Illicit Behavior by Sud de France

"Angel by day, devil by night!" screamed the tabloid headlines.   Apparently, Sud de France has fallen into its old ways with its reds.  Boring, insipid wines that lack intrigue, or even basic balance, have started to show up at the tastings.  There seems to be a blasé attitude towards creating anything worthwhile, even though the potential is there.  

The third tasting event for Sud de France yielded uneven results. While the region has been known to experiment with grapes and blends, showcasing its cowboy spirit, a couple of the bottles seemed to show disregard for fundamentals of quality winemaking:

Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet 2011 (approx. $15)

Like the Picpoul at the last event, this one showcased the same floral notes and apricot on the nose.  On the palate, ripe peach joined the apricot in the orchard, along with some lemon peel and slate-y minerality.  The salty essence that was so striking in the other Picpoul was very muted here, but it was still zingy and acidic.

Barons de Rothschild Lafite Val de L'ours, Chardonnay, 2011 (approx. $11)

Hooray! Another decent Chardonnay option.  Not quite as complex as Burgundy, this wine nonetheless gave Chard a little more street cred. Lemon and lime were immediately present on the nose and the palate, along with very ripe golden delicious apple.  There was a decent amount of stone and minerals on this wine to bring it back from the fruit side but had a round-ish mouthfeel, despite the fairly high acid.  

La Roche de la Chevaliere Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 (approx. $12)

And then, SdF fell off the wagon.  Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry coupled with green bell pepper and wet soil on the nose, but the palate was thin and flat and the fruit was marred by a stemmy, underripe green note.  It was all out of whack and felt almost like an identity crisis - what cab sauv tastes like this?

C'est La View Pinot Noir Syrah 2011 (approx. $11)

In theory, I understood how this should have worked.  Pinot's plum and prune fruits could have given a plush, rounded feel to the peppery edge of the Syrah and as both wines are rooted with soil characteristics, it could have led to a rich, luscious wine.  However, what it gave was  a medium minus body that didn't deliver on the potential complexity.  It was thin, tight and high-pitched.  

Keep tasting, friends....

Sud de France - Road to Recovery

So far, Sud de France is working hard to redeem its reputation. Gone are the long nights of partying and illicit behavior. The paparazzi is now anxious to find better material than SdF picking up organic kale at the farmers market or drinking green smoothies after yoga.

The second tasting event yielded even more solid options for the impending summer heat. There are definitely quality wines to be had from the reforming region. So, what to drink?





Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet 2011 (approx $12)


This white, made from a grape called picpoul that is native to the south of France, is what I would call a "hammock wine" - one of those light and crisp easy drinkers that you can sip on all day long while lazily lounging around. On the nose, there are notes of honeysuckle and lime but on the palate, the floral tones are replaced by apricot and other subtle orchard fruits. Most interestingly, there is a saline, salty finish, with a few notes of slate, that round out this light-bodied, acidic and zesty wine. I'm starting to have a crush on Picpoul.





LaFage, Cote Est Catalan, 2011 (approx $15)


This white, a blend of grenache blanc, chardonnay and marsanne, had amplified honeysuckle and floral on the nose with a few whiffs of citrus. On the palate, peach, apricot, and other orchard fruit blossomed on the tongue. It was much more fruit forward than the Picoul but still finished dy. It was a medium minus body with good acidity, but, I have to admit, it got a little viscous when it got warm. Still a pleasing summer sipper, but darn, shoulda grabbed that ice bucket when I had a moment.





Les demoiselles L'Argentier, Languedoc, 2009 (approx $17)

So, here's where I see how the Languedoc-Roussilion wines starting getting a bad rap. It starts small - sneaking in after curfew, smoking cigarettes behind the bleachers - but you can see how it turns into a bigger problem. This red was super light bodied with essences of Iicorice, pepper and black cherry and both the nose and the palate. It's not that it's bad, per se, it's just not living up to its potential. Maybe it's just misunderstood, like the goth kid who writes beautiful poetry in his spare time. I would actually like to try this red chilled, or served with fish. Taking it out context of what we often think about reds could really improve this wine.





M. Chapoutier, Bila-Haut, Cote du Roussilion Villages 2012 (approx $17)

And then, redemption. Michel Chapoutier never fails to disappoint. Plum and ripe berries notes regale the nose then make their debut on the tongue, only to be followed with earth and spice. Its plush, velvety texture is not too acidic or tannic. A classic syrah, grenache and carignan blend - soooo smooooooth.





Abbaye des Monges Augustine, La Clape, uknown vintage (approx $14)

A classic southern France blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, grenache and mouvdre, this wine was similar in flavor profile and structure to the M. Chapoutier. However, an arrow of bing cherry shot through the entire wine, giving it distinction from the Chapoutier. The differences were rather nuanced but I slightly prefer the M. Chouptier.


Keep tasting, friends...

Knife + Cork: Linguine with Cockles and Picpoul de Pinet

They eat, they drink, they work out. Meet Knife + Cork, a chef and wine guru brought together by their love of the Reformer. What started as a miniseries for their Pilates studio turned into this healthy recipe and wine collaboration.  Every week we're featuring a brand new dish with an incredible (and affordable) wine pairing.  We'll keep you full and slightly buzzed all summer long! 

@deansheremet @shanaspeakswine 

The Dish

Do you want dinner on the table in 20 minutes, prep included?
I thought so.
This is one of the oldest of old school Italian meals. This simple shellfish pasta is a no fuss dish that is made mostly from ingredients that you probably already have lying around the house.
My summer meals are all about fresh and fast, so don’t waste precious sunshine time slaving behind the stove!
+PRO TIP
Soak shellfish in cold, salted water that tastes of the ocean for about 10 minutes as you clean them. This will help the shellfish naturally release any grit or sand they may be holding on to. Don’t like cockles? Mussels or whichever shellfish you prefer will work great here as well!

