Wine Tasting

June 3, 2023 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Perle Blanche

When planning our recent trip to Morocco, none of our small group (which included PWZ’s Susan and Towny) had any idea there would be a winery owned by a man from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But there we were and there he was. Charles Mélia moved to the small village of Ounara — just 20 minutes east of the seaside town of Essaouira — in 1994, and started Domaine du Val d’Argan.

Earlier in his life, he worked at his family’s vineyard, Château de la Font du Loup (in Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and, after exploring other wine growing areas (Argentina and New Zealand), he settled on Morocco. The climate was perfect for growing Rhône grapes such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Muscat, and Roussanne. Sadly, the... [...]

Photo of bottle of Clos Saint Michel CDP White

May 6, 2023 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
If At First You Don’t Succeed…

Let me start by saying that I did succeed the first time with the wine pairing. What didn’t go so well was the execution of the recipe. Don’t get me wrong — all the flavors blended perfectly to pair with this exquisite wine, but my sous vide wand failed and the halibut was severely overcooked! Technology… sigh.

That said, the recipe — which I made twice before and twice since “the disaster” — is probably one of my best creations inspired by... [...]

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... [...]

December 3, 2022 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
I Like Big Reds and I Cannot Lie

Big reds. I love them. Châteauneuf-du-Pape has been a favorite since I was young, even the time when my father mortifyingly embarrassed me at a fine restaurant while I was in college. He had ordered a Châteauneuf-du-Pape to go with our meal; I was sitting on the inside seat of a cozy booth. The sommelier was a stunningly beautiful... [...]

November 5, 2022 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Timeless

In early December last year, Susan, Towny, Mark, and I descended upon Sue and Rodney Tipton at their winery, Acquiesce, located in Acampo, California, in the Lodi wine region. Sue and Rodney are the consummate hosts — they fed us, entertained us, and set up one of the most incredible days of wine tastings that I have ever... [...]

August 1, 2022 3

Gabay and Bernheim’s Rosés of Southern France should be in your wine library

The recent publication of Rosés of Southern France is cause for great celebration among casual rosé drinkers and oenophiles alike. Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Bernheim have written an engaging and comprehensive book that not surprisingly centers on Provence rosé but it also includes rosés from all other neighboring regions in the South of France. Their depth of... [...]

July 1, 2022 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Strange Bedfellows

Today’s pairing is one I approached with some trepidation. I was confident that the wine was going to be good (okay, excellent), and I knew the recipe well enough to be happy with it. But together? I just wasn’t sure. I certainly didn’t expect a full-on tug-of-war, but I had no idea it was going to turn out be one of my favorite pairings in recent... [...]

June 3, 2022 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Same Time Next Year

Susan, Towny, Mark, and I re-zoomed our online dinners again this week. (Don’t you just love bad puns?) It has been been a long time since we have seen each other, even though Susan and I chat frequently on the phone, seeing them via zoom is much better than not seeing them at... [...]

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... [...]

November 6, 2021 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
1958: It Was a Very Good Year

It’s not often that I’m able to consider bottles from a “big box” wine store for this column. With the exception of a few quality rosés I have gotten (and written about) from such stores, their selection of rosé wines is generally geared towards the Carries and Mirandas. Pretty bottles/labels, intense pink colors, low price points, high sugar content, and a devil-may-care... [...]

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