COPPO WINERY 2023 CHARDONNAY "COSTEBIANCHE" x VEGETARIAN PUNJABI FOOD

 

This month we had a bonus event at the World Wine Travel group - #worldwinetravel - thanks to a generous offer from Coppo 1892 winery to sponsor our wines. Coppo is a winery dating back to 1892 but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2024) in Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy. It is Q4 and nearly year-end so with everyone's life and travel schedules we did not have a chat for this bonus event. But the list of (and links to) all of us who've written about Coppo wines is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and be inspired!

COPPO WINERY

In Piemonte, spreading over 85 hectares across Monferrato and Langhe, Coppo winery has been in operation since 1892, registered as a historic enterprise with uninterrupted activity in the same sector since they started. Their subterranean tufa limestone cellars at a depth of 40 m., were likely excavated in the 18th century for use as small storage cellars with subsequent expansion leading to their current area extending over 5,000 sq. m. Since 2024, these impressive and ethereal underground cellars have earned the honour of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vast underground network of spaces is used as cellars for Coppo wines, but it is also an engineering marvel, a look into the geology of the region, and a glimpse into œno-architecture. Don't miss a chance to visit Coppo the next time you're in Piemonte!

https://www.coppo.com/en/vineyards/

For many years Coppo has been committed to sustainability and followed organic and biodynamic techniques. Since 2001 they have officially committed to integrated agriculture and agronomic principles with the aim of having a reduced environmental impact.

THE WINE AND THE FOOD

2023 "COSTEBIANCHE" CHARDONNAY, PIEMONTE DOC

100% Chardonnay

ABV 13.5%

SRP $29

The "Costebianche" Chardonnay gets its name (white slopes) from the white limestone hills of the vineyard and surrounds. The grapes grow in calcareous clay marl soil and are hand-harvested after careful selection, and ater the initial soft pressing, they are partly fermented and aged on fine lees in barriques and partly in stainless steel vats. 

Looks: clear, straw yellow

Nose: lemon, white flowers, faint hint of pineapple

Palate: Echos the nose, but also has a fresh savouriness and a creamy edge. A very light but refreshing and juicy wine with a medium finish.

Pairing: We had the Costebianche Chardonnay with two Punjabi vegetarian dishes: chana jor garam and mattar paneer. Having just returned from a month of work in Hawai'i, cooking anything elaborate was out of the question. But after a month of all the tropical fruit and Ahi poké and rice in HI, as much as I had relished the fresh tuna everyday, I was also craving familiar Indian flavours. So we settled for take-away from the one restaurant near us that makes real Punjabi food that isn't loaded with cream (which is lavishly used in the West but never in India) while being devoid of proper flavour.

And in the pantry I found a packet of flattened Indian chickpeas that are used for chana jor garam, a classic street snack around most of India. It couldn't be easier to make - mix together the flattened chickpeas, diced onion and green chillies, chilli powder, chopped coriander, a bit of lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala.

We started off with snacking on the chana jor garam paired with the Chardonnay. That was a hit! The lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala, and earthy chickpeas were perfect with the citrus and faint hint of pineapple in the wine. The wine elevated the chana jor garam which in turn made the wine taste juicier. I would absolutely pair the two again.

Then we went on to the main meal of mattar paneer (peas and paneer) cooked in a complex, mildly spiced sauce garnished with cream and redolent with flavours of typical North Indian spices. We had it with naan and pickles. The mild but complex mattar paneer, slight tang of the pickles, and neutral naan with the Chardonnay were excellent, although we enjoyed the wine with the chana jor garam much more.

[Pickles play a significant role in Indian culinary tradition and are prized for their balanced flavour but also their role in digestion and gut health. Every region has it's own specific kind of pickles made with whatever vegetables or fruits are in season. Typical pickles of Punjab have mangoes, carrots, turnips, lemons, and cauliflower in any combination, seasoned with nigella seeds, mustard oil, and other seasonings.]

I've talked about the Coppo wines that I'd received but we all received different wines from the great array of wines Coppo makes. See what the other writers sipped, savoured, and talked about below.

