Côtes de Provence rosé

THE PASTAGA OF LÉOUBE

In August of last year, Château Léoube’s Secret de Léoube was given a shout by Drinks Magazine, having placed in the gold medal tier of their 2014 Global Rosé Masters wine tasting competition with such local Provence favorites as Château d’Esclans and Mirabeau en Provence. Embarrassingly enough, having lived only an hour away for years, I had been blissfully ignorant of this domain. As Provence [...]

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

As Summer Slips Away…

I suppose, in the end, the title of this post should have been, "As Summer Sips Away." We often think of rosés as "summer wines," and we rue the end of the long, hot, languorous days, and our sipping of that wonderful, pink, Provençal nectar. But, unlike putting away your white pants and shoes, you don't have to stop drinking rosé; it is a year-round wine. [...]

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE ROSÉS

It's been a long hot summer, at least where I've been hanging my hat. I was in Provence for the hottest July on record, returned to New England where heat and humidity dominated many summer days, ditto for my visits to New York--in August what else would I expect?-- and [...]

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Upgraded to First Class

Imagine that you are at the airport ready to board your flight, having paid coach fare. You step onto the plane only to be surprised by the flight attendant; you have been upgraded to First Class. That is exactly how I felt when I took my first sip of this 2013 Château La Tour Sainte Anne rosé. The price was coach ($12.99) but the luxurious taste and velvety feel in my mouth told me I was in the First Class cabin. For my previous posts, I learned about the wine and then made a meal that I felt would be complimentary. This time, I needed a wine to go with a tricky dish: Oysters Rockefeller. Oysters, on their own [...]

IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER, I UNCORK A BOTTLE OF ROSÉ

The snow is over three-feet deep in some places around our home in coastal New England. The wind is howling, shaking the loose window panes of this 18th-century house and causing a shrill whistling noise. A “Winter Storm Watch” is in effect for tonight, when an additional twelve inches of snow may begin to fall. Even parts of Provence may see a dusting of snow by the end of the week [...]
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