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

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

FOUR SWEET BORDEAUX WINES WITH FOUR COURSES #WINOPHILES

Every now and then we come across something in life that blows us away. An experience, a place, a feeling, words we hear or read, a new discovery... something truly sensational and special. For me, most recently, it was sweet wine from Bordeaux. A gorgeous tipple in various equally gorgeous shades of gold. Indian or Byzantine jewellery gold - warm, rich, exotic gold that makes you want to have some. Most of us might be familiar with Sauternes, the prized sweet wine from the Left Bank of Bordeaux. The Sauternes that is Chateau d'Yquem. But few know that there are 9 other appellations in Bordeaux that make sweet wines as well. This month the French #winophiles are exploring those other sweet Bordeaux appellations. Many of us were fortunate to receive four wine samples thanks to Jeff. Read the preview by Linda to know more and then join us on 21 Nov. 2020 at 8 AM PST on Twitter under #winophiles to hear what everyone is saying and pairing with these versatile wines! Don't forget to check out all the blog entries for pairing ideas, recipes, tasting notes, and photos:

• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla: “Surprise! Pairing Spicy and Savory Dishes with Sweet Bordeaux”
• Terri at Our Good Life: “Spicy Hot Tacos and Sweet Bordeaux”
• Martin at ENOFYLZ: “Pairing Sweet Bordeaux with Southern Fare”
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish: “Golden Bordeaux Meets Savory Pumpkin and Smoked Bacon Tart: a Delicious Thanksgiving Twist!”
• David at Cooking Chat: “Pairings for Sweet Bordeaux Wine”
• Katrina at The Corkscrew Concierge: “Golden Bordeaux Delights in Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole Cuisine”
• Payal at Keep the Peas: “Four Sweet Bordeaux Wines with Four Courses”
• Jane at Always Ravenous: “Golden Sweet Bordeaux Wines: Tasting and Pairings”
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm: “Hot Chocolate and Halva Pudding paired with Lion De Tanesse L’Amour”
• Jeff at foodwineclick: “Sweet Bordeaux Meets the Smoke”
• Jill at L’OCCASION : “Sweet Bordeaux Wines Aren’t Just for Dessert”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest: “Sweet Bordeaux Wines Get Savory Pairings”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen: “Sweet Bordeaux Is A Sweet Delight – Savor These Perfect Food Pairings”
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles: “Sweet Bordeaux Wines and pairings from opposite sides of the globe”
• Pinny at Chinese Food & Wine Pairings: “Sweet Bordeaux Paired with Asian Carbs – Chinese Sticky Rice and Korean Japchae”
• Susannah at avvinare: “Delightful Sweet Wines from Bordeaux”
• Nicole at Somm’s Table: “Château Loupiac Gaudiet with Cinnamon Apple Crème Brûlée”
• Gwendolyn at wine predator: “Successful Pairings of Salty and Savory with Sweet Semi-Dry Bordeaux”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels: “A Look Into the Sweeter Side of Bordeaux Wines”
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass: “Appetizers, entrées and yes, dessert please, with sweet Bordeaux”

SWEET BORDEAUX

The sweet wines of Bordeaux are rare and selective white wines that pair with sweet and savoury foods alike. As the map from the official Sweet Bordeaux website shows, the wines are made in southern Bordeaux on both sides of the Garonne river in diverse terrain, soil, and microclimates that yield diverse wines. Amongst the 10 Appellations d'Origine Controlée (AOC) you are sure to find an estate that makes wine that pairs splendidly with whatever you're putting on the table that day. But there is unity in diversity and these wines have a few things in common:

• Grapes are left on the vine to get infected by noble rot (Bortytis Cinerea fungus)
• Slow gentle harvest by hand often done in several passes to select the ripest grapes
• Slow vinification, gentle maturation in vats or oak barrels
• Unfortified (no additional spirit is added to the wine after it reaches a certain sugar level)
• 1% of total Bordeaux wine volume
• 2% of total Bordeaux wine area
• Approx. 9M bottles across 350 estates
• ~1 grape vine = 1 glass of wine
• 3 main grape varieties: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
• Two categories based on residual sugar (RS) in the wine: molleux (12-45 g/L) and liquoreux (>45 g/L)
• The wines offer tremendous variety in aroma and tasting notes and price points. This makes for a very rich selection available for pairing with a vast number of foods, cuisines, and cooking methods
• Both molleux and liquoreux wines are excellent in cocktails. In this day and age where cocktail making ranges from mixing soda water with whiskey to total alchemy, sweet Bordeaux wines invite creative cocktails.

