Wine Classification

January 5, 2019 8

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Intentional

No, Dorothy, we aren’t in Kansas... or Provence, for that matter. But I did this intentionally. I planned to share a cassoulet on New Year’s Eve with Susan and Towny, and wanted the wine to pair perfectly.

Since I got the basic recipe for the cassoulet from John and Nicole... [...]

January 1, 2019 21

THE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BOTTLE

One of my therapist friends closed her message to me today by saying: “Happy New Year!” Catching herself, I suppose, she added, “That’s what I’m supposed to say, right?” She’s not my therapist but as she continued, I thought she really must be a darned good one as... [...]

December 1, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Holy Vin Rouge, Batman!

Forgive the silliness of the title, because this is one serious wine.

Susan and Towny, and their daughter Alex, came to Tucson at the end of July. With them, they brought - among other wines - this gem. I am sorry to inform you that this isn’t a wine you will be... [...]

November 3, 2018 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Game of Chance

Once again, I think I was very lucky with this pairing. I was serving Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks to friends who drink only red wine. And only red wine from France. Picky, picky. (You can find the recipe at Cocoa & Lavender.)

We had just returned from three glorious weeks in Sicily... [...]

October 7, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Gift to Remember

We were gifted this bottle of wine; après tout, wines of this caliber are not in my normal wine budget. It is such a special bottle that it actually made me nervous when it came to pairing it with food.

I fretted for weeks... [...]

September 1, 2018 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Salt of the Sea

Today’s tasting may be the most unusual I have done. It is a wine that, if blindfolded when tasted, would not have said “rosé” to me, although it wouldn’t have said red or white, either. It has none of the traditional red fruits associated with rosé, nor its distinct floral aromas. On the nose, it is briny... [...]

August 4, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Fight to the Finish

Not everything goes as planned. I had, in hand, what I hoped would be a knock-your-socks-off white for this month’s wine with food pairing. However... [...]

July 7, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Mix and Match

Generally, when serving a meal, I like to pair the wines with the region from which the food comes. It’s not always possible - Asian food, for example - but, when making Italian dishes (even as specific as Sicilian fare) there are so many good local wines available for pairing.

However, if you look slightly northwest out your window in Palermo, Sicily, you might be able to see the coast of France, and - more specifically today - the Costières de Nîmes region, from which today’s wine comes. (Yes, Sardinia is in the way of your view... but work with me.)... [...]

July 1, 2018 2

Domaine du Paternel is Just One Great Reason to Visit Cassis

Mention wine from Provence and one surely conjures up images of rosé. After all, pink wine does account for close to 90% of all wine produced in the region. But, there are pockets of Provence that run counter to its... [...]

May 28, 2018 4

An International Blind Tasting in Lodi California included Rhône Valley and Provence wines

I recently participated in a fascinating international blind tasting in Lodi, California. Four flights of four wines predominantly composed of four different grape varieties were included: Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, and Mourvèdre.

The tasting was not intended to determine the best wine in each flight but, rather, to compare and contrast the wines in order to... [...]

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