Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food C’est Si Bon!
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Clos Cibonne
Cuvée: Tentations
Appellation: Côtes de Provence
Type: Rosé
Vintage: 2024
Grape Varieties: 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, and 15% Tibouren
Alcohol: 13%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $25.00-$30.00
«C’est si bon!» — French for, “It’s so good!” — is the perfect saying for this homophonous vineyard, Clos Cibonne. The wines they produce are quite wonderful, and today I was tempted by their cuvée, Tentations. (See what I did there?) I was looking for a rosé to pair with my Sweet Potato and Scallop Napoleons, and this particular wine seemed promising. You can get the recipe for the Napoleons on my blog, Cocoa & Lavender.
Susan, Towny, Mark and I gathered once again to cook and dine together on zoom, this time celebrating the French national holiday, Fête de la Bastille. The meal wasn’t particularly French, though everything was definitely Mediterranean. We started with the Napoleons and continued on to an incredible steak and portobello mushroom salad. They were able to source the rosé online, and I found it here in Tucson at a wonderful boutique gourmet store downtown.
We poured a little of the wine to taste while we prepared the scallops. The color is a light peach-pink, and the nose gave us red fruit, floral notes (violet and honeysuckle), and orange-fleshed melon. It is a very bright and refreshing wine, with flavors of strawberry, and citrus — white grapefruit — graced with a pleasantly chalky mouthfeel and a smooth, long, savory finish. We were all suitably impressed with the wine and how it paired with the scallops. As Susan said, “There’s a real synergy between the food and wine.”
Definitely keep an eye out for this wine. I’m looking forward to heading downtown and getting some more to get me through the Tucson summer.
I’m very fond of Rosé (and Rosado), especially the pale ones. I’m sure the Tentations was a perfect accompaniment to your Sweet Potato and Scallop Napoleons!
It was a really beautiful pairing, Mad Dog — and we are huge fans of rosés, as well.
This Rosé sounds like a perfect summer wine to pair with many dishes or to just enjoy sipping!
It is a truly delightful rosé, Barb — and, yes, it will pair well with many dishes but is also perfect for apéro!