This month the #Winophiles dove into the Forgotten Grapes of France, a charge led by Lynn Gowdy of Savor the Harvest. She very helpfully compiled a list of grapes that are on the decline in France. So I dove into our "cellar" (large wine fridges) to see what might emerge. I settled on a Pineau d'Aunis, an absolutely favourite grape that I don't see often in the US, or outside its home of the Loire Valley, even in France. Schedules won't permit our usual virtual chat, but we will all have a post so stop by and see what everyone is talking about.The list of (and links to) all of us who've written about the many Forgotten Grapes of France is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and see which forgotten grape you'd like to try.
Its delicate pepperiness and fragrant red berry notes made Pineau d'Aunis wine immensely popular with royalty and nobility, particularly the English. But despite the covetability, wine produced from this grape has declined over the years. There are several reasons why the grape might have fallen out of favour in viticulture. It can produce irregular yields, but excessive yields negatively impact wine quality. It is also quite sensitive to climate and terroir - in wet climates the small, compact bunches of Pineau grapes are susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, and the vine is susceptible to chlorosis (inhibition of chlorophyll production and therefore photosynthesis, caused by a lack of micronutrients in the soil, and quite common in all plants including house plants). In chalky, limestone-rich soil it usually ripens fast, which arrests development of complex flavours resulting in a flabby wine. On the other hand, clayey soil that holds water quite well - perhaps too well for grape vines - can impede ripening which would result in a flat wine if drinkable at all. In summary, Pineau d'Aunis is a finicky grape.
But still, it is made into still, sparkling, red, white, and rosé wines. I have seen quite a few Pineau d'Aunis rosés here in the US. They are fine, but I much prefer Pineau made into still red wine redolent with notes of strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, and cherry, with a bright acid edge, and delicate red colour over its other styles.
2020 DOMAINE GIGOU PINEAU D'AUNIS + OVALIE CENDRÉE
Domaine Gigou was established by the family patriarch Joël ~1974 in the area around the Coteaux-du-Loir and Jasnieres appellations. He saw potential in the area and pivoted from metalworking to grape vines and wine. His son and daughter joined him eventually in 1998 and 2012, and they are carrying forward his legacy, making organic red, white, and sparkling wines, all estate grown and bottled. Coteaux-du-Loir is a small appellation of all of 70 hectares where the family has its estate. It is a small but mighty appellation putting forth some of the most exquisite and quaffable wines that pair with a variety of foods.
At Domaine Gigou they use indigenous yeasts and age the wine in oak barrels before bottling. It is a small and truly family run operation as evidenced by their website which provides basic but essential information. It is an estate worth visiting if you are in the Chartre-Sur-Loir area.
At 12.5% ABV, and being so food-friendly, this wine is an excellent choice for an aperitif, dinner, or with a variety of cheeses. We did just that when we had our neighbours over for a long lingering dinner one evening. Just out of the bottle the wine...
Looks: clear, light ruby red
Nose: white pepper, strawberry, raspberry, and a faint hint of fruit compôte
Palate: Echos the nose, and also has an earthy note, soft tannins, and luscious acidity. A light bodied but refreshing and juicy wine with a medium+ finish.
Pairing: We had it with a button of Ovalie Cendrée, a superb ashed goats cheese from the Loire Valley.
The Ovalie Cendrée, a goat's cheese masterpiece from the genius affineur Hervé Mons, is coated in charcoal ash which helps de-acidify the cheese (neutralise the natural acidity of goat's milk), which in turn helps yeasts and moulds develop a bloomy rind on the surface. A co-op in Poitou-Charentes makes the cheese and when it is ~10 days old they send it to Hervé Mons who ripen it for 10 more days before sending to the US and on the way here it continues to ripen/age.
The gorgeous grey and white rind hides a delicious cream line and a lush firm inner core. The cheese is creamy, tangy, mushroom-y, and earthy. All flavours that work in immense harmony with the soft tannins, juiciness, and earthiness of the wine. I don't usually like to have bread with cheese and wine but rather, on its own as a palate refresher after a few bites. I did that with this cheese too, and didn't find the cheese too intense to eat on its own. If you're trying the Ovalie Cendrée with a Pineau red, I recommend that approach of no bread until after.
See below which Forgotten Grapes of France the other writers enjoyed.
- Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Forgotten Grapes of France: Poulsard Shines in the 2022 Domaine Dugois ‘La Sombarde“
- Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “A Sauvignon Gris from Bordeaux paired with a Chicken Stew from Zambia“
- Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Rosé d’Anjou with Groulleau and a budget-friendly variation on Crab Mac & Cheese!“
- Camilla from Culinary Cam shares “A Pair of Picpoul – From Two Continents – with a Simple Salmon Dinner“
- David from Cooking Chat shares “French Alpine Wines and Pairings to Go With Them“
- Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares “Beat the Wintry Blues: Meet Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcaghjolu Neru, and Minustellu from Corsica!“
- Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares “Channeling Warm Weather Through Forgotten Grapes of France“
- Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Jurancon Noir: A very berry grape from southwest France“
- My notes on this pairing are here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Pineau d'Aunis and Ovalie Cendrée: An Exquisite Pair!"
- Terri from Our Good Life shares “Rediscovering the Gems: Exploring the Forgotten Grapes of French Wine“
- Jeff from Food Wine Click! shares “Forgotten Grapes of France: Fer Servadou from Aveyron“
- Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares “Forgotten Wine Grapes of France – Alpine Wines of Savoie“
