A Quick Sprint for Bastille Day & #winechat

Today is Bastille Day (or La Fete Nationale) in France and Stage 13 of the Tour de France. The finish of today’s Tour stage is in Le Cap D’Agde on the Mediterranean in the Languedoc region of France.

This coming week on #winechat we will be celebrating the wines of France. I received several samples for the event, including the Tortoise Creek Wines 2011 Pinot Noir which is made in Limoux, an inland locale in the Languedoc.

This wine makes a fitting tribute to the French on Bastille Day as well as tying in the Tour de France (my annual France obsession) and #winechat nicely.

The wine pours ruby in color with trends to purple. The nose projects a spiced raspberry dessert, maybe a crumble, buckle or cake. In the mouth the wine is smooth with fine tannins and more of the red fruits like raspberry and cherry. The finish is of moderate length and nothing is out of balance. 

I can’t wait to find out more about this and the other wines on Wednesday night.

Happy Bastille Day France! Back to the bike racing.

Cheers!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Magical and Mystical Wine Ride

I’ve been thinking a lot in the last couple of weeks about how drinking wine makes me feel. How does enjoying a glass of wine impact my mood and my emotions? What are the physiological effects and what mental images does it evoke? I’ve specifically gotten fixated on the transportative (not a word in the dictionary, but tell me you don’t get it) and transcendental aspects that follow from a sip of some wines. Where can a sip of wine take you?

I’ve concluded that based on my own reality there are two basic versions of this experience. The first is what happens when you are taken to back to a place where you previously enjoyed the same or similar wine, where the wine is made or any place from a prior experience with it. This feels somewhat like free word association to me, and isn’t at all surprising. There are so many connections made in our brains between different sensory stimuli. Our flavor and aroma memory is completely connected to our tactile, visual and auditory memories to form a composite picture (memory) that might be recalled by any of the different parts of the puzzle. These experiences are likely quite common and so much so that they are potentially easy to overlook. Pay attention people!

The second experience is when the taster is transported to a place defined by the harmony of the attributes of the wine, a place of pure fantasy, intense depth, color, passion, emotion, etc. I don’t think I’ve had this experience, but I will admit that without my attention properly focused at every occasion I’ve enjoyed a glass of wine I may have missed it. If this is the kind of experience I can expect to live the rest of my life searching for I am happier for it.

So how did a hitch a ride on this magic carpet? A book. More specifically, a graphic novel. I have to thank my friend Richard Auffrey (aka the Passionate Foodie) for his reviews of the Drops of God series. He’s a voracious reader and a very, very passionate wine & food lover creating a consistently winning combination. The Drops of God is a serial graphic novel about a wine journey, actually many wine journeys, from Japan. The first three volumes have been released and I have been fortunate enough (it really is that good) to have read through all three. Richard’s reviews of the first three segments (Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3) contain spot on summaries and his own ponderings on the messages contained with the their pages. Here is my one sentence summary. The main character’s father passes away, wills him his prized wine collection on the condition that he can identify thirteen wines from only the descriptions provided in the will, and the ensuing journey of experience and education offers lots of twists and turns. Please read Richard’s summaries and reviews for the rest of the pertinents. I just don’t feel the need to cover that ground with such a solid resource just a click away.

As Richard points out in his reviews of volumes 2 & 3, there are quite a few words written about scores, ratings and critics. At each offering there is clear counterpoint though. What about personal tastes and the imagination of the consumer? It is possible that this is exactly what the author hoped to stir up for reflection and conversation. At first it was hard to get through these sections because of the tacit pretention, it made me wonder what we might have lost in translation, but ultimately I found other aspects to focus on. I would wholeheartedly recommend these books for any wine lover. They are a quick read, yet dense with imagery and points to consider over a glass of wine or two.

What I was most taken with was the metaphysical journeys that the characters, and especially the main character Shizuku Kanzaki, are taken on when they taste the different wines presented in the story. These journeys begin a mere twenty-five pages into the first volume and continue repeatedly. Presenting this type of imagery in a graphic novel is potent. The illustrations are detailed, nuanced and transportative for the reader as well.

Both types of journeys (recall and fantasy) are represented in the books, from visions of the vines of French chateaux visited in childhood, to the richly nuanced images of a primeval forest as part of the picture of the first of the thirteen wines; and finally, varying scenes representing the five great wines of Bordeaux at the end of volume 3.

As I got to thinking about the images from the book a few of my own experiences came to mind.

Any time I drink Riesling I think of my wife. It was the first kind of wine we mutually enjoyed. We both drank Boone’s Farm in college but not together, and thus the Riesling memory stuck. A certain flutter in my gut is typical when I get the chance to try a new Riesling. I rarely miss an opportunity. Maybe I now know why I like Riesling so much. I love my wife, so I why shouldn’t I love the first wine we enjoyed together?

I’ve also experienced a form of projection (a variation on the recall experience) where a wine from one region brought me back to somewhere else where I enjoyed wines made from the same grapes. I visited Provence in February 2011 and had the distinct pleasure of standing next to the vines at the ruins of the Pope’s summer house northeast of Avignon. The earth there is covered with smooth, rounded stones colored in various shades of tan and light brown. The vines are craggy and old. In February the vines are dormant and pruned back. They look like little trees with no leaves, the trunks of bonsai trees come to mind. Plots of land that look like this were visible in all directions from where I stood. During that trip I tasted wines from Cote du Rhone, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and others that currently escape me. The red wines from those areas are made with from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and several other grapes. On that trip I was visiting with friends (adopted family) for a wedding and the whole experience was rich and full of emotion. 