Botrytis on grapes (https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com)

SWEET BORDEAUX AND FOOD PAIRINGS
I received four bottles of sweet Bordeaux wine and the one way to do justice to a diverse array of wines all from one general area was to pair them with a diverse array of food at dinner. We paired each wine with four courses over dinner: starter, entrée, main, dessert. 

STARTER

For our starter we went with oysters dressed with nothing but a spritz of lemon. Back in the day in Bordeaux no dinner party began without a palate opener of briny Bordelaise oyters and sweet wine. In the US, west coast oysters are abundant but not briny enough to walk with the semi-dry or sweet wines of Bordeaux. I happened to see fresh east coast oysters at the market and I just had to. So I got three different varieties, in decreasing brininess: Cotuit, Wellfleet, and Moondancer. And my kind fishmonger graciously shucked and arranged them on a tray of crushed ice, so it was a snap to get this starter ready to enjoy with two sweet Bordeaux wines - one liquoreux and one molleux.

The molleux was certainly the lighter match of the two and paired splendidly with the Cotuits but the liquoreux was right there to complement the Wellfleets and Moondancers. The lemon rounded everything up quite nicely. The acidity of the wines and lemon was perfect with the seafoam brininess of the oysters. I suspect that both wines would have overpowered west coast oysters but were indeed superb with east coast oysters.

2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30)

90/5/5 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Muscadelle

14% ABV | Sample

Notes: Beautiful gold colour with white flowers, citrus blossoms, apricots, honey, tropical fruits, candied citrus on the nose and palate. A supple silky mouthfeel but light at the same time. A medium+ finish with a slight hint of baking spice on the taper.

2019 Château La Hargue Bordeaux Blanc Molleux (SRP $15)

50/50 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc

11% ABV | Sample

Notes: Brilliant pale  gold colour with lemon curd, vanilla, tropical fruit, on the nose and palate. Overall a not too complex but balanced, light, wine with a faint hint of stony minerality to end the medium finish.

ENTRÉE

As our appetiser or entrée, we had a couple of different street food snacks typical to northern and western India. We've finally found two quick service places that come close to the authentic flavours of their respective cuisines. This time we settled on two snacks typical to New Delhi/Punjab and Mumbai. Two places that are polar opposites in language, food, culture, clothing, weather, and everything else. Street food in India, as in all of Asia and somewhat Central America too, is endless and different as night and day from region to region. Even town to town. So it is really fun to make a meal entirely of street food.

And because the flavours are complex and fresh, coming up with wine and cocktail pairings is just as much fun as is drinking them! We had bread pakoras (Delhi) and vada pãu (Mumbai). Bread pakoras are two slices of bread slathered with mint-cilantro chutney, stuffed with seasoned mashed peas and potatoes, dipped in a chickpea flour batter, deep fried, and served with a couple of different chutneys on the side. Vada pãu is a roll split and seasoned with garlic chutney and stuffed with a fried mashed potato cutlet/fritter/vada. Generally served with fried green chillies on the side - I skipped those because in the US they use Thai chillies which just do not go well with vada pãu - it is not supposed to have heat, just flavours of the spices used in it. Incidentally, this street food dish came about after the Portuguese introduced leavened bread to western India. The bread pakora and vada pãu are both very flavourful and have just enough spices to pair superbly with the Château du Cros. The bright acidity, residual sugar, and floral-citrus notes of the wine balance out the complex flavours of the herbs and spices in the food. 

2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30)

Notes: see above

MAIN

Next we had Kerala egg curry with homemade layered wholewheat flatbread/parantha and plantain chips on the side. Kerala is a coastal state and heaven if you love seafood, meat, and coconut in all forms. It is also one of the few states in India where the literacy rate is very high and beef is freely eaten - much of the rest of India is too busy making beef a political/religious agenda so they're freely arguing about beef and religion. In any case this egg curry is an Indian-Jewish dish adapted from

Spice & Kosher - Exotic Cuisine of the Cochin Jews. Jews came to southern India, particularly Kerala, hundreds of years ago for trade and to escape persecution in Spain and Portugal.