• Camilla from Culinary Cam says “Let’s Talk About Cortese and Barbera Grapes: Two Wines from the Historical Underground Wine Cellars of Coppo + Pairings”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Coppo Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• My discovery of this region is here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Coppo Winery 2023 Chardonnay "Costebianche" x Vegetarian Punjabi Food"
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Two Piedmont classics: Nizza Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• Jennifer from Vino Travels shares “The Historic Coppo winery of Piedmont and their UNESCO underground wine cellars”
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles reports on “Tunnels and Tufa – The Underground Cathedrals and Coppo Cellars”
• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Pairings with Nizza Barbera and Coppo Monteriolo Chardonnay”
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Historic Wines, Timeless Pairings: Coppo’s Nizza Barbera and Barolo with Wild Mushroom Risotto”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “From Coppo’s UNESCO Cellars: Nizza and Gavi Paired with Shrimp Ceasar and Duck with Winter Squash Gratin”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Chardonnay From One of the Oldest Family-Run Wineries in Italy – Coppo“
• Susannah from Avvinare shares “Coppo Shows Piedmont’s Diversity“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Dinner with Coppo Wine Cellars Flagship ‘Pomorosso’ Nizza Barbera”

AMERICAN MERLOT MEETS KASHMIRI FOOD

October is usually MerlotMe month in the US, and the #WinePW group has a Merlot-centric event although not an official MerlotMe one. Our host this month is Camilla Mann from Culinary Cam who also graciously arranged for two samples each for a few of us and wrote a Merlot preview teaser. We will meet on Twitter/X on Saturday, 14 Oct at 8 AM PST as usual so come over and look for or join in under #WinePW. The list (and links) of all of us who've written about Merlot is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and be inspired with some unique pairings!

Samples or not, opinions, as always are all mine.

KASHMIRI PANDIT FOOD

In India, there's no concept of "Indian" food. We refer to the overall region from where the cuisine is, e.g. Kashmiri, Bengali, Punjabi, Rajasthani etc. food, or sometimes, more granularly, by subregion, town, or community. E.g. Konkani, Tamilian Brahmin, Saraswat Brahmin, Jain, etc. food. Even though overall the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent is rooted in the texts of Ayurveda there are nuances and vast differences in the cuisine of each state based on regions, subregions, ingredients, weather, seasons, geography, and each community's cooking style. Even the herbs and spices vary. Also, although we use countless spices and herbs, it's not as if all of India starts eating chillies the moment they wake up - our food is spiced with spices, it is not spicy. Chillies did not exist in India until the 15th century so.... 

And so, just like every other state in India, Kashmiri food is quite unlike any other cuisine of India. In Kashmir, a cold mountainous Himalayan state full of valleys and lakes, the main herbs and spices are asafoetida, Indian bay leaves, various types of Indian cardamom, black pepper, long pepper, Indian cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek seeds, dried ginger, fennel seeds, Kashmiri shallot, to name just a few, and then since ~1498, Kashmiri chillies, which are medium spicy and of a deep but bright red colour. Cockscomb flower, alkanet root, and saffron are also used, for both, flavour and colour. And dried fruits and nuts are also used in a number of dishes as are lotus root and bottle gourd (vegetables), and yoghurt.

Kashmiri Pandits are the native inhabitants of Kashmir and because of its location it's a place that has been invaded multiple times throughout history. Pandits are Brahmins/Hindus and large numbers have been forcefully converted to Islam, by invading Persian and other Muslim armies. The ones that remained have been victims of genocide by Muslims or forced out to other parts of India and the world, as recently as 1990. However, they have taken their culture and cuisine with them. Unlike many Brahmins, Kashmiri Pandits do eat meat (usually lamb/goat) and freshwater fish, because that is what is available when vegetables are not, and like all Brahmins, they do not eat garlic and onions. In fact, some of the most exquisite Kashmiri Pandit dishes are meat-based. With lavish use of aromatic herbs and spices, Kashmiri Pandit cuisine is particularly well suited to enjoying with wine.  

MERLOT IS MERLOT, NO?

No, luckily. Merlot is originally French (from Bordeaux) and is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. It is not half as finicky a grape as Pinot Noir and is grown in every wine-growing region of the world including, these days, China. Merlot was originally - and still is in the Old World wine regions - a blending grape, providing lush fruit and a full body, with low tannins and low acidity to a wine. With aromas/flavours of blackberry, black cherry, violets, mint, and chocolate. And vanilla and baking spices (if aged in new oak).

Even with the same grape, Merlot styles vary vastly around the world depending on soil, climate, and winemaking. Two main Merlot wine areas in the US are California and Washington state. In California, generally Merlot from Napa (or any other warm climate/Valley region) is higher ABV, very fruit forward, jammy, and the ever-present baking spices due to aging in new oak. Coastal or higher altitude CA Merlot on the other hand, is higher acid, not cloyingly fruit-forward, and layered.