Later in 2011 I visited Santa Barbara and tasted several wines from the LaFond label. The wines were blends of Syrah and Grenache or 100% Syrah, with some bearing similarity to some of the wines from the Rhone. At the first sip of one of the Syrah/Grenache blends I had this weird feeling like I had been “somewhere” before. It was my first trip to Santa Barbara so the sensation made very little sense. My emotions were being tweaked in an odd way. Standing at the tasting bar in that urban winery I was feeling like I was surrounded by family. The feeling was pretty weird. I had a sense of being taken somewhere by the wines, but I didn’t give it enough thought then to work it out. Only now do I fully understand what was going on. I felt like I was back in Provence. The aromas and flavors of the wines had taken me back to that place and the wines and people. What a trip!

I love wine, I drink it often but don’t have a drinking problem perse, but I can see myself coming to love the experience of being taken somewhere even more. This could be addicting and cause all sorts of trouble I would guess. It is clear that I can’t expect these experiences to be frequent or conscious if I don’t pay attention to what I am drinking and slow my roll (Kid Rock is playing in the background) so that I can be fully receptive to my senses and not miss a moment of any potential journey. I doubt I will get this all sorted out today.

Does wine take you on a journey? Have you ever been transported somewhere by a sip of wine? Leave a comment about your experiences with wine imagery. I’d love to learn more about how others are experiencing wines they encounter.

Cheers!

Jason

Saisons for the Season

This isn’t a Thanksgiving (or even a Christmas) food & beverage pairing post. The title is catchy. I thought of it and decided to write a post reviewing several saisons that I would drink while cooking and hanging out on Thanksgiving Day. When I wrote this I didn’t even know yet what I would break out to drink with the multiple dinners for the upcoming holiday. On Thanksgiving day we did open up some homemade wine, but beers of several varieties won the day. I was hosting a beer drinking crowd so this was not surprising. The day after I served a menu of small plates, not themed for Thanksgiving, each with its own wine pairing. That’s for another post though.

My other reason for lining up a flight of saisons is that I plan to make a sour cherry saison this winter that will be done in time to celebrate Spring and Summer with. For that project I need some inspiration from commercially available examples. My life is hard!

What is a saison? First off saison is the French word for season. This style of beer hails from Wallonia in Belgium, and a French speaking part of that country to bring it all together. Brewed as farmhouse ales, saisons were originally brewed seasonally in the fall or winter for consumption by farm workers during the next planting and harvest seasons. During that time sources of potable water were few and brewed beer was safe to drink, contained some nutrition and was hydrating. Low alcohol levels in the original brews would have staved off outright drunkenness. Just a few historical facts that take us back to the beginnings of beer. Back to saisons however. Variations were available from many different brewers making the style somewhat broad to define. Modern day versions cover a broad range creating some excitement when trying new ones.

Saisons were historically brewed as pale ales and likely with a low ABV of around 3%.  Strong hop character was a foregone conclusion based on the need to cellar the beers for quite some time without the aid of refrigeration. The preservative qualities of hops and considerable acidity (sometimes through blending with lambics and prior year saisons) ensured the beer didn’t spoil. Most modern-day saisons are typically cloudy, golden in color with an off-white head. The nose will vary between different saisons, with a range of fruity, spicy, earthy/funky and yeasty often having moderate tartness and bitterness as well.  Darker versions are common enough (called biere de garde in France) to be notable. Likewise some versions will have a perceptibly sweet, rich and malty finish.

Saisons are typically sold in large format bottles, 22oz bombers, often with a cork and wire harness much like sparkling wine and champagne. Most are bottle conditioned and some labels will suggest what you should or shouldn’t do with the bottle sediment to ensure a good drink. Bottle conditioning also adds variation, with the level of charge and size of the bubbles of different labels to span a range.

Names of several highly rated commercial versions of saisons include Dupont, Hennepin, Sofie and Jack D’or, all of which we will taste and review here. I also have the Ovila Saison, a new product from a partnership between Sierra Nevada and Abbey of New Clairvaux, to try alongside the others. Selections from Fantome and The Bruery are on my list to search for to taste another day.

Saison Dupont

Pours a gold/orange color. Tall white head. Considerable sour and savory notes, herbs, drying grass, etc. in the nose. Sour citrus in the mouth followed by tart stone fruits. Dry with moderate funkiness towards the finish. Very effervescent, mouth filling in fact. Very smooth finish and a well balanced disposition. I’ve only had this a few other times and couldn’t recall them well enough to compare. The smooth finish increases the likelihood I would drink this anytime I found it. web site

Pretty Things Jack D’or

Big funky nose. Short white head. I found hay, herbs, unripe fruits and spices. Margot said herbaceous and I can’t disagree with that at all. Pours gold and unfiltered. I picked up quite a bit of citrus in the nose and sour notes. Margot thought it came off as very hoppy which is consistent with my expressions of the nose. Mouth filling carbonation is a note we both made. I found the mouth to be considerably full with light malts and grains, almost like a golden ale. The hops came on big for me in the flavors with many green elements like grass, herbs, spruce and bitter greens. The finish is clean, albeit more bitter than we liked. web site

Goose Island Sofie

Pours yellow/gold and hazy. Tall white head. The complexity of the nose caught my attention right away. The fullness of the sour, fruit, yeast and malt notes in the nose was surprising. As you sip earthy notes show up very early and slip away in favor of dried fruits and citrus. The finish was like sour lemon candy. Margot felt it was more complex, very balanced and finished smooth. This was the most drinkable and the mutual favorite for both of us and one we hope to enjoy again very soon. web site

Ovila Saison

Pours orange/gold with a medium off-white head. Moderate sour notes to the nose, hints of green apple. Full bodied and fruit with a dry finish. Hops are present in the nose and mouth, but not very big. Not as complex as the others, aromas and flavors are not very deep is how Margot described it. web site

Ommegang Hennepin

Pours hazy and gold. Short white head. I picked up some salinity in the otherwise sour nose. This beer is malty and grainy in the mouth with considerable prickly carbonation. Citrus and tart unripe fruits were the predominant flavors. The finish was very clean and smooth. I ended up rushing through this tasting and I didn’t get back to my notes when I shared the rest of the bottle with friends the next day. web site

Like with a lot of foodstuffs you have to want to like something to enjoy it. If you try saison and don’t like the style I won’t argue the point. Beverages of all kinds are designed to accentuate several key tastes, sour and bitter here specifically, and that coupled with textural elements like bubbles and tannins in beers, wines and spirits, create a lot of action for your palate. Any one off presentation and it could be the end of any enjoyment. Adventure does come with a cost. I love finding new beverages that channel their attributes in that way that I must pause and consider the tweaking of my senses that is going on. I don’t like everything I drink, the experience notwithstanding.

