Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

Winery: Clos Saint Michel
Cuvée: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Appellation: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Contrôlée
Type: White
Vintage: 2021
Grape Varieties: Clairette (30%), Grenache Blanc (30%), Roussanne (20%), Bourboulenc (20%)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $45.00

Let me start by saying that I did succeed the first time with the wine pairing. What didn’t go so well was the execution of the recipe. Don’t get me wrong — all the flavors blended perfectly to pair with this exquisite wine, but my sous vide wand failed and the halibut was severely overcooked! Technology… sigh.

That said, the recipe — which I made twice before and twice since “the disaster” — is probably one of my best creations inspired by the gift of Vanilla Salt from Susan and Towny. Butter Poached Halibut with Lime-Vanilla Sauce. You can get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender, where I give sous vide instructions and then, in the notes, a traditional method for cooking the fish.

As for the pairing, it was stunning. But what’s not to like about a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape? The color of the wine reminds me of acacia honey. On the nose, it was floral with notes of pear and light citrus. On the palate, we tasted white peach and clementine with a hint of lime. (This is before we tasted it with the dish!) On the finish, we sensed buttered toast and apricot.

With the halibut, the wine really brought out the vanilla and lime perfectly. It has a wonderful mouthfeel — creamy and soft, with a velvet finish. It’s a very well balanced wine, and it’s readily available here in the United States.

If I were a millionaire, I would have this as my house wine. But I’m not. So I need to relegate wines like this for special occasions… like Mondays. Aren’t Mondays always special?