In Washington state, Columbia Valley produces the largest quantities of Merlot (some of it very good quality) but some of the exceptional Merlot comes from Walla Walla, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills in WA. In general, compared to CA, WA Merlot has higher tannin, crisp acidity, and is not overly fruit forward or jammy. Both can pair quite well with a variety of cuisines but because it is more complex, WA Merlot offers much more flexibility in food pairings. 

MERLOT AND KASHMIRI PANDIT FOOD

2020 L'ECOLE NO. 41 MERLOT, COLUMBIA VALLEY

82% Merlot, 15% CABERNET FRANC, 2% MALBEC, 1% PETIT VERDOT

ABV 14.5%

SRP ~$27

Established in 1983, L'Ecole No. 41 is a third generation artisan winery based in a historic schoolhouse in the Walla Walla Valley, WA. They make "premium" wines with the typicity of Washington state (climate, soil, etc.) but it is also their masterful winemaking that results in wines with excellent structure, acidity, colour, and balance.

The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested, crushed, and fermented in stainless steel before being aged in small oak barrels (15% new oak). Greater than the sum of its parts this blend includes grapes from at least 6 different vineyards and has the broader Columbia Valley designation, but it has a vibrant crisp acidity, and is complex and balanced. This wine is delicious!

Looks: deep purple

Nose: dark fruit - plum, black cherry, dried red roses, faint earth, and cedar

Palate: Echos the nose, and also has a cola note on the mid-palate. Smooth but firm tannins, juicy medium+ acid, and a long, elegant finish. Overall, very reminiscent of an Old World Merlot blend.

2022 GOLDSCHMIDT, GUIDESTONE RISE VINEYARD CHELSEA, ALEXANDER VALLEY

100% Merlot

ABV 14.5%

SRP ~$25

The Goldschmidts are originally from New Zealand and now based in Sonoma County. The whole family including the 5 grown kids are actively involved in the winery - a true family enterprise. This winery is new to me but I am very much looking forward to trying their other wines and maybe visiting the winery as well.

Looks: deep purple, nearly opaque

Nose: dark fruit - blueberry compote, ripe cherries, stewed prune plums, maybe baking spices

Palate: Echos the nose, and is very fruit forward. Supple tannins as you'd expect in a Merlot, medium acid. Overall this Goldschmidt Chelsea Merlot is a fleshy wine with a long enough finish that, after at least 5 years in the bottle would maybe calm down enough to pair seamlessly with complex food. 

Pairing: We had the 2020 L'Ecole No. 41 and the 2022 Goldschmidt Chelsea Merlots with Kashmiri Pandit food. The comparatively low tannins in Merlot combined with it's fruit forwardness and plush mouthfeel pair very well with Kashmiri food. Of the two, the L'Ecole was exceptional with the food. Kashmiri Pandit food is very aromatic and complex thanks to the variety of fresh and dried spices, many of which are similar to the baking spices note in (good, well made) American Merlot. Because it was a blend rather than 100% Merlot, the acidity, juiciness, and complexity of the L'Ecole No. 41 was a perfect complement to the food. Both wines paired splendidly with the food... hard to say whether the food bolstered the wines or vice versa, but L'Ecole was a clear winner.

THE FOOD

We had mutsch, al yakhni, and ghee-roasted Basmati rice (descriptions below). We also had roasted potatoes... not exactly an Indian ingredient at all, but I needed to use them up. 

The dishes are: Mutsch (hand-formed lamb kebabs) in a sauce of mustard-oil tempered spices - Indian bay leaves, cloves, Indian cinnamon, black cardamom, and powdered dry ginger-fennel seeds-Kashmiri chillies, with Kashmiri garam masala (a highly aromatic powdered spice mix always added to a dish as a finish). Al yakhni, bottle gourd in a fragrant sauce of cloves, green cardamom, cumin, and powdered dried ginger and fennel tempered in mustard oil, cooked in yogurt, and finished with Kashmiri garam masala. Ghee-roasted Basmati rice is exactly that. Basmati rice soaked for 1 - 24 hours, drained and sautéed in ghee (NOT clarified butter, please), and cooked. 

I've compared the two starkly different American Merlot samples I received, and to be really wowed see what the other #WinePW writers paired with Merlot.

