Articles by David Scott Allen

June 5, 2021 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Revisiting an Old Friend

This week’s pairing is pretty unusual… but trust me, in the end, it makes perfect sense. The anchovy sauce used in my recipe for Roasted Chicken with Colatura di Alici is Italian; it is a descendant of the ancient Roman garum. Coincidentally, garum was produced by the Gauls and exported from the southernmost tip of France... [...]

May 1, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Baby, It’s Cold Outside

As you know from Susan’s recent articles (“A Perfect Storm” and “Fear and Angst”), the Southern Rhône Valley has had a really tough time of it lately. Long, drawn out freezes have severely affected the vines, which will affect CDR wines for years to come. Today, to show support of vintners from that region, I am pairing my meal with a... [...]

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... [...]

February 6, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Understudy

Somehow, almost every time I’ve attended a Broadway show, I ended up seeing an understudy in a major role. My disappointment prior to the show was generally palpable. Yet, once into the first act of these shows, I completely forgot I was watching the second string and always enjoyed the production thoroughly. Now that I... [...]

January 2, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Happy New Year!

Superstition (call it tradition if you wish) suggests that we start the New Year on the right foot. What they actually mean by “right foot” is the correct foot. And, anyone who has marched (marching band, military parade, or — heck — the Macy’s Parade) knows that you start on the left foot. So let’s make sure we enter 2021... [...]

December 5, 2020 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Perfect Clos(e) to the Year

I am a firm believer that wine and food need to be shared to get the optimal pleasure from both. We are so close to getting that back in our lives that I can almost taste it. Literally.

I have been pairing food and wine for myself now for nine months. Sure, Markipedia likes a good meal and... [...]

November 7, 2020 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Be Still, Mon Coeur

When it comes down to it, it isn’t the wine that is getting us through “this,” it’s the sharing of the wine. Whether from 15 feet apart in the back garden, or online via Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype, we still thrive by sharing a glass with friends over a meal, an appetizer, or even a bowl of popcorn. It doesn’t matter how we do it... [...]

October 3, 2020 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Alex’s Wine

Tacos and wine aren’t your average pairing. But Alex wasn’t your average young woman.

This month, my pairing is dedicated to the memory of Susan and Towny’s daughter, Alex, who died from complications from PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections). October is PANDAS Awareness... [...]

September 5, 2020 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
As Summer Fades…

The construct of time is odd these days. Having been indoors (for the most part) since early March, it has been difficult to conceptualize the change of seasons. Calendars don’t seem to make a difference, and clocks and watches don’t really mean much now, either. The thermostat is at a constant and perfect 76°F; is it summer? Winter? I just ... [...]

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