I was in the Boston Wine Exchange on Tuesday picking up the last of the saisons for our lineup. One of the staff was picking some fall beers to put in a holiday display. She asked what I was drinking and whether it was for Thanksgiving. I mentioned that I was picking up some saison or “beer drinkers Champagne” to take for a test drive. I didn’t commit to it being my Turkey Day pairing choice because in this case most of it will be gone before dinner!

With the moderate (or higher) carbonation, healthy acidity and range of flavors saisons are a solid utility player when it comes to entertaining, supporting both socializing and enjoyable eating. Having an all-sparkling-beverage party is a lot easier to envision when you consider beers such as saison. As an aside, dry sparkling cider adds yet another option increasing that potential further still. I’ll leave you with that thought as you ponder what to serve to your family and friends this holiday season.

Cheers!

Jason

Our Family in Montreal

Whenever we cross the Canadian border the stated purpose of our trip is to visit family, which is true. Margot’s uncle Gerry, a priest ordained for almost 50 years, lives at the Grand Seminary on Sherbrooke right in the heart of downtown. We always have a meal with him when we are in town.

In one of my posts about our trip to France in February I introduced Eloy, Gerry’s friend. Eloy lives in Broussard right outside Montreal. Our custom as long as Eloy is in town has been to dine with he and Gerry either in the city or at Eloy’s house. Several times we have enjoyed dinners with Eloy’s family or friends from Miami. A true pleasure for everyone! Paella has been served more than once, and rum, wine and lots of laughter are always in large supply.

Eloy & Francoise (married during our trip to France) are back in Broussard enjoying some time with Eloy’s local friends and hosting family and friends from France. The goal is to move to France once the house is sold, but I am sure having fun in the meantime is high on the list. As luck would have it everyone was available for a Saturday meal, and Eloy offered to host. We were also lucky enough to have caught Marc (a friend of Eloy’s that we made on the France trip) free and he joined us as well. What a family!

We talked, laughed, looked at pictures and enjoyed snacks and wine for quite a while. Gerry was making us laugh with stories of watching the Royal Wedding the day before. It reminded Margot of her Mom, a fact that Gerry takes as a quite an honor. One this whole group shares is a fondness for enjoying difference kinds of wines. You know how happy that makes me! For snacks we brought a couple different whites and gave hosts choice to what was opened. The option on the Willm Pinot Blanc was exercised. I hadn’t had this particular Pinot Blanc before, but was fully expecting a nice subtle wine to meld with a variety of different food based on recent experiences with the style. We were rewarded with very fruity aromas, a wonderfully balanced medium to light wine with citrus on the way out. Francoise made guacamole and the creamy avocado with the wine was a great match. I could see Francoise savoring her sips with a smile

Dinner was a special request for Gerry. He didn’t make the trip to France on the count of his ongoing battle with cancer. We all were heartbroken, but went with a greater sense of purpose because of it. Since he missed the trip he requested a Provencal style dish with pork in it. Having had this prepared by Francoise in her home and knew what he was going for and clearly was looking forward to what she came up with. She made a Pork Tenderloin en Croute or something akin to it. She actually made two. She clearly has known all of the people involved here either in this life or a past one! The pork was perfectly cooked with puff pastry, onions, seasonings, mushrooms working together all over the place.

For dinner we went Cotes du Rhone to whole way. Francoise was gracious enough to share it with us and her family when we were there and when she cooks as she does the wine must live up! We found the 2008 Parallel 45 from Paul Jaboulet Aine. Eloy actually came and asked me where I got it for future reference. It was a slam dunk with a bit of pork, pastry and mushrooms, just like being back at Le Petit Trentin (Francoise’s house). The wine is very hearty with complex flavors and that hit of acidity to make the flavors pop. Francoise and Eloy opened a bottle of Chataeau de Grezels 2008 Cahors, a Malbec/Merlot style. The wine was good but seemed to be missing its edge. Francoise was the first to notice it though, it became Cahors with the food. And indeed the same bite from above brought this wine out to the place I expected to find it. Very nice!

The red wines were enjoyed through the cheese course which Margot and I were honored to have been asked to bring. We loved participating in this facet of family meals in Provence, and couldn’t imagine not recreating it here at home.

For dessert Francoise served berry sorbet with fresh cut strawberries on top. Marc shared a bottle of Peller Estates 2006 Late Harvest Riesling. What a great glass of wine. My love for sweet and dessert wines is no secret, and this one was certainly an overachiever! A very perfumed nose with honey, dried fruit sand a profound sweetness in the center. It went fast, but great minds think alike!

We talked again for a while before everyone needed to head on back to their homes for the night. Margot and I would be getting up early the next day to head home, and although I would be staying up for a while at the hotel, it is nice to be able to kick back with a beer after driving home.

We look forward to our next trip to Montreal. We can never really get there enough on the count of all the other adventures we end up in the middle of. Till then, we have the memories.

Cheers!