• Our host Camilla at Culinary Cam talks about "A Redwoods Ride, a Merlot from Santa Cruz, and Pacific Cod Soft Tacos"

• I've talked about "American Merlot Meets Kashmiri Food" here on Keep the Peas

• Bottom Round Roast with Mushrooms and Merlot by Cooking Chat

• Celebrating our Homecoming with L’Ecole Merlot by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Magical Merlot Moments by Avvinare

• Marvelous, Magnificent, Merlot by Side Hustle Wino

• Merlot and the Common French Fry: Just Do It! by Our Good Life

• Pairing Merlot while your kitchen is out of service by My Full Wine Glass

• Unveiling the Flavors: Blueberry Tart and L'Ecole Merlot by Exploring the Wine Glass

• Vegetarian Italian Fall Fare: Squash Focaccia Wins With Ettore’s Organic Mendocino Merlot by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley

GAMBELLARA, VENETO: A BUBBLY WINE AND A REVELATION!

This month the Italian Food Wine Travel group #ItalianFWT explored wines from the very well known region of Veneto and hardly known (outside Italy) town of Gambellara in Veneto, northern Italy. Our host this month is Deanna Atk from Wineivore. It's Q4 and nearly year-end so with everyone's life and travel schedules we won't have a chat this month. But the list (and links) of all of us who've written about the grapes and wines of Veneto is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and be inspired!

THE REGION

Gambellara is a lovely village/town in Veneto to the east of Verona and over the hill from Soave, where like Soave, most wines are made from Garganega grapes. It's a hidden gem with wine makers at small wineries who generally practice biodynamic farming and often are certified organic. Gambellara has had DOC status since 1970, two years before Soave. But Soave is more famous internationally simply because it produces a much higher volume of wine so the wine gets around. And also, not sure why, but the US & UK demand for Soave wine surged in the 80s.

https://vineyards.com/wine-map/italy/veneto

If you've travelled to any Old World wine producing region you likely know that there are usually local grapes that are hugely popular as wine but virtually unknown outside. E.g. Pignoletto in Emilia-Romagna. And winemakers there adhere to the specificity of certain aspects of wine and winemaking but aren't always chasing a specific high mark of origin (DOC, DOCG, ...etc.) so they get creative while adhering to the broader requirements of marks of origin like IGT that allow winemakers greater freedom of expression. In Gambellara as well, while they have Gambellara Classico DOC (1970) and Gambellara Recioto DOCG (2009), the rest can be Veneto IGT (1995). Veneto IGT was introduced in 1995 to allow winemakers more freedom (i.e. less stringent requirements compared to DOC & DOCG) and meet the growing international demand. However, it has also resulted in winemakers who make all three levels of wine and use the broader Veneto IGT mark to show their creativity with wines like the sparkling Veneto IGT wine I've reviewed below.

THE WINE, THE WINERY, AND THE FOOD

2020 "PRIMO INCONTRO" GARGANEGA FRIZZANTE, VENETO IGT

100% Garganega

ABV 10.5%

SRP ~$23

Davide Vignato is heading the winery his grandfather and father started in the 1950s. They have been farming their 12 hectares organically since 1997, although Davide's first vintage was 2006. A third of their land is planted with Garganega vines which grow on terraced steep hillsides on volcanic soil enriched with basaltic lava that decomposes to add back potassium and magnesium into the soil. This unique soil composition is also what makes Garganega in this area quite aromatic.

Davide's approach to the Garganega grapes from his 25-year old vines located in the Monti di Mezzo and Faldeo subregions is low-intervention wine. Grape bunches are pressed, fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel, and left on the spent yeast "sur lie" for a few months. There is no added sulphur, to really highlight what the decomposing lava-rich terroir offers on the palate. Dosage is in the form of Gambellara Recioto must to aid second fermentation in the bottle, and there is no disgorgement or any other refinement so the wine continues to lie on the spent yeast for a few more months before it is ready to enjoy. Quite different from Prosecco, and with a fine slew of bubbles in this low alcohol wine, it is brilliant as an aperitivo in convivial company, or paired with something equally aromatic as the wine itself.

Here in Silicon Valley we are submerged in a sea of dynamic tech founders. But they key takeaway from interactions with people like that is their perseverance, belief in what they are making, and their courage to take a chance on something new. Sometimes a new form of something old. Its a different energy, different vibe, and so energising! That is what attracted me to this wine. 

