Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Her Colors Are Pink and Pink
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Mas de Cadenet
Cuvée: Grande Garde
Appellation: Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
Type: Rosé
Vintage: 2023
Grape Varieties: 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
Alcohol: 13%
Average Retail Price: France €26, U.S. $36
In Steel Magnolias, the ladies in the beauty shop were asking Shelby (Julia Roberts) what her wedding colors would be “Blush and Bashful,” was her response, to which her mother (Sally Field) retorted, “Her colors are pink and pink.” And, today, we have another case of “pink and pink” — pink shrimp and pink wine. I paired a beautiful rosé from Mas de Cadenet with Goan Shrimp Curry; get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.
The wine is a beautiful salmon-pink (dare I say shrimp-pink?) with a bright, fresh nose of red fruit, spice, and a hint of banana. Have I ever told you that the aroma of banana is usually a sign that I will like a rosé? Have any of you ever smelled banana from a rosé? What are your thoughts?
Tasting the wine did not disappoint. At very first, we thought (Susan was at our table) the spices in the shrimp dish might have been too strong for the wine but, in the end, we both decided it was a great pairing. In addition to other pairings, the Mas de Cadenet website does mention that it goes well with Asian cuisine.
The wine was seamless from nose to palate. This full-bodied, velvety wine has great minerality with notes of red fruit — strawberry, specifically — along with honey and anise. It is truly a fine rosé and it is available in the US (if shipping is allowed where you live). It pairs well with spicy foods, but also with simple tomato-based dishes and seafood. A perfect special occasion wine.
That’s interesting, Beaujolais nouveau typically smells of bananas.
The wine sounds delicious (as does the shrimp). I’m very fond of Côtes de Provence Rosés, especially when the weather’s warm.
I never realized that, Mad Dog. To be honest, I think I’ve only had Beaujolais nouveau once, and it was many years ago… decades, actually. I’ll have to try some at its next release.
Warm weather is coming on, so I think some Côte de Provence rosé is in your future.
Pairing wine with spicy food can be challenging, but this rosé sounds like an excellent choice!
It can definitely be tricky, Barb. But I have found that rosé is usually a good foil for spice, especially when it’s as full-bodied and has good minerality such, as this wine.