• 1 lb Linguine
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
• 3 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 Shallot, diced fine
• 2 lb Cockles or (Littleneck Clams) scrubbed and cleaned
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1/2 bunch Italian Parsley, roughly chopped
• ½ Lemon

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add garlic, anchovy and shallot and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add wine, clams and red pepper flakes and cook covered, just until clams open, 4-5 minutes.
3. Cook pasta according to the package instructions, drain and set aside reserving ½ cup of the cooking water
4. Carefully remove the clams and reserve them in a bowl.
5. Whisk the butter into the pan along with half of the parsley, season with salt and pepper
6. Add the butter sauce, linguine and remaining parsley to a large pan and toss to combine over high heat, adding the pasta water until you have a nice emulsified pan sauce
7. Add the clams, tossing a few more times and serve at once with a good squeeze of lemon on top

The Wine

Step away from the Chardonnay! (Or, as Dean puts it, “F*** Chardonnay.” ). Summer is a great time to explore some fun and funky whites that may not feel weighty enough in the winter but on a balmy summer night they are perfection.

Picpoul, a white grape native to the south of France, is one at the top of my summer “to-drink” list. Given the climate of its mother region, you can bet this wine is made for long, lazy days spent lounging in a hammock. On the nose, there are notes of honeysuckle and lime but on the palate, the floral tones are replaced by apricot and other subtle orchard fruits. Most interestingly, there is a saline, salty finish, with a few notes of slate, that round out this light-bodied, acidic and zesty wine.

Picpoul pairs extremely well with the briny flavors of the cockles and anchovies in this dish but its light body won’t overwhelm the delicate seafood. And check it out: you need to cook with some dry white wine – well, better pick up two bottles.

This wine is very reasonable, usually around a $12 price point. One I highly recommend in the HB Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet 2011.

Introducing... Knife + Cork

They eat, they drink, they work out. Meet Knife + Cork, a chef and wine guru brought together by their love of the Reformer. What started as a miniseries for their Pilates studio turned into this healthy recipe and wine collaboration. Take a bite, have a drink.. No sweating required.  First post coming shortly!

@deansheremet @shanaspeakswine deansheremet.tumblr.com 

Can Sud de France Overcome Its Bad-Boy Rep?

PR and marketing can do wonders for a person or brand's ailing reputation.  Think about Angelina Jolie going from goth maven to humanitarian; J.Crew from boring preppy basics to arbiters of fashion; Lindsay Lohan from wild child teen star to......(well, ok, maybe not her).

The annual Sud de France promotion kicked off Memorial Day weekend, starting a month filled with pouring events around the city. It focuses on the Languedoc-Roussillon region and improving the reputation of their wines.  Historically, the area produced a lot of bulk wine of mediocre quality and although there has been improvements in recent years in vinification techniques, the infamy continues. 

These wines are worth taking a look at, though, especially in these summer months. The wines are produced to complement the warm and sunny climate and are ideal for the June - August stretch. While not all are rock stars, there are enough options to find something that can overcome the tabloid-cover reputation.

Chateau de Manissy Cuvee des Lys, Tavel, 2012 (Approx $18)

It's southern France, and you'd best be believin' they be making rose.  (I'm trying to sound tough in the face of all the rose blogs i post.  It's a lot of pink to have going on).  I totally dug this particular one.  Wild strawberry fields and ripe juicy berries were balanced by some nice minerality and acidity, which kept it from becoming a juice box.  It finished dry and it's medium-bodied style would stand up well on its own to food.  Yeah, this rose's not afraid of some dinner.  This pink's no wimp.

Domaine des Deux Puits, Cotes Catalanes, Muscat Sec, 2012 (Approx $13)

Muscat is often vinified in a sweeter style, so this dry Muscat was something fun to try.  The nose was rather floral, redolant of white flowers and honeysuckle along with essences of melon and a wee bit of citrus. On the palate, there was a lot of ripe orchard fruits, such as peach and apricot but high acidity.  It's a sitting-on-the-porch-in-the summer-sipping-some-wine kind of situation with this bottle.  Perhaps pair it with a hammock?

Chateaux Coupe Roses, La Bastide, Minvervois, 2010 (Approx $17)

Eh.  Just not in love with this one.  Made with carignan from old vines, It was really earthy and barnyard-y, lots of musky, dirty stuff going on.  There were some blackberry and black, brambly fruits on this and it could have fallen into the "fun n' funky" category of wines but it just didn't sing to me.  It was light-bodied and good for the summer but I don't ever see myself reaching for this one. The label is pretty fun, though.  On second glance the flower isn't as delicate as first impressions may give;  it looks like a tattoo on a biker chick, or maybe some big dude named Bubba. 

Keep tasting, friends...

All Rose, All The Time

Here's what I've been up to ever since Memorial Day:

I've hit rose-season full-throttle, exclusively drinking the pink stuff.  I'm not interested in the lighter Provence-style roses (yet); right now I'm favoring the more full-bodied, juicy and ripe pours. 

A particular rose of note is Domaine du Gour de Chaule Gigondas Rose 2012  (approx. $30 retail).  I had this recently at Barbuto and am OBSESSED.  Gigondas is located in the Rhone region in France and is considered the kid sister to Chateauneuf du Pape.  It produces wine very similar to CdF  but since Gigondas doesn't have the marketing machine behind it, you can often find great values without the markups.

The medium-bodied wine had vibrant notes of strawberry and tart cherry but were balanced by the prominent zing of white pepper.  It was crisp yet savory, fruit-forward but not cloying and exactly what I wanted to be drinking that warm spring night.

Keep tasting, friends....