Looks: turbid, pale yellow with persistent but fine racy perlage (bubbles)

Nose: warm bread, white flowers, faint oxidative hint of apple, and a passing whiff of tart citrus

Palate: Echos the nose, but also has a fresh mineral edge and ends with the almond note often tasted in wines that don't have full phenolic ripeness. Racy and persistent bubbles, a very light but elegant wine with a delicious, medium finish. 

Pairing: We had this Garganega frizzante with southern Thai roasted fish (halibut) enrobed in a yellow curry sauce, rice, and dipping sauce. This was our first meal after over a month in Italy and France and we were ready for the deep complexity of South/Southeast Asian flavours. The sweetness and spice of the curry was wonderful with the wine and really brought to the top the floral notes in the wine. The oxidative apple and almond notes melded beautifully with the dipping sauce (that I used as a drizzle over the fish) - the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, with the slight heat of Thai chillies were magical with the wine. I always leave the skin on fish - it helps keep the fish moist. 

We have since made this exact meal twice, since we had more bottles of this wine. It's just terrific. If you can get your hands on this wine, do try it!

I've talked about the Veneto wine that spoke to me this time but see what the other writers sipped, savoured, and talked about below.

• Our host Deanna at Wineivore talks about 
"A Taste of Verona, Italy"
• My discovery of this region is here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Gambellara, Veneto: A Bubbly Wine and a Revelation!"
• "Crumbs: Scaia, Pearà, and Mussels alla Buzara" from Camilla at Culinary Cam
• "La Gioiosa Brut Rosé & Raspberry Soup" from Andrea at The Quirky Cork
• "The Hills Near Verona and the Organic, Biodynamic, and Regenerative wines of Fasoli Gino and Tasi/Crushed Grape Chronicles" from Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles
• "7 Veneto Wines and a Meal with Memories from My Visit: Venice, Verona, Valdobbiadne, Valpolicella, Soave" from Gwendolyn at Wine Predator
• "The Custoza Grape of the Veneto with Cantina Gorgo" / Vino Travels" from Jennifer at Vino Travels
• "Beyond Prosecco: Carménère is Cultivated in Veneto, Too" from Cindy at Grape Experiences

JUST NOW DISCOVERING OLTREPÒ PAVESE WINES

In February the Italian Food Wine Travel group #ItalianFWT explored wines from the relatively less known region of Oltrepò Pavese in northern Italy. Our host Susannah Gold graciously sent some of us samples to review. Two of the wines sent for this review were samples but as always, wine tasting notes and opinions are unbiased and my own. Do read the invitation post here and remember to join us on Saturday, 5 February at 8 AM PST on Twitter at #ItalianFWT to hear about who knew what and what they thought.

THE REGION

  

https://www.champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/messy-pavese/

Oltrepò Pavese DOC (Pavia across the (river) Po in Lombard) is in Lombardy, Italy, centred around the village of Pavia. It is known for its classic method sparkling wines of the appellation Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG made primarily from Pinot Nero and still wines made from other international grape varieties, as well as a higher residual sugar wine called Sangue di Giuda (blood of Judah) made from Italian grapes Barbera, Croatina, and Uva Rara. With an ABV hovering at less than 10%, Sangue di Giuda is an excellent choice for an apéro paired with a paté and fruit. The rich soil combined with the closeness to the River Po gives the region an excellent terroir and incredible wines at an incredible QPR. I really wonder about other wine regions that are hidden gems in Italy! 

By a fortuitous coincidence, the Slow Wine tasting in San Francisco was in late January where M and I got to dive deeper into Oltrepò Pavese and met the lovely Director and Press from the Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepò Pavese. We hit it off almost instantly and they were delighted to know that I was new to Oltrepò wines. We went right when the event began but the wines were late so we had plenty of time to talk. They insisted we taste everything they thought would be interesting to us and after an animated tasting of almost all their wines they sent us off with a bottle of Sangue di Giuda. If you want to know more about Oltrepò Pavese wines visit them here. 

THE WINE AND FOOD

LA VERSA 2019 + STUZZICHINI + SPUNTINI (SNACKS + SMALL BITES)

85% Pinot Nero, 15% Chardonnay

ABV 13%

SRP ~$28 | SAMPLE

Having spent 144 months on the lees, this wine was an excellent example of Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG wines.

