, in softly-dry to softly-sweet styles. Moscato d’Asti is light, frothy, fresh and crisp and would be a delightful sip. If you prefer, a dry Rosé would be perfect, or try a Beaujolais/Gamay or lighter Pinot Noir to set off the Prosciutto.
