What I’m Drinking: Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare

About a month and a half ago, I had the good fortune of being invited to attend an afternoon wine tasting with Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard. He was delightful, and it was fascinating to meet him and to hear his (often unique) ideas about grape growing, winemaking, and everything in between. We tasted many, many delicious wines, but, surprisingly (or maybe not), the 2011 Vin Gris de Cigare was the wine that resonated with me most. Randall Grahm spoke of it as a rosé that was made to be a rosé (as opposed to a rosé that is a byproduct of making red wine). Minimal skin contact is permitted, resulting in a paler color, retained acidity, and more elegance. While the strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors still popped, a slight minerality and lightness was notable. It instantly transported me 11 months back in time to a balcony in Aix-en-Provence, where Kevin and I quaffed a similar rosé while we enjoyed an impromptu picnic of charcuterie, cheese, strawberries, olives, and baguette, all procured from the market that morning.

Cheese at the market in Aix-en-Provence

And so began my summer 2012 obsession with Provence-style rosés. I currently have no less than five different varieties in my possession, as has been a running trend for the past month. The best I could do when it comes to purchasing the Vin Gris de Cigare locally right now was the 2010 vintage, which is juicy and lush, with ample acidity and that same mineral vein. It is a gorgeous pale salmon hue with both flavors and aromas of strawberry and raspberry, cherry, peach and apricot, zingy lemon, and just a touch of spice. At 12.8% alcohol, this blend of 71% grenache, 16% roussanne, 11% grenache blanc, and 2% mourvedre has body, but without being overly weighty. And at under $20 a bottle, it is a delicious wine that is also easy on the pocketbook, which is typical of Provence rosés as well. With the 100 degree temps that have been all-to-common in Chicago recently, these wines are the perfect thing.

Other wines that remind me of a sunny balcony in Provence:
2011 Commanderie de la Bargemone (Coteaux d’Aix en Provence)
2011 La Courtade L’Alycastre (Cotes de Provence)
2011 Chateau Margui Perle de Margui (Coteaux Varois en Provence)

Roasted Potatoes with Lavender

Some of the most picturesque moments of our train ride from Aix-en-Provence to Paris this past summer involved whooshing by brilliant swaths of the purple and yellow lavender and sunflower fields that checkered the French countryside.  So, when I happened across a small bag of dried lavender at a local spice shop not long after we returned, I couldn’t resist purchasing it, in a moment of slight wistfulness.  Admittedly, I had no idea what I was going to do with it in the kitchen. Thankfully, serendipity intervened, however, in the form of an article in Saveur about edible lavender, complete with this recipe for Roasted Potatoes with Lavender.  

While I originally discovered this recipe in the summer, I have been holding onto it especially for this time of year, since this is about the time that heavy root vegetable preparations start to feel ubiquitous, and a dried flower is an easy pantry item that will keep.  Simple as this side dish is, the addition of the lavender flowers to the buttery, roasted potatoes creates a light and unexpected flavor that is a welcome departure from the familiar, and a reminder that winter is finite.

You can find the recipe for Roasted Potatoes with Lavender here.  High quality dried lavender flowers can be ordered easily from The Spice House at this link.