Looks: bright yellow with flecks of gold and fine racy perlage

Nose: brioche, red fruits, cooked stone fruit

Palate: Echos the nose, but also has warm yeasty notes of brioche and a faint saline mineral edge. Racy and persistent bubbles, a very well structured intense and elegant wine with a delicious, long finish. 

Pairing: We wanted a variety of flavours with this wine so we agreed to have them all! We enjoyed this wine with honey-soaked chestnuts, a black pepper paté and garnishes, Parmigiano Reggiano drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, salami Varzi and others, 3 year Gouda and a Grana Padano, olives, and an assortment of crackers, grissini, and other bread-y things. We loved each and every single pairing. The chestnuts, salami Varzi, Grana Padano, and the Parmigiano Reggiano with aged balsamic vinegar are definitely traditional regional matches for Oltrepò Pavese wines, but really enjoyed snacking on it all. Sharing always makes everything taste much better, I think! The next time we would pair this with a borlotti bean risotto, another Pavese classic. 

 

Oltrepò Pavese was new to me but I'm sure some of the other writers are familiar with it so see below and read what everyone tasted, enjoyed, and reviewed!

• Our host Susannah at Avvinare, talks about “Wine Treasures To Be Found in Oltrepò Pavese."
• My discovery of this region is here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Just Now Discovering Oltrepò Pavese Wines"
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla adds Second Pours of Oltrepò Pavese Wines with Braised Short Ribs and Puff Pastry”
• Linda from My Full Wineglass brings “Flying under the radar with an Oltrepò Pavese sparkling rosé”
• Terri from My Good Life dishes about “Stone Crabs with Oltrepò Pavese.”
• Martin from Enofylz showcases “A Taste Of The Unsung Wines of Oltrepò Pavese”
• Deanna from Winevore posts “Wine for the Priest! from Oltrepo Pavese, Italy”
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! waxes about the “Surprising Wines of Oltrepò Pavese”
• Rupal from Syrah Queen post “Oltrepò Pavese Wines -One of Italy’s Best Kept Secret”
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator showcases “2 Pinot Nero from Oltrepo’ Pavese #ItalianFWT”
• David from Cooking Chat reflects on “Tasting and Pairing with Oltrepo’ Pavese Wines” 
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm checks out “Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna paired with Oltrepo Pavese Wine”
• Liz from What’s In that Bottle suggests we “Check Out “the Other Side of the Pó” for Tasty Italian Wines “
• Jennifer from Vino Travels adds “Pinot Nero in Abundance in the Oltrepò Pavese”
• Lisa from The Wine Chef writes “Off The Beaten Path: Oltrepò Pavese, A Wine Region to Know About.”

EVERYDAY WINES FROM THE CÔTES DU RHONE

September is the perfect time to explore versatile wines from Côtes du Rhône (CdR) AOC. Join us #winophiles as we taste and nibble our way through the AOC. We will be talking about all things CdR on Twitter under #winophiles on Saturday, 18 September at 8 AM PDT. Check out host Wendy's post and if you have things to say, chime in on sat AM. If you just need some AM wine talk with your coffee, come and spectate. Either way, it's going to be full of interesting facts and luscious food pics so don't miss it!

Some of us got samples through our event sponsor Côtes du Rhône thanks to the coordination efforts of Jeff from Food Wine Click. As always, samples or not, our opinions remain solely ours. 

CÔTES DU RHÔNE AOC

www.winefolly.com

Wine has been produced in the Rhône since pre-Roman times and everything including wine at that time was politicised but no history lesson here, so let's talk about now. In the most simple terms, Rhône wines rank like this from bottom to top: CdR-CdR Villages-CdR named Villages-Cru. At the top the crus include heavy hitters like Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Tavel, etc. and then we have the CdR AOC wines which some might say are basic. But they really aren't. The CdR is further broken into two subregions: méridional and septentrional.

50% of the wine produced in the Rhône valley is classified as CdR AOC. The CdR AOC makes red, white, and rosé wines with regulatory requirements dictating grape varietals and blends allowed. If I had to summarise CdR AOC wines I'd say: versatile, well-made, excellent QPR, and worth a visit.

THE WINES

I received 6 bottles of wine including wines from CdR, CdR Villages, and CdR Named Villages AOCs. Most were red, one was white, and one rosé. It was a beautiful line-up and I opened two reds. I paired one with a top sirloin steak and one with Peshawari chapli kebabs. Both were delicious with each wine.

