Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

A Winemaker and Her Recipes

Winery: Château La Tour de l’Evêque
Cuvée: Rouge Cuvée Classique
Appellation: Côtes de Provence
Type: Red
Vintage: 2016
Grape Varieties: Syrah (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $26

I enjoy pairing a winemaker’s wines with their own recipes; obviously, they know what works. I’ve done pairings like this several times on the Province WineZine — I think of Sue Tipton’s Pork Chops Gratinées paired with her Belle Blanc, and Régine Sumeire’s Parfait of Sweetbreads that I paired with her Rosé, La Source Gabriel. And, speaking of Madame Sumière, I’m back to share her recipe for Osso Buco with you paired with her Rouge Cuvée Classique. You can find the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.

This recipe by Madame Sumeire is perfectly Provençal. It included flavors of a traditional daube, with many touches that make it her own. At the end of the recipe in her small book  entitled, Wine Grower and Food Lover… she wrote, “Serve with a rosé or red wine.” As I happen to have a bottle of her Rouge Cuvée Classique, that is just what I did. 

The wine is a deep ruby red with notes of intense dark red and black fruits on the nose. I was stuck by the intensity of the fruit again when I first tasted it but, with time, the complex flavors emerged and I also tasted rich tobacco, cacao, and herbs — rosemary, thyme, and bay. There is a touch of black pepper on the finish. It is a pleasantly dry wine with soft tannins, and incredibly versatile in its pairing. It works well with meats, of course, but also cheeses, pork, and poultry — especially duck — and lamb.

It was perfect with the Osso Buco, set off by the vegetables: baby onions, leeks, carrots, and tomato, but mostly by the orange zest — all flavors one might find in a daube. I thought perhaps the addition of crème fraîche might detract, but it did not. It was a stunning pairing and this is a wine I look forward to having again and again. Happily, it is readily available at Total Wine. If not your particular store, online purchases are possible.