Cocoa and Lavender

October 5, 2019 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Birthday Wines Never Go Bad

As you may recall from my reviews over time, I have become a big fan of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. It is one of those wines that says “special occasion” to me. Thus, I decided to treat myself for my birthday and get a bottle.

The only problem is that my birthday—more than one month ago—got busy, and this specially-purchased bottle of Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc rested untouched in my wine rack. How on earth did I forgot that?... [...]

August 3, 2019 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Regroup(er)ing

I know you. You spend significant time planning your menus and your wine pairings. Maybe not every day, but at least for special occasions. I certainly do, and this weekend was no exception.

I was planning an anniversary dinner for us. I bought a nice rosé... [...]

June 1, 2019 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Heeding the Signs

When I was trying to think what I should make to pair with today’s wine - an un-oaked Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc from Château des Fines Roches - I looked at a list of suggested foods and nothing felt right. Pork. Chicken. Seafood. Blah... [...]

May 4, 2019 2

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Comfortable Pour

I live in the deep Southwest of the United States. Just minutes from the Mexican border, we are so fortunate enjoy the cultural and culinary celebrations of our beloved neighbors. For those of you who see the news that this is the Wild, Wild West, rife with vigilantes and gun-toting grannies... [...]

April 6, 2019 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Vin with Versatility

You know, from reading my posts, that I truly enjoy when a pairing is so perfect that it brings tears to my eyes. Sometimes, though, I find that there are wines that have no one perfect pairing, but have a versatility to go with many foods.

Today’s wine is such a wine. It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn... [...]

October 7, 2018 0

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
A Gift to Remember

We were gifted this bottle of wine; après tout, wines of this caliber are not in my normal wine budget. It is such a special bottle that it actually made me nervous when it came to pairing it with food.

I fretted for weeks... [...]

September 1, 2018 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Salt of the Sea

Today’s tasting may be the most unusual I have done. It is a wine that, if blindfolded when tasted, would not have said “rosé” to me, although it wouldn’t have said red or white, either. It has none of the traditional red fruits associated with rosé, nor its distinct floral aromas. On the nose, it is briny... [...]

April 7, 2018 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
And the Oscar Goes to…Fleur de l’Amaurigue

When you prepare for a wine pairing, and you go into it knowing that the wine has already won a Gold at the Concours Général Paris or, as it is known colloquially, the Oscars of wine, your expectations are naturally high.

I am always happy when my expectations are... [...]

March 3, 2018 8

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Wine and Spice and Everything Nice

When Susan and Alex were here in December, we went on a bit of a (wine) shopping spree. Shocking, right? One of the wines we bought was a 2015 Le Caillou from Le Clos du Caillou in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. The proprietor of the wine store raved [...]

January 6, 2018 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Together Again

It has been literally years since Susan and I shared a meal and a bottle of wine... or some number of bottles of wine, if we are going to be honest. But, in the beginning of December, she and her daughter Alex popped into Tucson for a long weekend of flavorful feasting, viniferous verification, and familiar [...]

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