Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Taking Chances

Winery: Domaine Aléofane
Cuvée: Aléofane
Appellation: Crozes-Hermitage
Type: Red
Vintage: 2021
Grape Varieties: 100% Syrah
Alcohol: 13%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $30.00-$35.00

Several years ago, at Susan’s suggestion, I started getting Garagiste’s emails and offers. I have found many great wines through their website and I enjoy the process of buying a couple of bottles here, a couple there, and then getting my shipments when the weather is cool enough so as not to damage the wine. It’s like Christmas when the cases arrive — dozens of wonderful surprises and, for the most part, many winemakers with which I was unfamiliar. Sure, I know what wines I generally like but, as we all know, each winemaker’s product is different from the others. I like taking chances on wines and winemakers heretofore unknown to me.

I have tasted a Crozes-Hermitage before and once created an unfortunate pairing; my expectations for the wine were incorrect. This time around, I checked online for some good pairings and what I found gave me an idea for the creation of this months new recipe: Grilled Marinated Rack of Lamb with Potatoes. Get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.

The wine is a deep, rich purple which led me, as before, to believe I was in for a full-bodied Rhône red, though there wasn’t much to report on the nose. My first sip took me aback; it was very bright, a bit acidic, and seemed thin — more light-bodied than expected. To be honest, I was almost ready to pull another bottle for the pairing. But I let it breathe a bit and it improved somewhat over an hour. Still not completely convinced, I did have a Petite Syrah at the ready just in case.

Then came the actual pairing with the lamb. I cannot believe how it all pulled together with the first bite. The richness I expected was suddenly there; this medium-bodied wine was such a pleasurable pour with the lamb and potatoes. I tasted a lot of black pepper along with nice intense fruit — blackberry, black currant, and sour cherry — with a floral and herbal finish. 

As you can tell from my writings over the years, I am still learning day by day, sip by sip. From this lovely Crozes-Hermitage, I learned it is a food wine — what you eat with a wine truly makes a difference. I found two aspects in this recipe that made the wine sing, and they are seemingly opposite: fat and acid. The olive oil in the lamb and potatoes brought the richness, while the parsley-lemon sauce (also with olive oil) accentuated the herbal notes of the wine.

I was truly happy with the wine and would get it again, though I admit I didn’t pay what I list above as the average prices. That is the magic of Garagiste. This wine is a perfect match for my recipe and I am happy to report that no Petite Syrah was harmed in the pairing of this wine and food.