Chardonnay White Chocolate Cheesecake and Strawberry Sauce

What is better than a wine tasting?! I wine tasting that includes chocolate . . . and being in the Barossa Valley, Australia doesn’t hurt either.

A little about the Barossa Valley. This wine region located northeast of Adelaide in South Australia is actually home to some of the oldest vines in the world. Winemaking dates back to 1842 in the area and began with German settlers. That heritage is something that makes the region unique and a little quirky.

The area maintains a strong sense of community that you experience in all of your interactions with locals. Unlike other areas of Australia, they have also maintained enduring ties to their European heritage. This gives the Barossa Valley a unique feel of classy European meets laid back Aussie.

During a few days there I visited dozens of tasting rooms and chatted with vintners, cellar door owners, barrel makers, and more. They were all so giving of their time and knowledge in a way that is often uncommon in a popular wine region. With over 150 wineries including some of the most prestigious in Australia as well as tiny family-owned operations, you are sure to find a wine and tasting room that is perfect for you.

Of all the tastings my favorite was definitely the one at Hahndorf Hill Winery. The knowledgable staff led us through a tasting of a variety of wines paired with single-origin chocolates. We learned about pairings where the chocolate brings out the flavor of the wine and vice versa with the order of consumption affecting the flavor outcome.

It was this combo of two of my favorite things that ended up melded with another one of my favorite things – cheesecake – for this unforgettable Chardonnay White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce.

Chardonnay White Chocolate Cheesecake and Strawberry Sauce

• Author: Ashley
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 10–12 slices 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking

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Description

Combining the flavors of our South Australian wine tasting, this Chardonnay White Chocolate Cheesecake is a creamy treat worth all the effort. 

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Ingredients

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Crust

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese (24 oz)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla paste or extract
• 3/4 tsp chardonnay extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips

Strawberry sauce

• 1 pint of strawberries
• 2–3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 – 1 Tbsp lemon juice

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Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. In a food processor, whirl the oats, walnuts, brown sugar, and melted butter until nuts are crumbly and all ingredients are combined. 
3. Spread the mixture in the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable bottom. 
4. Bake 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown. 
5. When the crust is finished reduce the oven temperature to 300 degress F. 

Make the filling while the crust bakes:

1. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and add it to the food processor. 
2. Add the sour cream, vanilla, chardonnay extract, salt, and sugar to the cream cheese and whirl until smooth. 
3. Add the eggs and egg whites and pulse, scraping down the sides occasionally, until incorporated and evenly colored. 
4. Stir in the chopped white chocolate.
5. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. 
6. Bake 1 hour. The cheesecake should be firm on the sides and still move a little in the center when you shake the pan gently. 
7. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open for 1 hour. 
8. After one hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on the countertop and cover with a kitchen towel to cool to room temperature – about four hours. 
9. Refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan at least 6 hours. 

Make the strawberry sauce: 

1. In a blender, combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and juice. 
2. Blend until smooth. 
3. Taste and adjust sugar and lemon juice as needed. 

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from pan, slice, and top with strawberry sauce. 

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Notes

• To prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking you could run a sharp knife around the edges before letting it sit for an hour in the turned off oven. 
• The strawberry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to serve. 
• Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days or slices can be frozen and thawed as needed.