Jason

A Rhone By Any Other Name

I am participating in Wine Blogging Wednesday for the first time this month, and having recently returned from a trip to the Southern Rhone valley, the topic for installment #71 of the event is fitting. “Rhones Not From The Rhône” is this month’s topic, offering a pretty broad space to work in. Wines made from any Rhone varietal, or several, but not made in France ‘s Rhone valley was the charge. The wine could be white, red, pink, a varietal bottling or a blend.

What’s the big deal with Rhône wines you say? If you don’t know the wines at all it might be hard for me to explain it in a meaningful way, but I’ll try. If you are hardcore Cabernet lover, don’t sway from your beloved Chardonnay or are currently on a Pinot kick you might likely be missing something. Nothing is wrong with those wines, I drink all of them, but wines from the Rhone Valley (and those made from the same grapes and in similar styles elsewhere in the world) offer different experiences. The wines from the Rhone I most enjoyed on my recent trip were the red blends. Their complexity and breadth of aromas and flavors was captivating. I found violets up next to licorice and powerful combinations of smoke, leather and pepper that were definitely unique for me. Some of the grapes used in the Rhone are minor players, or are unused, elsewhere in the world. But from the Rhone you can experience them at their finest. These truths are known in other wine producing countries, like Spain and Australia, but are still emerging in the United States, where varietal usages of grapes like Syrah and Viognier are the norm.

I have actually made blends in this style at home three times in the last few years. They have added a nice diversity to my collection and have been strong crowd pleasers. The first two I made were from a Southern Rhone style winemaking kit that was primarily Syrah with Mourvedre. The most recent occasion was a different kit with Syrah, Mourvedre and influence from Grenache and other grapes typically found in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape blends. While the last one wasn’t as good as the first two, it has been a solid drinker and is almost gone! Suffice it to say that I am quite fond of wines made from these grapes.

For my wine review for #WBW71 I planned to taste and share a domestic Rhone style red blend. Finding one in a pinch turned out to be harder than I had expected, but that reality is notable as I will describe below. I searched for a selection from California in several stores with no luck. Unfortunately, I didn’t give myself enough time to source one that would require shipping so I had to alter my search. I had recently enjoyed a taste of the Penfolds Bin 138 GMS (Grenach/Mourvedre/Shiraz) and after a quick search found it at a nearby store. I certainly could have picked a varietal like Viognier or Petit Sirah and had several domestic offerings to choose from, but picking a blend gave me the opportunity to think back to the Rhone wines I recently tasted and see how one made elsewhere stacks up.

Penfolds Bin 138 GMS 2007

66% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre, 13% Shiraz
Garnet colored with some variation from rim to center. Pink/orange on the rim to garnet in the center.
Powerful aromas of blackberry, licorice, wildflowers and earth.
Spicy & juicy red fruits with some mushrooms and almost meaty flavors.
Sleek, with velvety tannins and a moderate finish.
The total package is assertive, but not abusive.

I could have sat and smelled this wine forever. I did want to taste it so I had to switch gears eventually. The structure of the wine is really notable. It is very sleek and focused, but not weak. The moderate acidity plays the role it should in the balance of the wine and demonstrates the beauty of the blend. This is definitely a different wine from those we tasted in Provence. It is juicier and fruitier than all but the youngest Rhone wines we tasted. The trade-off is more fruit for less earth, between the Aussie and French styles, but that isn’t surprising.

Interest in wine is exploding in the US so it might not seem like any one wine or style of wine would need cheerleaders, but Rhone style wines have them. Enter the Rhone Rangers, a non-profit organization that promotes American Rhone varietal wines. Qualifying Rhone Ranger wines do have to contain 75% or more of one or more Rhone varietals, which opens up many possibilities. The group sponsors tastings and educational events with member wineries all over the country. The membership is diverse with producers in California and Washington as you would expect, but also producers from the Central and Eastern US. Members include producers, growers, distributors, wine shops and fans. I recently joined as a Sidekick (consumer) member and will definitely be looking to visit member wineries when I am in VA and OR later in the year!
I suspect my difficulty in finding the type of blend I was looking for can be explained pretty simply. When it comes to domestic wines we are very varietally focused. Even with awareness of Bordeaux, Burgundy and wines from the Rhone I am betting that the knowledge of domestic Rhone style blends is less on the East Coast, where they aren’t produced, and shops don’t carry them or stock them heavily as a result. Writing about them and requesting them from the area shops will certainly go a long way to changing that.

I can’t wait to take a stroll through the other posts from #WBW71 and discover some new wines to try.

Cheers!

Jason

Provencal Tapenade

Brian at @MyFoodThoughts did Silent Sunday and it totally worked. I am doing Tight-Lipped Tuesdays, or at least this week.

Enjoy! --Jason

Provencal Tapenade
3/4 cup imported black olives, drained
4 anchovy filets
1 large garlic clove (or more to taste
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp oil-packed tuna, drained
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp brandy
2 tsp Dijon mustard (see Dijon Mustards Rated)
1 tsp fresh thyme (see variations)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (best quality)

1.Combine all of the ingredients except olive oil in your food processor. Process until smooth.

2.With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream.

3.Taste and correct the seasoning. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the paste into a bowl and refrigerate, covered until you’re ready to serve.

Provencal Beef Stew

( That will get ya thinking! )

We didn’t have any beef dishes while we were in France so when I was home for a week or so and yearning for the aromas and flavors from the trip, I went searching for a good recipe. I found a whole bunch of different recipes for Provencal style beef stews and as I often do I picked different aspects from several to pull together something new.

Provencal Beef Stew over Steamed Vegetables

2 1/2 lbs of stew beef
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry red wine (Cotes du Rhone is perfect)
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 pound of diced tomatoes (frozen fresh from last summer), undrained
1 Tbsp. Herbes de Provence
1 lb potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes
4 large carrots, sliced
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 oz water
1/2 cup niçoise olives, pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 large yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
12 oz green beans, cleaned and trimmed

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Lightly coat beef with remaining flour mixture.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Place beef in a slow cooker that had been sprayed with cooking spray. Set the slow cooker on high.

