This month I am hosting the #WinePW group for our first quarter's posting. You can read my invitation. But basically it was a pretty flexible topic: any variety of grape - made into a Rosé - from any wine region in the world, with any food as a match. Plus the posting is the week before Valentines' Day, so it could include some ideas for romantic menus for two.
Here is what the #WinePWÂ writers are sharing on the subject of pink wines or Valentines' pairings...
A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque Monsieur and Part 2: 6 CA Wines + Monte Cristo Sandwiches by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? by My Full Wine Glass
Kimchi Spaghetti with Black Girl Magic Rosé by Cooking Chat
Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rose; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Oltrepo' Cruasé Wines Paired With Sette Cene Extravaganza by Avvinare
Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites by Culinary Cam (you're here)
Please Be Vine, Rosé Bubbles! byThe Quirky Cork
Rose-shaped pasta and Rosé! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
Salmon en Papillote with Coopers Hawk Katie Lee Biegel Rosé by Our Good Life
Shrimp Scampi Pizza Paired with Masciarelli Montepulciano Rosé by Vino Travels
Also, I will be hosting a Threads chat on Saturday morning at 8am Pacific time. If you are reading this early enough and want to join in...follow the hashtag #WinePW. But please exercise patience and kindness as we all learn how to navigate the new platform.
Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites
'Pét-Nat', short for Pétillant-Naturel, is an ancient method of making sparkling wine. In contrast with the méthode champenoise in which a finished wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle with additional yeasts and sugars, Pét-Nats are bottled before the primary fermentation is finished. This produces a much more rustic sparkling wine that is often cloudy and bottled with a crown cap - like a beer - instead of a cork.
And for this event, I tracked down three Pink Pét-Nats from all around the globe for a fun exploration. My first pairing is from a winery close to home...
From California: Field Recordings Pét-Nat Rosé 2022
From Paso Robles, Field Recordings is winemaker Andrew Jones' catalog of the people and places wants to record. Having spent time as a vine nursery fieldman, he has collaborated with farmers all over the state. Through those connections and friendships, he has been able to source vines and grapes with stories he wants to tell. Field Recordings is an Oregon Tilth-certified organic winery.
This bottle is a blend of 86% Cabernet Franc and 14% Chardonnay.
The unfiltered wine pours a cloudy pale shade of cantaloupe. On the nose there were aromas of red fruits, tarragon, and freshly baked sourdough. On the palate the aromas were mirrored with sweet-tart layers of fruity gummy bears and hint of tea-like tannins. To bring out the fruitiness of the wine, I poured it with a cherry-topped starter and crackers that had both dried fruits and nuts.
A Chevre Dip with a Cherry on Top
This recipe was shared in my event preview.
From central California, we moved to a sparkling wine from the Iberian peninsula.
From Portugal: Aphros Phaunus Pét-Nat Rosé 2021
The second bottle I'm sharing is the 2021 Aphros Phaunus Pét-Nat Rosé, a sparkling pink from Portugal. Founded in over two decades ago, the Aphros project aims for true sustainability by combining ecological and economical aspects founded on the belief that nature and labor should combine in a significant way.
A blend of 50% Vinhão and 50% Alvarelhão (known as Brancellao across the border in Galicia, Spain), all of the grapes are grown biodynamically and macerated briefly with their skins to give the wine its blush hue. Fermented with native yeasts only, the wine spends five months sur lie before being bottled without filtration or stabilization.
The wine poured a pale, translucent pink color with significant froth. On the nose there were aromas of yeasty, fruity notes. On the palate the wine was tart and savory with a glorious salinity on the finish. I decided to pair this with a fun side dish. If you don't have access to nasturtium leaves, you can use grape leaves.
Oil-Cured Fromage Blanc-Stuffed Nasturtium Leaves
Find the recipe here.
The final pink Pét-Nat I am sharing is from the Haloze appellation.
From Slovenia: Vina Kobal Bajta Pét-Nat Rosé 2022
Since the Roman times, the Haloze appellation, surrounding Å tajerska, Slovenia, has been one of the most prolific wine-growing areas in Central Europe. Owner and winemaker, Bojan Kobal, sources his grapes from three-decade old vines grown on the steep slopes of Haloze. And he ferments with only wild yeasts.
This Pét-Nat is a single varietal, made from 100% Blaufränkisch grapes that were hand-picked and allowed to macerate for about four hours.
In the glass, this pink Pét-Nat was solidly Ramato-colored with an almost white gold rim. As part of my pink wine explorations this month, I wrote about Ramato as An Unexpected Rosé Alternative.
The bubbles in this wine were lively and persistent. On the nose, aromas of red fruit abounded. On the palate, flavors were much more complex with a creamy toothiness that reminded me of freshly baked sourdough with a slightly bitter finish. I poured this bottle with a delicious main dish worthy of your Valentine table.
A Savory Pannekoeken
Find the recipe here.
I have been in love with Pannekoeken since I was a kid. I will tell that story next weekend, but I only recently began making them savory.
Well that's a wrap for my pink wine offering for this month's #WinePW event. The combined wine writers will be back in March with a look at indigenous Italian grapes. You can read my invitation here.