Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Never Have I Ever

Winery: Domaine Vico
Cuvée: Clos Sulana Rouge
Appellation: Corse (Corsica)
Type: Red
Vintage: 2022
Grape Varieties: 40% Nielluciu (Sangiovese), 40% Sciaccarellu, 20% Syrah 
Alcohol: 13.5%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $16

I did something new and different this month. I actually followed someone else’s recipe to the “T.” Crazy, right? It is Pork Belly, Radicchio & Hazelnuts from Polpo by Russell Norman. You can find the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender. I could tell just from looking at the recipe that the dish would be fantastic, so I went out seeking a nice red wine that would pair well with this simple yet flavor-filled and unctuous dish. 

When looking in the Provence section of my “big box” wine store, I saw Clos Sulana Rouge from Corsica (I don’t think the store grasps how to classify Corsican wines…). It is a red blend of three grapes: Nielluciu (Sangiovese), Sciaccarellu (another Italian grape, though it is mostly grown and used in Corsica), and Syrah. Though Sangiovese and Syrah are regulars on my palate, Sciaccarellu is new to me, so I thought, “What the heck?” and put the wine in my basket.

Serendipity was on my side that day because it was a wonderful pairing. 

The color of the wine is a beautiful deep ruby with a nose that is redolent of tart red fruit — cherry and redcurrant — with a hint of pepper. On the first tasting, it was herbal with hints of leather and cocoa. As it opened up — and with the pork belly — it mellowed and the flavors of cherry, plum, lavender, vanilla, and pepper became dominant. The pork belly dish is not light, and the dressing is composed mostly of the cooking fat. I think the chef added a little red wine vinegar just to stave off his guilt. The bright acidity of the wine was the perfect foil for the dish.

It is a complex wine of medium body and tannins — softer tannins than I expected from the Sangiovese — and a long, generous finish highlighting, once again, the red fruits.

For the price, I cannot imagine a more interesting blend that would pair well with roasted meats (beef, pork, and lamb) and hearty soups and stews. While winter isn’t quite yet gone from some of the Northern Hemisphere, this would be a wine to warm you palate. (It’s even cold in Southern Arizona!)