3. Add onion and garlic to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. Stir in broth, tomatoes, Herbes de Provence and remaining flour mixture. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook on high for 1 hour, reduce heat to low and cook for 6 hours.

4. Mix the corn starch into the water. Add to the stew. Add the olives and basil and mix the stew well; cook on high for another 30 minutes until the olives are heated through and the stew has thickened.

6. Steam the green beans, zucchini and yellow squash until tender.

7. Serve the stew over the steamed vegetables with crusty bread and the remainder of the wine used to make the strew.

( Fair herbs, you will soon be making me happy! )

The aromas in the house while the slow cooker did its thing were amazing. The Herbes de Provence blend you might find in the store will vary in the ingredients, including savory, rosemary, thyme, basil and lavender. I often have all of these on hand and will definitely experiment with different combinations in future Provencal dishes.

The wine I selected to use in this dish and then enjoy with it was the La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge. As I noted in my post on the wines we enjoyed while in Provence (I had this wine on the Air France plane flight over), this wine has a wonderful nose and for the value price it is a great wine to have on hand.

( The final cut! It was so good. )

When paired with the stew and crusty bread the wine performed exceptionally. The influences of the garlic, onions and herbs flavored the beef wonderfully and the wine’s combination of fruit and earth added complexity to each bite. The steamed vegetables were cooked separately so with a bit of the stew sauce they retained a good deal of own flavors, which when paired with the wine was a lighter and fresher pairing.

Cheers!

Jason

Sights From Provence

During our short trip we went off on some type of adventure each day. We saw a lot and came home with lots of ideas for a next trip to France. Here is a photo log of the sights.

( The Sorgue river flowing from Fontaine du Vaucluse. )

( One of the many waterwheels in L'Ilses-sur-la-Sorgue. )

( Notre Dame Des Anges Cathedral. )

( Convergence of two branches of the Sorgue in L'Isles-sur-la-Sorgue. )

( Dormant apple trees and an old farmhouse on Francoise's street. )

( Le Thor Saturday market. Almonds are a local product. So tasty! )

( I wish this outdoor market was at home in February! )

( Mmmmm, cured meat! )

( Fresh seafood from about an hour away. )

( The wines were ridiculously cheap! )

( Ruins at the fortified monastery Thouzon built in the 11th century. )

( More of the Thouzon ruins. )

( Painted on the inside of the Thouzon monastery. Wow! )

( The view from the Thouzon ruins. We had 360 degrees of mountain & countryside views. )

( An almond blossom in Francoise's backyard. They are the only flower in mid-February and are everywhere. )

( Mount Ventoux. I can't wait to see this again, and maybe during the Tour de France! )

( The 14th century Papal Palace in Avignon. )

( Avignon, west from the palace esplanade. )

( Hello kitty! )

( The famous Avignon bridge. )

( And finally, the customary vacation self portrait. )



Thanks for taking a look at our exciting trip.

Jason

Making New Friends in France

I am going to finish this week with to final posts from our France trip, neither about food. I mentioned in my first post, the trip was so special because of the people. It only makes sense to introduce a few folks who haven’t shown up yet in the previous posts.

The task of bringing the spirit of Margot’s family to France so it could be shared with Eloy and his family was what brought us there, and we didn’t expect a return. But we got one. Margot and I came home from the short trip feeling like we had been destined to take it so we could expand our family circle.

Margot and I don’t have children so our family is very much of the extended variety. We never know who we are going to meet that will end up becoming our family and we have occasionally found that members of our adopted family get on better with our blood relatives than us! But the enjoyment we get from building that family more than makes up for the challenges it might present.

The second day we were there I grabbed this group shot while we were out exploring.

( Eloy, Margot, Genvieve, Francoise, Gonzalo, Siomara, Marc, Antolin, Carla, Annabella, Felix, Jose )

Gonzalo, Siomara and Antolin are Eloy’s siblings. A lively “buenos dias” from each of them was a great joy each morning. They were in France for the first time as well so we shared their awe for many of the sights (in my next and last trip post) we took in on our various adventures.

Genevieve is one of Francoie’s friends (and neighbor) and was kind enough to provide transportation for a group of us several of the days we were there. She is spunky, funny and her generosity didn’t go unrecognized.

Jose-Rueben is Jose’s (Eloy’s brother still living in Cuba) son, Carla is Jose’s girlfriend and their daughter is Anabella. We absolutely loved spending time with the 3 of them. Carla and Margot hit it off very well and Anabella made Margot her “loca muchacha” for the week. I think my stock rose higher with Jose-Rueben when I swooped in and grabbed Anabella just before she went crashing to the concrete floor after struggling with a chair. I think everyone was in shock about how fast I moved right then!

Marc & Felix hail from Montreal and for us being lovers of that city we immediately gravitated towards them. For Margot meeting Marc was also special. Marc was a student of Eloy and her uncle Gerry and also worked with Gerry on youth ministry activities when he was younger. He was able to tell stories that Margot had never heard which helped keep her uncle firmly connected with a trip he sadly couldn’t make.

Did we laugh while we were there? You bet we did. Here’s one of the reasons why.

Eloy speaks Spanish, French and good English. Francoise speaks French, some Spanish and some English. Some of Eloy’s family members only speak Spanish and a little English and the majority of Francoise’s family members speak French, but not a lot of English. And Margot and I speak English and can barely eek out a little French and Spanish.

( Marc, Yvon, Margot, Me )

Yvon is a priest in New Brunswick and a longtime friend of Margot’s uncle Gerry. Margot said he reminded him of her uncle, a comment of which Yvon was openly honored to accept. He also shared stories of Gerry, with Margot and he talking many times of adventures Gerry has been on. He extended a warm invitation to visit New Brunswick.

