Rosé Wine

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 2019 Château Barbebelle Rosé Fleuri, one of the best rosés of the year. You can find the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.

2019 was a banner year for rosés from Provence and, sadly, most of us missed out on them because, well... 2020. Where did 2020 go? (Please don’t answer — let me live in my denial, pretending that I simply pulled a Rip Van Winkle and slept for a year.) Lucky for me — and all of us — Fleuri (especially the 2019) is still... [...]

March 7, 2021 4

FOUR-MONTH SUSPENSION OF TARIFFS ON EU WINES IS ESPECIALLY GOOD NEWS FOR ROSÉ

Patrick Walsh, founder and proprietor of Provence Wine Imports, a small importer and distributor located in the Boston area and focused on wines from Provence and the Rhône Valley, heaved a huge sigh of relief when he read the news. After all, an unexpected 25% tax levied on the sole products that one’s... [...]

March 1, 2021 7

A Look at Rosé Diversity in a CIVP Masterclass with Elizabeth Gabay MW

I am not usually out of bed and in front of my computer, Zoom-ing with strangers (mostly) who are drinking rosé before the sun rises, but these days are different. On Thursday, February 25th, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence (CIVP) held a masterclass on Vins de Provence at 11:00 a.m. in France. Unfortunately,... [...]

February 14, 2021 8

THE THREE FACES OF GRENACHE

If you are a fan of wines from Provence or the Southern Rhône Valley, you are on an intimate basis with Grenache Noir. You probably don’t sidle up to the bar and order a “Grenache Noir” like you would a glass of Pinot or Cab, but I assure you that, in Provence and the Southern Rhône Valley, you are drinking wines of which Grenache is a major part. You may also know Grenache Blanc, one of its mutations... [...]

October 25, 2020 11

Diary of a Master of Wine in Provence
Solidarité – “Le coeur des chefs”

Written in Saint Martin Vésubie 18th October 2020. I am often described as living in Provence – which makes sense being a rosé specialist, but I actually live in the southern Alps, just over 40 miles north of Nice on the Italian border in a small medieval town called Saint Martin Vésubie. Originally on the salt trade route between Nice and Turin... [...]

August 16, 2020 9

IS ROSÉ A SERIOUS WINE?
REVISITING MY THOUGHTS ON THE SUBJECT

New York, New York August 9, 2020 – During the long, hot days of Augusts past, coveted pink wine from Provence flowed so briskly that the greatest source of anxiety among millennials from the City was that supplies would dry up in The Hamptons, just a short ride on the Jitney from Manhattan where I write now. In 2014, I recall my daughter... [...]

August 1, 2020 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Nobody’s Perfect

You might think that I like any wine that comes my way. I can see why you might think that, because mostly what you see here in this column are positive reviews and pairings.

But it’s not true. For one thing, when creating a pairing, I try to choose carefully so that I have something good to offer you. I certainly have control... [...]

July 4, 2020 8

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Transcontinental Tasting

A couple of weeks ago, Susan and Towny, along with several other friends, met with me and Mark on Zoom to cook a meal, taste some wine, and dine together — as if nothing about this was unusual. At times, it almost seemed as if we were together in the same room. But, every once in a while, there would be a hiccup in the ... [...]

June 6, 2020 9

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Love is in the Air

Love is in the Air... and in my glass. It’s D’lovely!

This month, we continue our salute to 2019 rosé wines — a summer-long celebration of our mutual love of all (or most all) wines pink. Especially those from our beloved... [...]

May 24, 2020 2

Cassis: A Timeless AOC

Cassis is the most beautiful AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) in France: the vineyards cling to the slopes of a magical amphitheater that plunges towards the shimmering Mediterranean. The Phocaeans (ancient Greeks from Asia Minor) must have been enchanted with these slopes when they first saw them 2,600 years ago. And they did well to plant them to the vine. The perfect exposure, dry and nutrient-poor soils and the cooling Mediterranean... [...]

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