Articles by David Scott Allen

November 6, 2021 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
1958: It Was a Very Good Year

It’s not often that I’m able to consider bottles from a “big box” wine store for this column. With the exception of a few quality rosés I have gotten (and written about) from such stores, their selection of rosé wines is generally geared towards the Carries and Mirandas. Pretty bottles/labels, intense pink colors, low price points, high sugar content, and a devil-may-care... [...]

October 2, 2021 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Grape by Any Other Name

Actually, a grape by many other names!

Vermentino is a light-colored grape that has been determined to have its literal roots in Liguria, on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the northwest of Italy. Wines produced from Vermentino are most often found in this same region of Italy (also in... [...]

September 3, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Le Pique-Nique

It’s the end of the summer — the warmth of the sun is waning, the leaves on the trees are crisping at their edges, and you want to get in every possible outdoor experience before the winds pick up, the temperatures plunge, and the snow starts flying. Yes, a picnic seems like just the thing... [...]

August 6, 2021 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Tucked Away

When I was trying to decide what wine and food to pair this month, I did my usual perusal of the wine rack, though I didn’t find anything that seemed right for summer. I came across a few reds to consider, but my heart was holding out for a rosé. Nothing at the wine store did anything for me, either — there was nothing from Provence that I hadn’t... [...]

July 3, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Mediterranean…

For a more-than-slight change of pace this month, I “traveled” eastward in the Mediterranean to Macedonia, the largest region of Greece. Nestled in the Imathia Valley, near the city of Naoussa, is Domaine Karydas, where Kostantinos and Petros Karydas (father and son) produce a wonderful... [...]

June 5, 2021 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Revisiting an Old Friend

This week’s pairing is pretty unusual… but trust me, in the end, it makes perfect sense. The anchovy sauce used in my recipe for Roasted Chicken with Colatura di Alici is Italian; it is a descendant of the ancient Roman garum. Coincidentally, garum was produced by the Gauls and exported from the southernmost tip of France... [...]

May 1, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Baby, It’s Cold Outside

As you know from Susan’s recent articles (“A Perfect Storm” and “Fear and Angst”), the Southern Rhône Valley has had a really tough time of it lately. Long, drawn out freezes have severely affected the vines, which will affect CDR wines for years to come. Today, to show support of vintners from that region, I am pairing my meal with a... [...]

April 3, 2021 1

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Twenty-Nineteen Treat

Elizabeth David’s book, An Omelette and A Glass of Wine, gave me an idea: pair this week’s rosé with a simple frittata. Nothing fancy. Sometimes the simplest combinations are the best. Let me just say that it was, indeed, a good idea. I made a very simple frittata, using the onion tops of fresh spring onions, and paired it with the... [...]

March 6, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Good Stretch

As I have mentioned here before, I like to put wines to the test, finding their limits when pairing with food. Does it go with this? Or that? What could I change in the recipe to make it work? Often it takes two or more bottles of a wine to find its perfect match. The challenge I faced this week was that I had one bottle of the L’Exclus d’Alary... [...]

February 6, 2021 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Understudy

Somehow, almost every time I’ve attended a Broadway show, I ended up seeing an understudy in a major role. My disappointment prior to the show was generally palpable. Yet, once into the first act of these shows, I completely forgot I was watching the second string and always enjoyed the production thoroughly. Now that I... [...]

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