Lazy French Choice

Charming Charmer

Having made something spicy involving chilli and beef we wondered what to drink with it.

We made the usual lazy French-style choice of having a rosé, which is the default choice of this nation when something vaguely spicy or resembling a pizza is to be eaten.

After rummaging around in my old wine boxes I dug up this bottle of Enjôleur (= Charmer) 2009 from Domaine Robert Sérol, (property recently mentioned by Jancis Robinson in her FT column 27/10/2012)

And very nice it was too. A wine made from Gamay grapes (or Gamay de Saint Romain to be exact -  the Sérols would not forgive me if I didn't mention this), slightly off-dry with 11% alcohol.

Of course when I say off-dry, I do not mean like those blush Zinfandels or other sickly-sweet rosés that are not too palatable. This was just sweet enough to balance the acidity, and complement the raspberry/strawberry aromas.

It did go down very well with this hot and spicy beef.

A few words about this producer. This estate is in Renaison in the heart of the Côte Roannaise appellation.

This is a small wine producing area (around 200 hectares) situated to the west of Roanne in central France, overlooking the valley of the Loire. The vines are planted on generally east facing hillsides between 370 and 550 metres high.

If the Beaujolais (100kms to the east)  is the most renowned home of the Gamay grape variety, then the Côte Roannaise and its neighbour the Côtes du Forez are its second home, producing wines that stand out for their immense drinkability (when you choose the right ones).

Domaine Sérol is well known for its beautifully made wines reflecting terroir in the most faithful and expressive way. Their cuvée Troisgros is served in the eponymous restaurant in Roanne.

Among the other stars of their wine range is L’Incorruptible 2009 made using indigenous yeasts and without added sulphites (delicious !) and the De butte en blanc 2009 Viognier which is a revelation and great value for such a handcrafted wine. It is also one to watch as it was made from young vines and in a few years may be a match for the Condrieu wines made not so far away on similar soils.

Turnips and early flowering

The first Turnips of the season

You don't see many turnips in the shops these days. As with many once common foods they are more likely to feature on the menus of Michelin starred restaurants as purées, than on the plates of the ordinary citizen. It is said that before the introduction of potatoes turnips were once a very important food, providing good carbohydrates fairly early in the season. I shall try them in a gratin this weekend with a shoulder of lamb (our weekly meat-fix) - and will report on the result. These particular turnips found themselves cooked in a couscous, and very good they were too. The wine was a rosé from the Côte Roannaise - L'Enjoleur 2009 from Domaine Robert Sérol.

The turnip may not be inspiring or fashionable but it is a versatile root (a friend suggested roasting them with a honey glaze) and worthy of our attention, just like many other neglected vegetables and wild foods. It is wise to be familiar with them.

A quick aside to comment on the early flowering of vines this year - before Wimbledon, no less ! A long growing and ripening season in prospect for English and Welsh growers. As usual there has been a lot of comment in the press about exceptionally good harvests and brilliant English wines this year. But as the saying goes, there is many a slip twixt cup and lip.