Cocoa and Lavender

April 5, 2024 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

When the Understudy Shines

I bought a Vacqueyras several years ago to write about for this column; it was a young vintage that I put aside allowing it to mature. Then, one evening, friends came to dinner (and wouldn’t leave), and more wine needed to be poured. As said guests are discerning red wine drinkers (no white or rosé at all), I looked in my wine rack for something they might like. I pulled a Vacqueyras … the Vacqueyras … forgetting its PWZ purpose. Oops.

But, when I poured it that evening after the meal was said and done, I realized it was a food wine, not a sipping wine. That provided me some good intel for going forward. It made me ponder  the characteristics of... [...]
March 3, 2023 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Upgraded Again

Very rarely in life do you come across a Côtes du Rhône Villages so incredible that it might as well be a Gigondas. Today’s wine is exactly this. A nice upgrade.
It is big and bold, rich and intense, and it paired perfectly with my recipe for Steak with Hatch Chile Cream and Tomato-Corn Salsa. There is some spice... [...]
Photo of Clos Beylesse and pairing with scallops recipe
September 3, 2022 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Rhapsody en Bleu

Five months ago, I wrote about a rosé bottled in green glass, and how that was — and still is — unusual for a rosé. Today’s wine, to take this one step further, is bottled in blue glass. The colored glass provides an ultraviolet filter to preserve the wine’s quality as long as possible. I’m glad for this blue glass, as the wine is quite... [...]
August 6, 2022 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Le Pique-Nique

Picnic, anyone? Now is the time and, even if your temperatures don’t support being outdoors these days, today’s wine and food pairing is perfect for an indoor picnic. Just spread a blanket on the floor, put on a YouTube of forest sounds for background (hold the mosquitoes), add an oscillating fan for a light breeze, and you are... [...]
January 1, 2022 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

He Said, She Said

There are two sides to every story, and today’s wine-and-food pairing is no different. Except that it is very different. As I begin the eighth year of writing this column, this month is the first time in which the vintner, the editor for Provence WineZine, and I have all been in the same room for the tasting and pairing. And let it be... [...]
September 3, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Le Pique-Nique

It’s the end of the summer — the warmth of the sun is waning, the leaves on the trees are crisping at their edges, and you want to get in every possible outdoor experience before the winds pick up, the temperatures plunge, and the snow starts flying. Yes, a picnic seems like just the thing... [...]
August 6, 2021 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Tucked Away

When I was trying to decide what wine and food to pair this month, I did my usual perusal of the wine rack, though I didn’t find anything that seemed right for summer. I came across a few reds to consider, but my heart was holding out for a rosé. Nothing at the wine store did anything for me, either — there was nothing from Provence that I hadn’t... [...]
April 3, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

A Twenty-Nineteen Treat

Elizabeth David’s book, An Omelette and A Glass of Wine, gave me an idea: pair this week’s rosé with a simple frittata. Nothing fancy. Sometimes the simplest combinations are the best. Let me just say that it was, indeed, a good idea. I made a very simple frittata, using the onion tops of fresh spring onions, and paired it with the... [...]
March 6, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

A Good Stretch

As I have mentioned here before, I like to put wines to the test, finding their limits when pairing with food. Does it go with this? Or that? What could I change in the recipe to make it work? Often it takes two or more bottles of a wine to find its perfect match. The challenge I faced this week was that I had one bottle of the L’Exclus d’Alary... [...]
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