INOPIA ROUGE 2017 + TOP SIRLOIN AND SIDES
Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Syrah, and Cinsault

ABV 14%

SRP $31 | SAMPLE

I am such a fan of this exquisite wine. According to the tech sheet, Inopia, which translates from Latin as "made from nothing", refers to a neglected barren plot near the village of Orange that Mounir and Rotem Saouma purchased in 2011. They planted the plot densely to Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Syrah, and Cinsault (plus seven more). All the grapes are hand-harvested at cool temperatures and undergo one week of whole-cluster maceration, followed by a fifteen-day fermentation with no punch-downs or pump-overs. The wine is then pressed and split among a combination of French oak foudres, cement eggs, and 500-liter barrels for 18 months of maturation without racking. The wines are then bottled without fining or filtration. 

Looks: ruby with flecks of pink garnet

Nose: mainly dark red fruits, dried herbs

Palate: Echos the dark red fruits from the nose, but especially ripe cherries, dried resinous herbs, and a saline mineral edge. Velvet-y tannins, full body, juicy acidity, and a long finish. This is a polished wine and one to look for.

Pairing: It's tough to to wrong with Rhône reds and steak but this wine especially really took each bite to such a satisfying level. We enjoyed this wine with a pan-seared top sirloin lightly rubbed with mustard, dried herbs, and butter with roasted potatoes, meaty shiitake mushrooms, and horseradish sauce. The mushrooms were roasted in the pan sauce while the steak was resting and the horseradish sauce was homemade with Mexican sour cream, not sharp, and matched the saline mineral edge of the wine splendidly.

LOUIS BERNARD ROUGE 2018 CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah

ABV 13.5%

SRP $14 | SAMPLE

Since 1976 Loius Bernard has been building partnerships throughout the Rhône valley through whom he continues to make carefully crafted wines.

This wine is Made from Grenache and Syrah, hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, destemmed then vinified separately. After a cool-temperature maceration and fermentation period of 3 weeks, the wine is aged for an additional 10 months before bottling. As in the wine, there is thought put into the design of the bottle which pays homage to the regional heritage with a crested coat of arms and distinctive label of a historic arched stained-glass window.

Looks: ruby with a faint purple edge

Nose: mainly dark black fruits, soupçon of baking spices

Palate: Dark red fruits similar to the nose, black pepper at the end. Silky tannins, juicy acidity, medium body and finish. This is a lively young wine and I would say best enjoyed young to relish the fruit and spice, but it is an elegant wine nevertheless.

Pairing: We enjoyed this with a summer lunch in the garden of Peshawari lamb and beef chapli kebabs, mint chutney, Arabic bread, and garnishes. The warmth of the lamb and the spices in the kebabs + the mint chutney were a gorgeous match with the wine. The spicy edge of the wine walked hand in hand with the complex spices in the kebabs. We would absolutely do both again!

And this is what everyone else is saying about the wines they received/selected so do read and be inspired to open a bottle!

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on theFarm shares A month's worth of celebrations with Cotes du Rhone.

• Jeff from Food Wine Click! thinks we should Embrace the Base of the Côtes du Rhône Pyramid.

• Cindy of Grape Experiences suggests we Sip Wine from the Côtes-du-Rhône... then Visit the Rhône Valley

• Cathie of Side Hustle Wino exclaims OMGigondas.

• Mel of Wining with Mel introduces us to The Wonderful World of Chapoutier in Côtes du Rhône.

• Terri of Our Good Life tells you What You Need to Know about Côtes du Rhône Wines.

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla Assembles an End of Summer Cheeseboard with Domaine Chamfort Sablet La Pause Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019.

• Robin of Crushed Grapes Chronicles talks about Côtes du Rhône & Côtes du Rhône Villages – a plethora of flavors to pair with!

• David of Cooking Chat shares Grilled Sirloin Steak and Cotes du Rhone

• Jen of Vino Travels takes us on A Journey Through the Cotes du Rhone

• Jane of Always Ravenous shares Cote du Rhone Wines: Tasting and Pairing

• Nicole of Somm's Table says Bring on the Cotes du Rhone

• Katrina of The Corkscrew Concierge explains Why You Should be Drinking White Rhone Wines

• Linda of My Full Wine Glass introduces us to Red, white and pink-The colors of Cotes du Rhone wine

• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares Cotes du Rhone and Perfect Fried Rice

• Jill of L'Occasion is Feeling Satisfied with Cotes du Rhone

• Susannah of Avvinare shares A Fresh Look at the Cote du Rhone