Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Oops! I Did It Again
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Mas de Cadenet
Cuvée: Côtes de Provence Blanc
Appellation: Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire
Type: white
Vintage: 2024
Grape Varieties: 100% Rolle (Vermentino)
Alcohol: 13%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $25
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Winery: Château les Eydins
Cuvée: K à Part
Appellation: Côtes de Luberon (Bonnieux)
Type: red
Vintage: 2020
Grape Varieties: 100% Carrignan
Alcohol: 14%
Average Retail Price: $22
Like Britney Spears, I did it again — but, unlike her, I wasn’t playing with anyone’s heart. What I did do, however, was select the wrong wine for the right dish. Longtime readers of the Provence WineZine know this isn’t my first offense.
A week ago, we were all enjoying a sip of Mas de Cadenet white wine before intending to have it with my Moroccan Couscous With Seven Vegetables (the recipe is on Cocoa & Lavender). I decided to take my glass to the kitchen for a little taste test of the broth with the wine. Oops! Big oops! It was one of the worst pairings I have ever considered. Quickly, I switched gears; I conferred with Susan and Towny, then sent Towny to the wine cellar. He came back with an excellent pairing: a red from Château les Eydins, their K à Part.
Both wines are fantastic, so here is a bit about both:
The Mas de Cadenet cuvée was much brighter than I expected from a 100% Rolle (Vermentino). It has a beautiful medium straw color and the nose is very fresh, giving aromas of green apple and Seckel pear. On the palate, the green apple was present but its flavors also included grapefruit, kiwi, honeysuckle, and slate (minerality), with hints of lemon oil on the finish. We enjoyed it with some cheeses prior to dinner, but I can see it pairing beautifully with white fish cooked in olive oil and citrus, and with most seafood. It would be lovely with oysters.
Our second wine du soir was a much bolder wine, one that held up to the spices in my couscous; it is made from 100% Carignan grapes from Château les Eydins. This particular cuvée, K à Part, is named so for the fact that being 100% Carignan stands it apart from the château’s other offerings; the K stands in for the C in Carignan. The wine is a deep ruby in color with a bold nose with aromas of licorice with blackberries and prunes. It is a well-balanced wine with with elegant tannins, and flavors of red fruit, rich earth, and eucalyptus. The finish revealed spicy notes which complemented the couscous perfectly. This wine would pair well with roasted or grilled steak/beef, lamb, or pork.
When considering today’s pairing — and my error — if this post were a children’s book, the title could be Carignan Saves the Day. It is a fabulous wine. Though let’s not forget the refined and elegant Mas de Cadenet white. In that case, its title might be more along the lines of The Lady Waits (her next meal). Each of these two wines is perfect in its own right with its own food. Enjoy!
Both of the wines sound delicious! Pairing wine with spicy foods can be quite challenging!
It is, indeed, challenging Barb — and finding just the right wine makes all the difference.
The K à Part is probably a perfect pairing with Moroccan food because the Carignan grape was once dominant in Moroccan viticulture.
I’m sure the Mas de Cadenet was similarly good with your starter.
I didn’t know that about Carignan in Morocco — that’s why it made perfect sense as a pairing!