Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food How Could I Forget?
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Château des Fines Roches
Cuvée: Forget Me Not
Appellation: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley
Type: Red
Vintage: 2016
Grape Varieties: Vaccarèse 90%, Grenache 10%
Alcohol: 15%
Average Retail Price: France €64 (not available in the US)
Dining chez Susan and Towny is, well, an incredible treat. Not only due to the exquisite food, mind you, but because of the wine. Whatever I make, they have the perfect wine to pair. And this month’s selection is truly exceptional.
I made something for them which I can make in my sleep. In fact, until I made it for them, I hadn’t even written it down as a recipe. I just made it like my mother would have — a little bit of this, a little bit of that. But they loved it so much that they insisted I make it again… and again. Three times within the week. It is my Pork Medallions in Mustard Cream; you can find the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.
Other than the fact that they loved the dish, why might I have made it three times? Because Susan wanted to pair it with the perfect wine. While many we tried worked well — even really well — she knew there was one wine out there that would be the one for this dish. So, after at least 10 bottles opened and tried (and enjoyed), she found the unicorn. And a unicorn it is, as it is rare and near impossible to find.
Château Fines Roches Forget Me Not is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape — the grape varieties are unique, as you can see above. Don’t be confused thinking this is a Vacqueyras — it’s not. The Vaccarèse grape — also known as Brun Argenté — is one of the permitted grapes for making Châteauneuf-du-Pape, though production is small making it rare in many CdP blends. So, to have a wine composed of 90% of this grape is truly uncommon.
It is a deep ruby red in color, with intense notes of black cherry and tobacco. On the palate, it is a complex blend of blackberry, tart blackcurrant, a floral touch of rose, and deep thick notes of molasses. Its silky mouthfeel and medium tannins make this wine an incredible pleasure to drink. It paired seamlessly with the pork — the cream, mustard, and Madeira — and left us all wanting more. I wish we could order it by the case.
While you most likely won’t have this wine in your cellar, and probably won’t be able to find it, we thought we should give you an alternate selection. That same night — once Forget Me Not was finished (but not forgotten) — we switched things up a bit and hopped over the pond and across the country to Healdsburg, CA. We arrived at Ridge Vineyards, maker of Geyserville — a wonderful blend of Zinfandel (69%), Carignane (20%), Petite Sirah (8%), Alicante Bouschet (2), and Mataro (1%). With cranberry, redcurrant, and some wintry spices, this wine was full-bodied and velvety on the palate. A lovely pairing.
All in all, no one suffered terribly while trying to find the perfect pairing for my simple little pork
dish.
It is magical when you find a unicorn pairing of a dish and a wine. This indigenous French grape is scarcely planted. Wow, wow. You are darn right, it would be almost impossible to find this wine in the U.S.. What a special treat.
Ridge wines are always consistently good. I’ve never been disappointed.
Cheers to good friends, a great meal and extraordinary wine. I can’t think of a better combination.
Velva
It amazed me to learn that only 0.15% of the grapes grown in the appellation are Vaccarese. Sad, because the flavor is wonderful. I wish you could have been with us for the tasting.
Ridge wines are solid — and they are easy for pairing.
I hope someday you can meet Susan and Towny. Your mutual love of food and wine will make for great conversation.