Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

food pairings

Pink is the New Red (and White)

Provence Roses Prove Their Food Pairing Panache

Dry rose and the south of France, particularly in the coastal region of Provence, go hand in hand. There, it is considered the ideal lunchtime, seaside and all-occasion wine and Provence is also home to France’s oldest vineyards and the world’s largest producer of rose wines.  A combination of clay-limestone soil, mistral winds, and sunny, hot and dry climate lend themselves perfectly to this sometimes under-rated and narrowly perceived wine.

Although exports (and coinciding sales) of rose to the U.S. have been steadily increasing since 2003, it still carries with it (especially in sultry Charleston) the perception of being a cool, light, crisp wine for summer aperitif sipping. Vins de Provence and McCrady’s joined forces in a recent media lunch held at the restaurant to permanently retire that limiting cliche and enlighten those in attendance on the power of pairing Provencal roses with food.

It’s All in the Grape

Contrary to another common misperception, a true rose is not a blend of white and red grapes, but is made from red/purple grapes. Unlike a Burgundy, however, roses have very brief contact with the skin, before being strained and fermented. The result is a a gorgeous pale pink wine which pairs beautifully (and suprisingly) with almost anything. McCrady’s Banquet Chef Lucas Weir and Vins de Provence put together a convincing and delectable, five-course lunch of pairings. Here are some of the visual highlights.

 

Smoky, grilled shrimp, a robust, sweet persimmon sauce, and the earthiness of peanuts and benne seeds were the perfect match for a crisp, nuanced Hecht & Bannier Cotes De Provence Rose.

Smoky, grilled shrimp, a robust, sweet persimmon sauce, and the earthiness of peanuts and benne seeds were the perfect match for a crisp, nuanced Hecht & Bannier Cotes De Provence Rose.

Buttery, steamed trout, a peppery turnip puree and lemon-infused Carolina gold rice met their match with Maison Saint Aix, AIX Rose.

Buttery, steamed trout, a peppery turnip puree and lemon-infused Carolina gold rice met their match with Maison Saint Aix, AIX Rose.

Rich, smoky pork with a side of crunchy chestnuts , truffles and the sweet/tart bite of grapefruit were idyllic with the grapefruit notes of the Chateau de Berne Terres de Berne.

Rich, smoky pork with a side of crunchy chestnuts , truffles and the sweet/tart bite of grapefruit were idyllic with the grapefruit notes of the Chateau de Berne Terres de Berne.

It’s interesting and worthwhile to note that all of these bottles were very reasonably priced, and most fell just around $12 per bottle. And, they’re even pretty enough to keep around as table art.

Beautiful rose bottles from Provence.

Beautiful rose bottles from Provence.

As one of the reps at the event pointed out most eloquently and accurately, “Even though they’re all pink, they’re not all the same.”

Bon appetit! Remember to drink some rose at every meal and any time of year. You’ll be astounded how well this wine works with food when properly paired.

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