What Was Your Most Recent Bottle of Wine?

[french frank]

Picholine olives are perfect with a tiny 'smear' of harissa.

For this homely artisan household that sounds a bit like: "if we had some pork, we could have some pork and beans. If we had some beans."

Ooh! I've just looked up harissa. Would Hungarian Erős Pista do? I have a jar of that. And I can get dressed green olives from the Spanish deli. And maybe a sip of Portuguese Mat .....

[Roger Webb]

For this homely artisan household that sounds a bit like: "if we had some pork, we could have some pork and beans. If we had some beans."

Ooh! I've just looked up harissa. Would Hungarian Erős Pista do? I have a jar of that. And I can get dressed green olives from the Spanish deli. And maybe a sip of Portuguese Mat .....

I'm sure any olives with something to give a little piquancy would do.....that Portuguese Mat.......is fit for wiping ones feet on only.......the Côtes de Provence does come in a funny shaped bottle but not like the squat Portuguese Rosé bottles of yor.

[HighlandDougie]

You mentioned matching food...the Côtes de Provence rosés are the classic wine for a Salade Niçoise...the dryness is the foil for the tuna. If you just drink it, Picholine olives are perfect with a tiny 'smear' of harissa. These are habitually served with an aperitif glass of rosé on the Côte d'Azur.

Hmm, much more likely to be served 'Olives Niçoises', which are black not green. And, in truth, not that my local bar/caff is exactly the bar at the Negresco, some peanuts or pretzels as they are less messy than olives. Anyway, next time I am offered olives with an apéro, I shall ask if they have been caressed with a whisper of harissa. I wish!

[Roger Webb]

Hmm, much more likely to be served 'Olives Niçoises', which are black not green. And, in truth, not that my local bar/caff is exactly the bar at the Negresco, some peanuts or pretzels as they are less messy than olives. Anyway, next time I am offered olives with an apéro, I shall ask if they have been caressed with a whisper of harissa. I wish!

Our local in Haut de Cagnes has Picholine olives in a a pokey sauce, the nearest I've found to it easily available is harissa - they both have the same aroma as of a tagine, which is how, I presume, it drifted across the Med, probably from Tunisia. Oh, and like the Tesco Côtes de Provence rosé, their harissa is the best I've found for 'keeping' in the fridge...it last for months.

[french frank]

I have a very incovenient meeting today from 1pm - 2.30 so am having a late breakfast early lunch of soupe au lait (my ingredients!). As it's a Provençal dish (in its classic form) I thought it would be good to have a Provençal rosé if such Co-op has. Unfortunately it's too late now to go out for it now but there will be enough soup for another day. The Côtes de Provence beckons.

[Roger Webb]

I have a very incovenient meeting today from 1pm - 2.30 so am having a late breakfast early lunch of soupe au lait (my ingredients!). As it's a Provençal dish (in its classic form) I thought it would be good to have a Provençal rosé if such Co-op has. Unfortunately it's too late now to go out for it now but there will be enough soup for another day. The Côtes de Provence beckons.

I've just looked up the Co-op wines, and they are many. Sticking to the Provençal rosés the Miraval 'Studio' (a junior member of the Miraval - Brad Pitt - family of wines) is good. The Vieille Ferme, which is made by the Perrin family, as is the Miraval for Brad! is available everywhere and is reasonably priced. My choice on a budget (good rosés don't come cheap) is the Chât. de Rouet - good estate bottled wine for the money....but not in all branches.
If you were to go to Tesco, my first choice would be their 'Finest' Côtes de Provence rosé.....if trying a 'real' rosé for the first time, this has a typicality others may miss.

Edit Miraval Studio £2 off until May 14th!

Oh, and if you're tempted by Kylie Minogue Rosé brand of sugar water don't be......even at the reduced price it's as ghastly as, I'm sure, you would imagine🤮

[Mandryka]

Re French Rosé, TWS now has this

https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/les-pallieres-au-petit-bonheur-vin-de-france-2022

I'm not sure that I would drink rosé with a meal - unless it was Tavel. There's a Spanish rosé which really is a mixture of red and white wine, I'd love to try it. Pícaro.


Just bought a bottle of this to try - does anyone know it? I know his bog standard L'Ancien very well, love it. Apparently Le Buissy is a prized parcel of land, but I can buy L'Ancien for £14 from Vinatis - so it had better be a lot better!

https://www.davywine.co.uk/product/beaujolais-lancien-le-buissy-domaines-de-terres-dorees/

[cloughie]

For Roses I can recommend a Southern French Laurent Miquel Vendages Nocturnes Cinsault Syrah from Waitrose at £9.99 but from time to time on offer at a couple of ponds less, Also their white Viognier at a similar price. Argentinian Beefsteak Malbec Rose is also excellent.

[kernelbogey]

Just discovered this from Waitrose:

Piccozza Pinot Bianco

Lovely dry aromatic from the Dolomites (a region I know well) - was £12.99, now £9.74. We've been looking out for a Pinot Bianco as opposed to the ubiquitous Pinot rtigio. I think the difference in the varieties may be lost in time but we prefer the taste of the Bianco.

Salute!

[Pulcinella]

Just discovered this from Waitrose:

Piccozza Pinot Bianco

Lovely dry aromatic from the Dolomites (a region I know well) - was £12.99, now £9.74. We've been looking out for a Pinot Bianco as opposed to the ubiquitous Pinot rtigio. I think the difference in the varieties may be lost in time but we prefer the taste of the Bianco.

Salute!

Not that ubiquitous, I would suggest: never heard of it.

[Roger Webb]

After pestering FF about Côtes de Provence I've a Miraval chilling.....down to my last six!

[Keraulophone]

Not that ubiquitous, I would suggest: never heard of it.

Has to be a typo for pinot grigio / pinot gris.

[Pulcinella]

Has to be a typo for pinot grigio / pinot gris.

A very strange bit of autocorrect, I thought.
But my guess was correct, and I think a nice cool glass (nothing as special: Aldi's cheap and cheerful) is called for right now!

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-castellore-pinot-grigio-75cl/4088600507613

[french frank]

I'm not sure that I would drink rosé with a meal - unless it was Tavel.

I don't drink at all except with a meal, including apéritif and digestif. Just back from Tesco, and while I was there I got the Côtes de Provence as advised. I think this will go very nicely with lighter meals during the summer. Would have gone well with the soupe au lait today, but I had one glass left in a bottle of Wolfberger Alsatian Gewürztraminer, which was too sweet. I bought it to go with last week's choucroute garnie. It was too sweet for that too, as I read after I'd bought it (it was the only Alsatian the Co-op had anyway). Riesling would have been the thing.

As it's quite a struggle to walk up to Tesco I thought while I was there I might have a look at alternative rosés and saw an Arbousset Tavel 2021. Deeper coloured, 13.5% and will go with pretty much anything. I may find it a bit too hearty.

[french frank]

After pestering FF about Côtes de Provence I've a Miraval chilling.....down to my last six!

Tesco had a Miraval too. I'm going to have to get a Tesco card if this goes on. Goes against my principles though.