If it weren’t for several of Eloy’s friends from Canada we would have had a much tougher time than we did. Much thanks go out to Mark, Felix and Yvon for helping us make friends in France. Carla (Eloy’s nephew’s girlfriend) skills with Spanish, French and English were essential in making sure we got to know Eloy’s family well during our time at the house. We have a working knowledge of many French words, but don’t have conversational confidence, an impediment we plan to remedy before our return trip in 2012.

( Sylan, Eloy, Francoise, a friend of Francoie’s that we didn’t meet )

We also had the pleasure to met Sylvan, Eloy’s best man, who also lives in New Brunswick. He and Eloy have been friends for years and while we knew of him, only got to meet him how. He and his family clearly enjoyed meeting us, extending an invitation to visit and stay with them in Moncton where they live. We’ve never been to New Brunswick before and with two invitations now, we will have to plan a trip.

We also met some of Francoise’s siblings, their children and their families. We met so many more friends before, during and after the wedding. Unfortunately my camera didn’t keep up. We have warm memories of Marie-Claude, Marc, Alain, Pierre, Nicole, Danielle, Xavier (and his family) and others whose names aren’t coming back as easily as I had hoped.
Family is something magical no matter how you define it, and this trip was powerful proof of that for us.

Cheers!

Jason

The Wines We Enjoyed In Provence

There were several areas that we enjoyed wines from during our visit toProvence last week. We had reds from Cotes du Ventoux and Cotes du Rhone, a nearly 20 year old white from Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CDP), box format reds from Gigondas and Cotes du Rhone, a couple of roses from Cotes du Ventoux and Cotes du Provence and Muscat from Beaumes de Venise. All of these regions are within 30 minutes or so of where we were staying and will make for great future stops while we visit in Provence.

We also enjoyed a surprise in a discount Bordeaux that Marc bought on a whim. I wrote about our visit to and tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape for The Unreserved last week. The only bottle from that post that I will revisit here is the Barville Vieux Marc because it was just so amazing and unique.

For the first meal we had Francoise brought out two bottles La Ferme Saint Pierre Roi Faineant (Lazy King). One was from 2007 and the other from 2000. I immediately recognized a great experience in the making. The same producer and style from two different years! The younger wine was definitely juicier and fruitier with less earth and wood showing through. The color was more vibrant of purple and ruby red, where the older was shifted a bit to brown as you would expect. This wine is made from a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Carignan and is aged for 1 to 2 years in oak. Both wines had strength in their noses, with slightly different wood and spice characteristics, and smooth tannins. I picked up flavors of blackberry, black pepper, tobacco and herbs. The 2000 bottling traded down the fruit flavors for more smoke and earth and a bit more elegance in the tannins. It was just as pleasing and the contrast with the pork we had it with was exactly what I expected.

Most of our wine consumption occurred during lunch and dinner and of course at the two wedding parties. We did enjoy aperitifs most of the days, which generally consisted of pastis, some Jack Daniels brought along by my Cuban friends and the Muscat and Rose wines we bought the first day.

In one of the gift shops at Fontaine du Vaucluse we picked up the Pomelo 2009 Cotes du Ventoux Rose and the Cristal Or Muscat Beaumes De Venise 2009, which were opened later that day to be enjoyed by all. The Pomelo Rose presented with a beautiful red/pink color and a nose of strawberries and citrus. It is dry and strawberry flavor was very reminiscent of my first attempts at strawberry wine that I found just a tad too dry. There were also hints of exotic fruits, like mango, and the citrus didn’t feel straight up like oranges, but I didn’t spend enough time to classify it. The wine is very light and at first the dryness seemed to keep people away, but it did finally disappear. The Cristal Or Muscat was absolutely delightful and Margot’s favorite of the trip. The wine glimmers of gold and the nose is enough to captivate you, projecting aromas of peach, apricots and grapes. It has a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity and the alcohol is present but restrained. The flavors of peach, apricot and honey are full on and as an aperitif this wine was excellent. Carla tried a sip and it stopped her mid-sentence. Margot assured her that was the intended effect, and then the conversation resumed.

At a later meal Francoise produced a bottle of Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Blanc 1993. I had never had a white from the CDP region so I was excited at the prospect. Unfortunately, and Francoise and Eloy were quick to assess this, the wine had past its prime drinking days and was not an exciting drink. It was interesting thought to sift through the deconstruction of the aromas and flavors to try and assess what it might have tasted like years earlier. I have it tucked in the back of my head to find a good CDP white to try so I can experience it as it should be.

As the group at the house increased in size and then for service at the wedding the wines of choice were in box format. I thoroughly enjoyed the first box that came from a producer (that I didn’t get the name of) in the Gigondas region. The wine was bold and full of fruit, spice and showed a good deal of alcohol as well. It was from 2009 and while there was the clear presence of wood, it wasn’t a leading aroma or flavor. The tannins were a little rougher here but with the wine flexing a bit of muscle I didn’t mind at all.

The second round of boxes (10L no less) were all from Camille Cayran and of the Cotes du Rhone Villages style. I was struck with the exceptional performance of this wine. When I say performance I mean the quality of the drinking experience coupled with the knowledge of its bargain price. What a wonderful convention it would be here in the States to be able to go to a winery, taste a few wines and then ask to have large format boxes filled at bulk prices. This wine comes from the village of Cairanne just a bit farther north than the other areas I have reviewed wines from. The wine was moderately aromatic of black cherry, ripe plum and pepper. The flavors didn’t fail, with the black cherry and pepper from the aromas and a bit of spice, herb and maybe even violets. The tannins were moderate and smooth and the finish was long enough to enjoy, but not extended.

