Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Perle Blanche

Winery: Domaine du Val d’Argan
Cuvée: Perle Blanche de Mogador 
Appellation: Essaouira (Morocco)
Type: White
Vintage: 
Grape Varieties: Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Muscat, Grenache Blanc 
Alcohol: 13%
Average Retail Price: Morocco 235 MAD (U.S. equivalent $23.50)

When planning our recent trip to Morocco, none of our small group (which included PWZ’s Susan and Towny) had any idea there would be a winery owned by a man from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But there we were and there he was. Charles Mélia moved to the small village of Ounara — just 20 minutes east of the seaside town of Essaouira — in 1994, and started Domaine du Val d’Argan. 

Earlier in his life, he worked at his family’s vineyard, Château de la Font du Loup (in Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and, after exploring other wine growing areas (Argentina and New Zealand), he settled on Morocco. The climate was perfect for growing Rhône grapes such as Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Muscat, and Roussanne. Sadly, the climate has been changing and each year the summers are hotter, challenging Charles in his vineyard.

Thanks to the friendship Susan forged with Charles and his lovely wife Zina, our small group was invited to lunch at the Vineyard — Zina’s cuisine and Charles’ wines were served. They offer meals in their restaurant and in the garden (seasonally); information on how to reserve is below. Zina’s sumptuous meal for us included traditional Moroccan salads, succulent roasted lamb, and an intense chocolate tart.

The very first dish of Zina’s to come to the table was a platter of Oeufs Mimosa, a simple yet elegant starter. While, contrary to Elizabeth David’s book An Omelet and a Glass of Wine, eggs are notoriously hard to pair. But Charles’ white blend, Perle Blanche de Mogador, was absolutely perfect with the eggs. I recreated Zina’s recipe for the group while in Tangier and we took plenty of Charles’ wine with us for the pairing. You can get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender. 

The predominant grape in the wine is Ugni Blanc, but it is the blend of grapes made this a very appealing wine. It is a pale yellow with a very floral nose: jasmine and rose (thanks Muscat!). On the palate, we tasted apricot and citrus (lemongrass). It has a nice medium body with good minerality. I sensed a bit more of the rose on the finish, which was delightful.

We very much enjoyed all of Charles’ wines, and they are perfect on their own and with food. The Perle Blanche works well with fish and seafood, and would be nice with summer salads. If you are in Essaouira, a very short drive will bring you this winery and magical garden for a lovely meal with some very nice wines. 

Domaine du Val d’Argan
https://www.valdargan.com/en/ 
https://instagram.com/levaldargan

You can go for a meal and wine tasting; reservations may be made through their website.