Provence’s signature wine – Rosé
The Provence region, which is located in the south of France, East of Languedoc region. Provence is renowned worldwide for it’s light pink colored, refreshing and delicate rosé wines. The AOP of Coteaux Varois en Provence has a continental climate with cooling influences from altitude and the Mediterranean Sea. Domaine La Colombe is located in the village of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. The vineyard area is approximatelly 30 hectares. The altitude of the vineyards varies between 900 and 1300 feet in elevation. Lying along the St. Victoire mountain, the vineyards south east exposure and clay/ limestone are ideal for growing such wines of finesse qualities. There are also sand and iron soil in the valleys. Domaine La Colombe is a part of AOP Coteaux Varois en Provence wines, the newest of the Provence appellation. This particular wine is a blend of Grenache 50%, Syrah 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%. The grapes are pressed and blended using the Saignée method which is “bleeding” the juice from the must that is fermented under controlled temperatures of 18°-20° in order to extract the maximum aroma. The wine is a pale salmon pink color. Nose medium intensity of strawberry, lavender , minerals, lemon. Palate is bone dry, strawberry, sour cherry, pink grapefruit minerals, watermelon, lemon, lavender and pomegranate . The wine is medium alcohol and body, high acid. It’s crsip and lively with a creamy texture. A great Provence wine! Pair this wine with roasted salmon, pan seared tuna, grilled shrimp, or chicken.
Bryn Mawr Knows How To Make Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley in Oregon has an esteemed reputation for making some of the finest wines in the United States or in the world for that matter. They are renowned for their Pinot Noirs and Riesling. Many natural factors influence this greatness. Grown on volcanic soil striations which snake through the region imparts a smokiness and minerality. The steep, hilly terrain and altitude all play a part in the sun exposure to aid in warming the soils and ripening the grapes. Incredibly strong maritime winds roaring through the Van Duzer Corridor add cooling influence in hot summer Bryn Mawr, which loosely translates to “high hill” in Welsh, is a 26 acre estate, located 650-890 feet high up a hill in the the western Eola-Amity Hills. Owners Jon and Kathy Lauer, formerly lawyers in San Diego. Jon started growing grapes in their garden in San Diego. Through family California winery vacations, food and wine dinners with their circle of friends, their passion and love grew, as did their dream to make wine. In 2010 They decided to follow their dream, packed up their family and headed to Oregon to make wine in which they took over Bryn Mawr Winery. Even though Jon had studied winemaking at UC Davis, he realized they needed greater expertise to grow the difficult Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in this area. A twist of fate brought them together with Rachel Rose as head winemaker and vineyard manager. Their children, now adults are also involved in the family business. The winery is made up of many small block vineyards, imparting a variety of diversity and character in the wines. They have pretty much every clone of Pinot Noir known growing in their vineyards. Sustainable farming is their viticulture practice. Their goal is to produce smaller yields that reflect the true character of the varietal and care of the land. This particular wine is a gorgeous medium ruby colored wine. Upon opening the aromas of cherry pie jumped out at me. I thought – did someone just bake a pie? Nope! It’s the wine! This wine is packed with cranberry, cherry, strawberry, blackberry, baking spices of cloves & cinnamon, smoke, earthy and savory. It’s a rustic yet finesse of a Pinot Noir. It packs a punch and is delicious slightly chilled on a hot day or with an equally flavorful meal. This wine begs to be paired with roasted portobello mushrooms, grilled chicken or spiced salmon.
Sancerre’s next door neighbor, Menetou-Salon
If you like Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé in the Loire Valley of France, this next door neighbor Menetou-Salon is your ticket (and less expensive)!! Sauvignon Blanc, one of the most planted white grapes in the world. Depending on the climate and where it’s grown, smells like fresh cut grass mixed with vibrant flavors anywhere from bell pepper to gooseberry to passion fruit. The cool climates such as New Zealand makes zingy passion fruit forward Sauvignon Blanc. Loire Valley makes citrus forward, mineral driven wines due to the flinty, limestone soils that are in this region. Chile’s coastal region makes the best valued Sauvignon Blanc, leaning more towards herbaceous, saline wines. South Africa’s millions of years old minerally soils and hot, sunny cllimate produces a more stone fruit driven wine, as does California which are rich in peach, nectarine, grass and lemon. This particular wine has flavors of crisp green apple, chalk, slate, white pepper pear, melon, grass, lemon, peach, yellow plum, honeysuckle. It has a creamy texture, lively acidity and very refreshing. Pair with grilled cod with lemon chive butter, shrimp tarragon risotto, chicken stuffed with aubergine and smoked bacon, or roast pork with apples and caramel.
Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc 2019
For those who aren’t aware, Gérard Bertrand is known as the “King of Languedoc” wines. Why? Because he not only grew up amongst the vineyards of Languedoc, he creates wines that have their own unique identity to each vineyard. His motto is for each wine to be a true representation of the terroir, grape and vineyard. This particular wine is grown in the Tautavel region of Languedoc. The area is hot and sunny in the summer, with close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyranees mountains, which is ideal for grape ripening and acidity retention. This wine is made from Grenache Gris, a grape that is a mutation of the Grenache grape. The grapes are hand harvested and undergo a short maceration on the skins, protected from oxidation, to create this lovely light pink grey color full of red fruit aromas and flavors. The wine has aromas of red berries, minerals and freshness. The wine has a creamy texture with a light sparkle, medium high acidity, flavors of strawberry, melon, lemon peel, minerals, ripe cherry, strawberry, melon, minerals, black pepper. Perfect with goat cheese, melon & prosciutto, olives and hummus, grilled shrimp, smoked salmon with scallion cream, sushi, grilled chicken burgers, summer pasta salad, quiches, tuna tacos. My video review is available on Instagram at Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc
Watermelon Gazpacho
5 cups diced seedless watermelon 2 ripe tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1 small red onion, peeled and diced 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 1 small garlic clove 1/2 green chili pepper, seeded and minced 1 small chunk of stale country bread 1/2 cup water 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 5 large basil leaves, chopped plus extra for garnish 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. pepper pinch of sugar Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Puree till relatively smooth. If you prefer a chunkier soup by all means process the soup less. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Pour in bowls and garnish with a chopped basil. Serves 4 Serve with a refreshing rosé such as Honore Vera Rosado 2019
Honoro Vera Rosado 2019
Brilliant Rosé from Bodega Juan Gil is located in Jumilla, a small region on the Mediterranean coast in the southeastern Spain. The region is known for big, oak aged, Monastrell grape full bodied wines. The dry arid climate, mineral rich water retaining soils, low rainfall and the elevated central plateau make the region ideal for viticulture. This particular wine, Honoro Vera Rosado 2019, is made from Syrah and Tempranillo grapes. It is made using a combination of direct pressing and the saignée method, then fermented in stainless steel tanks. The juice is then allowed to ferment alone at a low temperature (18-20°C/65-68°F) to preserve the acidity and fruit aromas and valors. The wine has crisp acidity and medium alcohol. It has a light creamy texture and rich flavors of watermelon, cherry, strawberry, rose petals, melon, lemon and peppery finish. It paired very nicely with watermelon basil gazpacho. Spanish double hitter on a hot day.
Méthode Ancestrale – The Oldest Sparkling Wine Method
The oldest sparkling winemaking method, yes older than the traditional method ( Champagne) known as the ancestral method. It has recently come back into fashion and popularity amongst wine aficionados and wine bars in the form of pétillant-naturel, a.k.a. pét-nat. Méthode Ancestrale is also knows as Méthode Rural. It is quite popular in France in the Loire and Jura regions. How is it made? The primary fermentation takes place in large pressurized tanks and is stopped mid-way before the wine goes dry, leaving some residual sugar. The wines are filtered and chilled to 0C and left for a number of months in the tanks. The wines are then bottled for second fermentation where some carbonation/CO2 is produced. The bottles are riddled and disgorged without the addition of liqueur d’expedition (sugar and wine). Some winemakers disgorge and rebottle ancestral-method sparkling wines after fermentation. The wines are crown caped instead of corked. The result is a wine that is low in alcohol, dry or off-dry, cloudy appearance with a funky, earthy, textured wine with or without a light sediment in the bottle depending on the winemaker. The final wines are reminiscent of cider. For an example of an ancestral method wine try a Bugey-Cerdon Sparkling Rosé Image Courtesy of Wine Folly
Summer Corn, Walnut and Scallion Salad
3 ears of corn 4 scallions/green onions, sliced on the bias till light green section 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 8-10 basil leaves 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste Add the green onions to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 20 minutes. This will keep them crisp and make them easier to digest. Drain and dry well in a tea towel. Add to a large bowl. Slice the nibblets off of the corn into the bowl with the scallions. Add the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with any grilled meats or seafood. Serves 4
Kale Pesto Summer Pasta Salad
1/2 bunch large curly kale, stalks removed and torn into pieces 1/2 cup water 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced 1 small handful halved kalmatta olives 1 x 12oz box of fusilli chickpea pasta parmesan cheese for flavor 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts salt and pepper Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a small handful of salt to the water. It seems like a lot but it will not make the dish salty. It seasons the pasta and the kale. Turn the temperature down to medium to keep a rolling boil. Blanch the kale leaves in the boiling water. Remove, drain and allow to cool. Place the kale, water and olive oil in a blender. Puree till smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, till al dente. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the pesto, tomatoes, olives, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Serves 4. Pair with Pair with a crisp Nicolas Girard Sauvignon Blanc, Errazuriz Fumé Blanc or Garzon Albarino.
Dolcetto D’Alba From A 5th Generation Winemaking Family
Alba is a beautiful region located in the infamous Piedmont region of Northern Italy. It is also Dolcetto’s (the grape variety) home. The name Dolcetto means “little sweet one.” The grape is indigenous to Piedmont, Italy. It is the 3rd most planted grape in Piedmont. The top two grapes are Nebbiolo and Barbera. Nebbiolo is world famous, heavy hitter Barolo and Barbaresco red wines. Alba is a very hilly region, encircled by the Alps. The climate is a hot growing season, misty autumn and cold, foggy winters. Soils are light, white, sandy, calcareous tufa. The cooler sites are used to grow Dolcetto because it needs sun exposure but not too much sun in order to retain high acidity and to ripen properly. The grape also ripens earlier than Nebbiolo and Barbera. Dolcetto is a dark colored grape that goes through a short maceration on the skins to get the color and lighter tannins. Paolo Scavino winery is a 5th generation winemaking family who’s focus is viticulture – to love and respect the vineyard. Founded in 1921, the estate transferred hands from Castiglione Falleto from Lorenzo Scavino and son Paolo. Always been a farming family with a strong tradition and love of the land. Now Enrico and his daughters Enrica and Elisa run the estate. They grow Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Their focus is care, love and respect the vineyards, and to promote natural expression of the grape with minimal winemaking intervention Their wines are a natural expression of the winery. This 2018 Dolcetto has a light and bright structure, purple color, medium tannins and medium acidity. The flavors and aromas of blueberry, baked plum, cranberry, licorice, blackberry jam, black cherry, cocoa, black pepper, violets, bitter almond. Perfect charcuterie, roasted tomato sauce, sausages, beef ragu, grilled eggplant, roasted mushrooms, white truffle pasta. My video review is available on Instagram: Paolo Scavino Dolcetto D’Alba