During our tour of the Papal Palace in Avignon we came across a small plot of vines (below right) that were there to showcase each of the 13 grapes permitted in Chateauneuf –du-Pape wines. The vines are young as the project is still early in its life, but I did have to wonder whose job it will be to make that batch of wine when the time comes!

On Saturday during our trip to the Le Thor market we stopped into a local grocery/convenience/discount store. I bought a Cahors Malbec and a Cotes du Provence Rose, neither of which were very good. Sometimes cheap means cheap! Marc saved the trip though with two bottles of Comte De Serac 2007 Bordeaux. At just shy of 3 Euro each I was again struck with the performance. The wine was light and fruity with soft tannins and a good deal of vanilla. The fruit flavors of strawberry and ripe cherries were simply stated and washed down with a hint of acidity in the moderate finish. With roast pork this wine did not last long at all. Rather than take it home, Marc opened the second bottle because it was being enjoyed so much. For that I am most grateful.

The most intriguing thing I drank the entire time I was there was the Barville Vieux Marc 2002 that I purchased at the Brotte museum and tasting room. Marc is a French pomace brandy which is made from the spent pomace from wine production. The pomace is re-fermented and the low alcohol wine that is made from it is then distilled into a flavorful and potent spirit. My first glass of this was like being in another place altogether. The nose is huge of dried fruits and vanilla. The flavors of raisins, dried apricots and caramel with a hint of sweet in the middle were positively engrossing. I liken it to a blend of fine bourbon and aged Jamaican rum. At 86 proof it is quite strong, but for the audience I quickly found that was an asset and not an impediment. When enjoyed with a Cuban cigar I really felt like I had found a very specific and unique experience during my trip.

You can’t really argue how serious the business of wine is in France when there are places you go where you can see vines everywhere.

After we got home I found a bottle of the La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge that I had enjoyed on the plane ride over to Paris. We paired it with a Provencal style beef stew I made to help keep the memories of France alive now that we were home. With the familiar aromas and flavors of several of the wines we enjoyed while there I felt I was back for just a moment. One thing I did notice is that this particular wine, for an inexpensive one available at home, did actually smell and taste more pleasing that some other Rhone blends we have had recently, including the Chateau Beauchene from the tasting last Saturday. It would seem I need to explore the Rhone blends that are available to me and see if I can’t find a few that I would want to have around all the time.

Cheers!

Jason

Macarons, My Mystery Solved

( Finally, macarons! One got damaged in transport. It didn't alter the enjoyment though. )

Not long after I changed my blog format last April (to food, beverages & pairing from winemaking) I noticed a lot of posts in blogs I was new about macarons. What are these things? Why does everyone care about them?

I kept reading and couldn’t make much sense of it. I asked around to my friends and nobody had ever heard of them or had had them. Stumped. I finally asked a fellow food blogger (thanks Mardi!) and was told that if I had never had one I couldn’t appreciate the wonderful textures and flavors. Oh, and they were really hard to make.

I tucked all of this in the back of my brain and figured I would come across them someday and could try them to see what all the fuss was about. You won’t catch me making them as I don’t really get into desserts and confections.

On the way back from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue last week we had to make a quick stop at a boulangerie to pick up some bread for our next meal. I wandered into the shop with my friends just to see what they might have. And there in the case was the glow of yellow, pink and green macarons. My opportunity had come. When it was my turn to order I stepped up and uttered “vente macarons s’il vous plait”. A question was returned and the only thing I got (I don’t speak French well) was the word mélange. Oui, une mélange s’il vous plait. I definitely wanted a mix of all the flavors.

Back at the house I took some pictures of my treat and set them aside for dessert. With the meal finished Francoise brought them to the table and we all dug in.

( They really were pretty to look at, and oh so flavorful. )

The lemon, berry and pistachio (we think) treats with thin hard shells and a soft interiors delighted us all. I now understand what Mardi was getting at. They were damn good and clearly require experience to make well. I guess the smile from the bakery owner was for me as an expression of happiness that I was so interested in a treats they had made.

So with that mystery solved I will now move on to something else…

Cheers!

Jason

A Love Story, and How We Found Ourselves in Provence

In the late 1990’s I met a friend of Margot’s uncle Gerry named Eloy. Gerry and Eloy both live in the Montreal area and have been friends for over 40 years. Gerry is a priest and Eloy met him as young teacher at the school where Gerry also taught. Eloy escaped Cuba at the age of 18 finding refuge in Canada with help from the order of priests Gerry belongs to. The rest is indeed history, but we have to take a walk through some of that history so you can understand the greatest love story I have ever been witness to.

In the mid-1980’s Gerry and Eloy took a trip to the Holy Land. On that trip Eloy met a woman named Francoise. They came to be fond of each other, but chose a friendship and long distance correspondence instead of something more. Francoise lived in Paris, France and Eloy in Broussard, Quebec. They met several more times on various trips and maintained a long distance friendship all the while. During that same time Eloy became an adopted member of Margot’s family and formed a strong bond with Helene, Margot’s mother. Eloy has always been treated as a family member and is often spoken of as another uncle by Margot and her siblings. I’ve come to know him as a friend in 20+ years, and more recently as a stalwart caregiver to Gerry as he continues to battle aggressive cancer. It is Eloy that drives Gerry back and forth to family holidays in the States, often staying at our home for the celebrations. Not long after Margot’s father passed away Gerry took Helene on her dream of a lifetime trip to France, and ultimately to stay with Francoise who had since moved to Provence. She raved about the place and often told Margot she should plan to get there one day.

In 2010 Eloy and Francoise met up once again, but something was different this time. Both found themselves securely retired, having large extended families, no children and a vibrant zest for life. When I got an e-mail from Gerry stating quite plainly that Eloy and Francoise (who I did not know or know of at the time) were going to be married in 2011, I certainly was surprised. With the back story in hand I reflected on it as one of the greatest stories and definitely the greatest love story I had ever heard. I couldn’t have been happier for a man who I have watched do so much for others with the kind of selflessness and grace I am immensely envious of. But I would be happier in the details of this story as it unfolded.