They made Kerala their home and as the Jewish diaspora always does, adapted local cuisine to meet Kosher needs. This egg curry is flavourful and balanced - coconut milk, Asian shallots, garlic, turmeric, and other spices cook into a silky sauce that is perfect for equally benign boiled eggs and the paranthas are light with the slight nuttiness of Indian sharbati wheat. I also added some peas to the curry because we're getting into pea season and I couldn't resist. Indian food has lots of complex spice combinations but it is generally not spicy - extra heat is never the norm, always a matter of preference. The layered flavours of the velvety sauce were perfect with the minerality and bright notes of the Château La Rame. The Château La Hargue was an ok pairing - wouldn't be my first choice for this dish the next time. The velvety texture of the sauce was a bit too contrasted with the light mouthfeel of the La Hargue. 

2016 Château La Rame, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC (SRP $35)
95/5 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc
13% ABV | Sample
Notes: Medium gold colour with an appealing bouquet of faint spice, candied citrus peel, white flowers, and vanilla in the background. Same on the palate along with a racy acidity and minerality. Overall a delightfully balanced and elegant wine with a medium-long finish.

2019 Château La Hargue Bordeaux Blanc Molleux (SRP $15)
Notes: see above

DESSERT

Since it was just past Diwali, the Hindu New Year and festival of lights and levity, we had a great selection of sweets from northern and eastern India at home. So dessert was a nibble of two of those with two utterly delicious Loupiac AOC wines. Both desserts are milk-based: one is a fudgy confection of milk cooked down into solids, mixed with sugar, ground cashews, saffron (and maybe a few other things, not sure) then topped with silver foil. The other is a light ricotta-based dumpling soaked in a light sugar syrup then squeezed to remove the extra syrup. In this case it was also stuffed with a saffron cream.

In my opinion pairing dessert with sweet wines is tricky. Those with an intense sweet-tooth might love the pairing but I've generally found it cloying. So milk-based desserts that are not overly sugary are a great match. The acidity of the wines matches the creaminess of the milk and makes the pairing quite a delight. And of course, most Indian sweets are generally just 2-3 bite servings and redolent with saffron, cashews, almonds, pistachios, rose water, orange water, and other flowers so bright liquoreux wines like these from Loupiac AOC are a lovely combination. A perfect way to end a meal, really.

2015 Château Dauphiné Rondillon "Cuvée d'Or", Loupiac AOC (SRP $42)
80/20 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc
13% ABV | Sample
Notes: Gorgeous rich gold colour with a fragrant nose and palate full of bright citrus juice, marmalade, candied citrus, and orange blossoms with a light woodiness at the end. Medium+ acidity, rich mouthfeel, overall a very balanced wine. Juicy medium bodied wine with a long elegant finish.

2014 Château du Cros, Loupiac AOC (SRP $30)
Notes: see above

KASHMIRI YAKHNI PULAO AND MOLDOVAN WINE

This month we have a bonus - and very exciting - event that Lynn is hosting. Check out her sneak peek here! Our brand new blogging group World Wine Travel is discussing wines from Moldova in collaboration with Wine of Moldova and Vinconnexion. Moldova, the sliver tucked between Romania and Ukraine in SE Europe, that boasts more grape vines per person than anywhere else in the world! Lynn very generously arranged for samples for a few of us and we will discuss our thoughts on those, Moldovan grape varietals, food pairings, and Moldova Wine Day on Twitter this Sunday, 4 October at 8 AM PST under #worldwinetravel. In the meanwhile, read below to find out what everyone's saying...

• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Two Indigenous Moldovan Grapes – Fetească Albă and Fetească Neagră – Paired With Colțunași Harnici (Hard-Working Dumplings)”

• Wendy from A Day In The Life On The Farm is “Celebrating the Food and Wine of Moldova”

• David from CookingChat has “Food Pairings for Moldavan Wines”

• Lori from Exploring the Wine Glass shares “Sitting Down with Master of Wine Caroline Gilby to Discuss Moldovan Wine”

• Terri from Our Good Life shares “Moldova Wine Day Celebration!”

• Linda from My Full Wine Glass is “Celebrating ‘My Wine Day’ and the little country that could”

• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Moldovan Wine – moving forward while not losing track of the authentic grapes of their past” #WorldWineTravel

• Susannah from Avvinare writes “You say Feteasca and I’ll Say Moldova”

• Jennifer at Vino Travels tells us about “Eye Openers to the Wines of Moldova”

• Melanie from Wining With Mel is “Exploring new territory with Moldovan wines”

• Jeff from foodwineclick asks the question “Are Local Grapes the Future of Moldovan Wines?”

