Cocoa & Lavender

February 3, 2018 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Angels at My Table

When in the company of angels, you had better plan a decent meal. Right?

Whispering Angel and Rock Angel are the first two of four wines from Château d’Esclans. The next two up the ladder are Les Clans and Garrus. While I have yet to taste either of these latter [...]

September 2, 2017 4

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Eat Dessert First?

I saw a display of Belleruche rosé at my local upscale grocery store. It was new to me and from a region I trust, thus it caught my attention. I was surprised to see it priced at $8.99, so I picked up a couple of bottles out of sheer curiosity. Only later did I find it at the Big Box wine store for significantly more. And, while it was unfamiliar to me, Susan brought to my attention the full page ad for Belleruche in The Wine Spectator last month; evidently, it is not unknown to [...]

Photo of food pairing with Rose de Leoube

April 1, 2017 13

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
I’m No Fool!

When I saw a bottle of Château Léoube's "Rosé de Léoube" on sale, I bought it. I'm no fool. Yes, it's a little more expensive than our usual wine purchases, but I have heard from many people how good it is, and I wanted to know firsthand. Let me start by saying that I wish I had bought out their inventory! (So maybe I was a fool after all...?)

The first thing I did after getting the bottle was send a quick note to my Instagram friend Jérôme Pernot - a.k.a. Mr. Léoube - and asked him what he recommended serving with his wine. His suggestion? Roasted chicken

[...]

February 3, 2017 9

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
{Good} Accidents Will Happen

As I mentioned in my post last month, I was in Paris for Christmas and bought a couple of Provence wines for the dinners I was making in our apartment. Both wines were completely unknown to me; I chose based on the regions, labels, and the price point. Of the two whites available, I chose the one from Domaine de la Pallière; the other white sold for €3.00 bottle and, while it might have been perfectly good, it was Christmas and I wanted something a bit more special. [...]

November 5, 2016 13

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Deception

Susan brought back this bottle for me from her most recent trip to Provence. A little something to thank me for being a part of the Provence WineZine family. Honestly, I am so lucky to be part of this endeavor, as I am constantly learning about wines, pairings, and my own [...]

September 3, 2016 8

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
You Can Tell a Wine by Its Label

When searching for a Provençal rosé to pair with this week's recipe - Cambozola and Fig Flatbread - I have to admit that I chose the wine for its label. I know several wine enthusiasts who swear they never choose a wine this way, but I don't believe them. Not completely, anyway. I think even they would be beguiled by this [...]

August 6, 2016 13

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Tasting Tavel

Four years ago, almost to the day, I was at a dinner party for which each of the eight guests was asked to bring a rosé to include in a blind tasting. The wines came from all around the world, and no one wine was duplicated. One of the wines presented was a Tavel; its dark hue was unfamiliar to us and assumptions of sugar content and [...]

July 2, 2016 3

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
And the Oscar Goes To…

The other night, we had some friends over for l'Apéro - a wonderful French convention that gathers people for an hour (or so) to share a nice beverage and some nibbles. Often, a digestif such as Pastis, Lillet, or Campari is served, but it can just as easily be a wine. Susan wrote a wonderful piece on l'apéro several months ago - you can [...]

May 7, 2016 9

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Versatility

This month I tried something different. I tested one wine with two very different dishes to learn what affect food really has on the taste. This all started because I had a bottle of 2015 Pétale de Rose from the well-known Château La Tour de l'Évêque, a bottle I can't easily get here in the Southwest where I live. I wanted the pairing to be special, and [...]

April 2, 2016 6

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
Something from the Riviera

I am fortunate to have good friends. Friends who travel. Friends who think about me when they travel. More to the point, friends who buy me wonderful culinary gifts when they travel. I've received mustards from Germany; Crème De Marrons from Angélina in Paris; a bar of chocolate from Guatemala [...]

« 1 2 3 4 5 »