About a month after the announcement was made we received an e-mail from Eloy that opened the invitation to attend the wedding to all of his family members, including us. Margot called to relate the news and in a surprise move my response was, “so we are going to go, right? At first all she said was “What!” She was shocked at the ease with I was making such a grand commitment. I am not generally that way. But I had my motivations. Eloy has been a great friend to Margot’s family and was at the center of a story that is likely to become a legend for them. The wedding was also in France, a place neither of us had yet travelled to and very much wanted to. And despite some of the stereotypes about weddings, they generally are an example of the best things this life has to offer. I knew I had to be in on this!

We responded to Eloy that we would indeed be attending and to keep us apprised of the details as they evolved. We soon found that we would be the only family representatives at the wedding. Unfortunately Gerry’s health would not permit the trip and others were not able for various and well understood reasons. Functioning as the family ambassadors made the trip a great honor for us. Joining two families is a big deal, and we would be projecting an image of new family to two others (remember the non-familial relation) at the same time being recipients of the same from both. I was actually nervous.

As the plans evolved the holidays rolled around and once again Gerry and Eloy came to visit for Christmas. But this visit was much more exciting. Francoise would be joining us and would be meeting Margot’s family for the first time! Our visit with them was fantastic. Margot and I got to play hosts in advance of them doing the same for us. We discussed the arrangements for the trip and were overjoyed when a place to stay at Francoise’s home was offered. We set about scheduling flights between Boston and Paris and the train between Paris and Avignon. About two weeks before the trip we confirmed our arrival details and waited with intense anticipation.

As you read in the first post, our trip was smooth but tiring. We arrived on Thursday, with a day and a half to go before the big day. We joined many other family and friends who were staying and/or bustling around making ready for the wedding. We offered to help in any way we could and ultimately helped clean the home for the after wedding social and helped setup the reception hall for the wedding celebration.

Before we left my mother had shipped us a gift to take Eloy and Francoise. My mother has also found enjoyment spending time with Eloy during many combined family holidays we have had. She knits and made a beautiful white shawl as part of a project with the ladies of her church. The prayer shawls are an example of the love of their church community and have been made for all manner of occasions where the love and support of a friends can feed the human spirit. We presented Francoise and Eloy with the shawl right before the wedding and found timing to be everything. Despite it being a warm, sunny Provencal winter day, Francoise had been concerned that she might get a chill outside but hadn’t determined a remedy. Her words were, “this is just what I needed”, and promptly donned it over her dress and went on about her final preparations. I called my mother a few minutes before the wedding began and I could tell that she was touched by this outcome. Her gift became part of the celebration. What an unexpected twist!

The hour came and we jumped in the car with friends of Francoise’s who shuttled us to the city center of Le Thor where both the civil confirmation and wedding mass would be held.

Up to this point I haven’t mentioned a key detail that provided both a source of frustration (for Margot and I) and a lot of laughs for everyone during our stay. We don’t speak French or Spanish, and both of which were being uttered in considerable quantities during our stay! In an upcoming post about the friends we made during our stay I’ll elaborate on this story a bit more and give a shout out to a few folks who were essential in helping us both learn, but also to communicate efficiently with the dozens of people we ultimately interacted with.

So we drove along with people we had met 3 minutes previously, all mutually unable to efficiently communicate with other. Awesome! It worked out great though. They were even looking for us after the mass to ensure we wouldn’t be left behind.

( The laughing hadn't quite kicked in. )

The civil confirmation of the wedding by the Mayor of Le Thor was both serious and light. There were documents to be signed in between friendly jokes and the compulsory verbal declaration of intentions to be married and uphold that choice for as long as they should be living. Laughter permeated the entire assembly when the customary consideration of providing a loving and safe home for children was reached. Neither the bride nor groom had made that choice when it was most likely, and they with their assembled friends and family couldn’t help but make light of that ship having sailed off long ago. Something tells me this is real living, and only further confirms that the people in this story have remarkable joie de vivre.

The wedding mass was held in a 13th century cathedral with an assemblage of 7 priests comprised of both parish clergy and friends from France and abroad. It was a beautiful ceremony with joyful singing and recitation of readings and wedding prayers in multiple languages. Later we received an e-mail from Gerry indicating he celebrated mass at his parish back in Montreal at 9:30 AM so he could be joined in mass with his family 6 hours ahead in France.

( That is a quite group to officiate a wedding! )

( How could we have missed this? )

( The kids peppered the happy couple with rice with joyful adandon! )

A contingent of nearly 200 people returned to Francoise’s home for a celebratory social with champagne, wine, food and lots of laughter. Two of Gerry’s friends got together with us for a picture to send along so Gerry could enjoy the event through us.

( Marc, Yvon, Margot, Me )

The wedding reception was held at a hall a few towns over and was quite similar to many we have been to before. Francoise and Eloy thanked their family and friends for making the trip including special thanks to those who had travelled quite a distance to enjoy their special day. We felt so special.

( To Eloy & Francoise! )

The food was excellent, the people were fun and when we got to the skits and singing we were once again able to see how the family was celebrating this wonderful event. There was dancing to a wide array of French and American music (50/60’s classics are big there) and lots of toasting. When Tom Jones Sex Bomb came on Margot and I had to laugh. The mix of folks grooving on the dance floor to this particular song is a vision that will make us laugh for years to come!
 

( You can just feel the happiness and joy. )

 

( Fireworks are a great touch at a wedding reception. )

 
This story is early in its telling and I for one can’t wait to see more of it unfold.

Cheers!

Jason