• Here at Savor the Harvest I share “Moldovan Native Wine Grape Discoveries” #WorldWineTravel

• Jill from L’Occasion discusses “Wines of Moldova: Worth the Adventure”

• Payal from Keep the Peas pairs “Kashmiri Yakhni Pulao and Moldovan Wine”

• Nicole from Somms Table is “Celebrating Moldova National Wine Day with More Food and Wine Explorations”

• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Celebrate Moldova National Wine Day – Exploring Native Varieties”

• Liz Barrett from What’s In That Bottle shares “Moldova National Wine Day is Here!”

• Pinny from Chinese Food And Wine Pairings tells us about “Celebrating Moldova National Wine Day with Chinese Food”

wineofmoldova.com

MOLDOVAN WINE

The region that is now Moldova, once part of Romania, has been making wine since approximately 3000 BC. The topography includes hills, sunny plateaus and plains, and streams that flow into two big rivers, Prut and Dniester. The climate is continental with influences from the Black Sea. Allthis makes it ideally suited for viticulture and the production of quality red and white wines. Moldova has 112 thousand hectares of vineyard planted with international and native grape varietals spread over 3 main wine regions: Valul lui Traian (south west), Stefan Voda (south east) and Codru (center). Native grape varietals account for 10% of the vineyards and include Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala, Feteasca Neagra, Rara Neagra, Plavai, and Viorica. 

I received 4 samples for this review: Suvorov Vin Viorica and Castel Mimi Feteasca Alba (white wines), and red blends from Chateau Purcari and Radacini.

THE WINES

SUVOROV VIN 2018 VIORICA

13% ABV | Suggested SRP $18

100% Viorica

According to the winery: "Viorica is the name of a Moldavian girl, it comes from the flower of the same name. A wine with great personality and character, made from the local selection of Viorica grapes. Produced according to a special technology from selected Viorica grapes grown in vineyards in the Stefan Voda region (South-East) of Moldova. Delightful, harmonious, soft taste of wine reveals nuances of tea rose, candied fruit, honey and nutmeg. The grapes were grown in vineyards in the Stefan Voda region (South-East) of Moldova."

Tasting Notes: 

The grapes for this pale gold wine are hand-harvested. On the nose it is wonderfully floral with notes of lemon rind and a faint mineral edge. On the palate it has notes of sweet white flowers,  muscat grapes, lemon juice, and a faint stony minerality with a juicy acidity and medium finish. Overall it is not too complex and certainly meant to be enjoyed now.

CASTEL MIMI 2018 FETEASCA ALBA

13% ABV | SRP $15

100% Feteasca Alba

Constantin Mimi, the last governor of Bessarabia and the man behind the vines and wines at Castel Mimi, may even be regarded as the force behind Moldovian wines. In 1893 he planted the first grape vines and started construction for the very large castle named after him. Having survived the tumult of the Soviet Bloc, Castel Mimi is now regarded not only as an excellent winery that produces wines from a variety of red and white grapes but also as a cultural center of excellence in the Republic of Moldova.

Tasting Notes: 

This unoaked wine is medium gold wine with flecks of green. On the nose and palate it is full of juicy citrus and stone fruit notes with a delicious minerality on the finish. The juicy acidity and medium finish make it perfect for wam weather. Overall it is not too complex and certainly meant to be enjoyed now.

 

THE FOOD

We paired the wines with Kashmiri yakhni pulao with mushrooms (home-made) and walnut chutney one day, and a Hyderabadi vegetable biryani (take-out) the next. Both dishes are redolent with complex flavours and warm spices without being spicy and complement the wines beautifully.

The yakhni pulao, cooked in a fragrant broth, was lovely with both wines. In Kashmir the yakhni pulao would be made with local morel mushrooms but it's definitely not morel season in CA so I had to make do with shiitake mushrooms. The walnut chutney is a classic Kashmiri accompaniment to a slew of dishes and was also excellent with both wines, especially the stone fruit of the Castel Mimi white. The Hyderabadi biryani really enhanced the floral and muscat notes in the Viorica and brought forward the lemon notes. A squeeze of lemon is a great flavour enhancer for pretty much any savoury dish from the Indian subcontinent so this was an absolute hit pairing that we would repeat!