Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Bubbly Bulles
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Château Barbebelle
Cuvée: Les Bulles de Barbebelle
Vin de France: Provence–Corse
Type: Sparkling White
Grape Varieties: Ugni Blanc
Alcohol: 11.5%
Average Retail Price: €13
What a treat it was to have Susan and Towny with us for the Christmas holiday! They brought some wonderful wines that they picked up during their late-autumn trip to Provence; I got to do some really fun wine and food pairings to share with you. The first to come is Les Bulles de Barbebelle, a sparkling white wine from Château Barbebelle with grapes from the estate. The wine is classified as a Vin de France (Provence-Corse) as it does not meet the criteria for the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence appellation. Not only did they bring the wine, they brought me their recipe for Gougères to go alongside. You can get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender. While traditionally Burgundian, they are served throughout France as an appetizer, and range from fancy, perfectly round puffs to the more casual spooned-and-dropped version we made.
Les Bulles is a pale golden-yellow in color, with very small, elegant bubbles. We sensed honeysuckle, ripe pear, and clementine on the nose. On the palate, it is intensely fruit-forward with notes of citrus zest, sweet cherry, bitter almond, and a touch of cinnamon. As we enjoyed it with our gougères, we noticed that the wine became more savory; the pairing was superb.
The wine is incredibly well-balanced, and fully enjoyable with or without food. As a little test, we got out a small plate of one of our favorite Moroccan desserts: sliced oranges with cinnamon. That, too, was a synergistic pairing, accentuating the cinnamon, and making this sparkling wine perfect for both apéro and dessert.
That sounds perfect for a New Year celebration, especially with your gougères. I bet it goes particularly well with the taste of Comté!
It really was a perfect pairing, Mad Dog. Thanks, and Happy New Year!
I had forgotten about gougeres. I loved them as a kid. I may not have the bulles de Barbebelle to do the pairing but I will find a substitute.
How could you forget, Lisa? 😉 They are so good! It would be nice if Les Bulles de Barbebelle was available in the US!
The Les Bulles de Barbebelle sounds fabulous!! A couple of glasses of it and several Gougères would be a heavenly meal!!
I can assure you that it is an excellent meal, Barb. We made a batch the other night for dinner and enjoyed it with some sparkling wine. All we needed to finish off the meal was a nice salad.