Cocoa and Lavender

June 5, 2026 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Consistency

When a wine comes from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region, my question usually isn’t if I will like it, but how much I will like it. Today’s wine is a case of “I liked it very much.” I am pretty consistent in my love of wines from this region.

I had the bottle of wine before I knew what I was making, but it seemed that grilled lamb would be good, so I created a recipe for Lamb and Shiitake Skewers which are perfumed with bay leaves and served over a farro-vegetable salad... [...]

April 25, 2026 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Her Colors Are Pink and Pink

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 ... [...]

Bottle of Hospice de Beaune wine next to a plate of Oeufs en Meurette

April 3, 2026 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Throw Me a Beaune

What to you do when confronted with an exquisite bottle of wine for pairing with food? Do you go as fancy as you can? That is usually my thought. However, Susan and Towny had another idea; go with a simple, peasant dish. And that is what we did on Christmas Eve. Towny and I pulled together a recipe (from looking at several videos online) for Œufs en Meurette or, simply, Eggs in Meurette Sauce. For the recipe... [...]

A bottle of Chateau Barbebelle Hortense pictured next to a photo of the Roasted Salmon with Meyer Lemon-Thyme Beurre Blanc dish

March 7, 2026 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Birthday Gift

What a birthday gift for Hortense! Her parents, Château Barbebelle winemaker Madeleine Premmereur and her husband Valentin, named their new Blanc de Noirs cuvée for their daughter when she was born. Hortense is the first of the 5th generation at Château Barbebelle. Such a shame she isn’t old enough to enjoy this wine... [...]

December 6, 2025 7

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Taking Chances

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... [...]

November 1, 2025 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Other Châteauneuf

Just north of Avignon and its famous “pont,” is the viniculturally famous town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. To the east of Avignon is a much less famous town — though not necessarily less important: Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne. And it is from this “other” Châteauneuf that the grapes for today’s wine come. Wine merchant Kermit Lynch works with growers and producers in the region to bring us some of the best wines showcasing the terroir of the Southern Rhône. While the grapes for the wine come from ... [...]

July 4, 2025 8

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Allons Enfants!

While I am one day late for the 4th of July, we have a whole week to prepare for the Fête de la Bastille, which makes much more sense when writing about French wines, n’est-ce pas? Allons enfants! Let’s celebrate!

For the recipe this month, I combined a modern American recipe for “beer can chicken” with some very nice French ingredients, also making it a perfect Bastille Day meal. Please check out my recipe for Champagne Roast Chicken on Cocoa & Lavender. I paired it with a Famille Perrin... [...]

May 3, 2025 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Blue Oak

I picked up a bottle of Chêne Bleu Aliot recently. I have known about the experience of Chêne Bleu Winery — the wine, the food, the hospitality — for a long time but have never had the opportunity to take part. At least until now. While I am not sitting beneath their eponymous blue oak, I can happily imagine it. I called Towny, my culinary copain, to ask his thoughts on a pairing for this wine. The two of us went right to... [...]

February 28, 2025 7

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Weight of Wine

For something new and different, Susan and I tasted this month’s wine together online from across the country (check out our tasting video HERE), and then I made a plan for the menu. It was a really fun way to do this and we hope to do it more in the future.

The menu ended up being for a recipe I have been working on for a while, and I think I finally got it right for this pairing. (See more below.) Lamb Steaks with Olive Sauce... [...]

February 1, 2025 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food A Well-Traveled Tavel

Today’s pairing was a bit tricky. At first glance, my Duck Teriyaki recipe looks like an easy shot. Many rosés pair perfectly with Asian cuisine and that is what I thought, too. But when you examine the teriyaki glaze I created, you will see three different Asian wines in the mix (sake, mirin, and xiaoxing) and, to me, that tends to wreak havoc on a wine... [...]

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