Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
{Good} Accidents Will Happen
by David Scott Allen
Domaine de la Grande Pallière
Winery: Domaine de la Grande Pallière
Cuvée: Côtes de Provence
Appellation: Côtes de Provence
Type: White
Vintage: 2015
Grape Varieties: Rolle (80%), Ugni blanc (20%)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Average Retail Price: €12.00
As I mentioned in my post last month, I was in Paris for Christmas and bought a couple of Provence wines for the dinners I was making in our apartment. Both wines were completely unknown to me; I chose based on the regions, labels, and the price point. Of the two whites available, I chose the one from Domaine de la Pallière; the other white sold for €3.00 bottle and, while it might have been perfectly good, it was Christmas and I wanted something a bit more special.
Domaine de la Grande Pallière, located in the village of Correns (just southwest of Cotignac), offers three organic wines: a red, a rosé, and a white. It is owned and managed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Bruno Guibergia. They were on the cutting edge of Bio wine production in Provence. I was chatting the other day with Jeany Cronk of Mirabeau Wine and board member of Wines of Provence, and she mentioned that Provence, by value, is the largest Bio production region in France. No surprise that we are getting wonderful organic wines from the region when so many vintners are on board. Bravo to the Guibergia family for getting in on the ground floor.
This wine ended up being an excellent choice, both in its own right, and also for the pairing. Good accidents will happen, right? I paired it with the most beautiful St. Jacques I have seen – sold in their shell and with their tangerine-colored roe attached. I seared them and served them on a bed of creamy leeks. If you would like the recipe, please visit Cocoa & Lavender.
The nose is delightful – citrus, jasmine and clove. It is very pale golden in color, the paleness belying its full mouth feel and robust flavor. The citrus notes in the mouth – lemon and grapefruit – went perfectly with the St. Jacques on their creamy bed of leeks flavored with curry and clementine zest. The wine has a nice balance of acidity and great mineral mouth feel. I like this wine a lot, and am really enjoying getting to know wines that are 100% or predominantly Rolle (aka Vermentino).
Needless to say, this is a perfect wine for fish and seafood, and it pairs well with spiced foods, as proven with the curry. Considering the region, I think it would do well with any of the local Provençal dishes.
Domaine de la Grande Pallière attended Millesime Bio–the wine expo, located in Marseille, featuring well over 700 producers from around the Mediterranean–and so did try to meet them however their stand was quite crowded when we made the first pass and, with so many wines to taste, we sadly did not make it back. I will be in Correns in a few days and may make another attempt to taste what sound sounds like a lovely blend of Ugni Blanc and Rolle! Thanks David!
I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to meet them that day, Susan. I hope the opportunity presents itself before you leave the country! Even if you don’t get a chance to meet them, I hope you get to taste the wine!
David, this recipe looks delicious! It is so rare to find Provence whites outside of Provence…even in Paris! You must have found a great little wine shop!
I didn’t realize that Provence whites were so hard to find elsewhere in France! I know it’s near impossible to find them here in the US. I hope you get a chance to try the one some day, too, Towny.
GOOD JOB, DAVID ! BIG PLAISIR… PIERRE
Merci, Pierre! Mes meilleures salutations à toi et Muriel!
I love Provence white, and worry continuously that the rush to fill the enlarging rose pipeline will see them survive principally as blending grapes. And as for Rolle and Ugni Blanc, well, they are at the top of my white list. Recently I have sourced Rolle in the hills of North Carolina (under the Vermentino name).
Jerry – I have found several Italian vermentino wines, but – whether it’s the terroir, or the casks, or some other differences in production – they just aren’t the same as those from Provence! I will keep searching!