AOP

April 6, 2019 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Vin with Versatility

You know, from reading my posts, that I truly enjoy when a pairing is so perfect that it brings tears to my eyes. Sometimes, though, I find that there are wines that have no one perfect pairing, but have a versatility to go with many foods.

Today’s wine is such a wine. It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn... [...]

March 2, 2019 9

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Smooth Operator

When I started writing this column - can you believe it has been four years? - I had never had a French Viognier. I was used to the sweet, strongly spiced American vintages which, I believe, have their place at the table. They are well-liked and, as soon as anyone here says, “Lobster with drawn butter,” someone else in the rooms puts a Viognier... [...]

February 2, 2019 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Side by Side by Syrah

Your average dinner for four. Apéro had been served. Dinner was in the oven. The table was set. Two wines were open and ready. But this wasn’t an average dinner. And we certainly didn’t have average wines. In fact we – Susan, Towny, Mark, and I – had two highly rated, 100% Syrah... [...]

January 1, 2019 21

THE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BOTTLE

One of my therapist friends closed her message to me today by saying: “Happy New Year!” Catching herself, I suppose, she added, “That’s what I’m supposed to say, right?” She’s not my therapist but as she continued, I thought she really must be a darned good one as... [...]

November 3, 2018 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Game of Chance

Once again, I think I was very lucky with this pairing. I was serving Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks to friends who drink only red wine. And only red wine from France. Picky, picky. (You can find the recipe at Cocoa & Lavender.)

We had just returned from three glorious weeks in Sicily... [...]

October 7, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Gift to Remember

We were gifted this bottle of wine; après tout, wines of this caliber are not in my normal wine budget. It is such a special bottle that it actually made me nervous when it came to pairing it with food.

I fretted for weeks... [...]

September 1, 2018 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Salt of the Sea

Today’s tasting may be the most unusual I have done. It is a wine that, if blindfolded when tasted, would not have said “rosé” to me, although it wouldn’t have said red or white, either. It has none of the traditional red fruits associated with rosé, nor its distinct floral aromas. On the nose, it is briny... [...]

August 4, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Fight to the Finish

Not everything goes as planned. I had, in hand, what I hoped would be a knock-your-socks-off white for this month’s wine with food pairing. However... [...]

July 7, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Mix and Match

Generally, when serving a meal, I like to pair the wines with the region from which the food comes. It’s not always possible - Asian food, for example - but, when making Italian dishes (even as specific as Sicilian fare) there are so many good local wines available for pairing.

However, if you look slightly northwest out your window in Palermo, Sicily, you might be able to see the coast of France, and - more specifically today - the Costières de Nîmes region, from which today’s wine comes. (Yes, Sardinia is in the way of your view... but work with me.)... [...]

July 1, 2018 2

Domaine du Paternel is Just One Great Reason to Visit Cassis

Mention wine from Provence and one surely conjures up images of rosé. After all, pink wine does account for close to 90% of all wine produced in the region. But, there are pockets of Provence that run counter to its... [...]

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