Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Never Have I Ever
by David Scott Allen
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!)
The pairing sounds perfect and reasonably priced!
It was a great price point, Mad Dog, especially for a wine of this quality.
I think this wine would great with a lot of food. It certainly sounds perfect for the recipe!
Thanks, Barb — I agree! This wine has a broad appeal for pairing.
Surprised you found a wine this pleasing at the “Big Box”. Great place to shop if your taste runs towards Yello0w Tail, Barefoot, MD 20/20 or Yago.
Patronize your local fine wine shop that carries an assortment of estate wines from smaller, independent producers.
Recipe sounds yummy.
I. Sopn
I actually almost always use my local wine stores but wines from the Provence (Languedoc, Corsica) are not distributed often in our region. It’s all up to the distributors, not the wine merchants. Sadly, if I want some wines from that region (other than rosé), sometimes I need to use the Big Box. Their assortment is not as pedestrian as one might imagine. Glad you like the recipe!
Whew! Hope you feel better getting those feelings off your chest. ProvenceWineZine is very proud of our support of local wine shops and small wineries whose wines never make it out of their region. Honestly, I am not familiar with the wines you mention or even the names of the last two. Cheers!