Prosciutto and melon are often served together and usually in more or less the same way.  What makes this recipe a little different, I hope, is the balsamic reduction which really does add something special to this standard.

You’ll need:

½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cantaloupe or other melon
8 slices prosciutto
1 oz Asiago cheese (or parmigiano-reggiano), shaved into 32 thin slices
32 fresh mint leaves

In a small saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar by half and set aside. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and use a melon baller to scoop out round balls of melon. Cut the prosciutto slices first in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise – you need 32 pieces. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each melon ball, tucking in a mint leaf and piece of cheese. Drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar.

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer.

John’s Wine Pairing:
I picked a Claiborne & Churchill Dry Gewürztraminer from the Central Coast. This is one of our favorite wineries, the entire building is made of straw bales and so requires no heating or air conditioning. C&C specialize in Alsatian style wines and this particular one is quite dry. Its spicy flavor goes very well with the sweetness of the melon and the saltiness of the prosciutto. It also picks up the lime. Perfect.