| The scenic southern French region of Provence is | | | | with more riper fruit profile, yeasty or creamy |
| known for its olive oils, seafood soup (local name | | | | flavors and floral scents. The refreshing acidity, |
| "Bouillabaisse"), garlic, and lavenders. | | | | light to medium body, and generously varied |
| Between the olive trees, there is just enough | | | | aromas in the Provençal rosés invite |
| space for the local to happily plant vineyards. Its | | | | dishes like oyster appetizers, or a |
| rosé, white and red wines, although lesser | | | | lettuce-and-warm-goat-cheese-and-bacon salad |
| known in the US are among the most | | | | (for example, La Salade de Chèvre Chaud |
| food-friendly wines of the world. | | | | au Bacon). |
| In this article, I will introduce three Provençal | | | | Most of the red wines from Provence are not |
| wines with examples of food to pair with. These | | | | made to age, except for Bandol reds. The dark, |
| wine-and-food pairing ideas would provide a nice | | | | rich, tannic Bandol red wines enjoy the |
| foundation for your future reference, when it | | | | well-deserved medium-high price. Food |
| comes to similar food and similar wines. | | | | considerations are dishes that have either weight |
| Provençal wine production is 70% | | | | or richer but not intense flavors (from sauces, |
| rosé, and 25% red, with the rest being | | | | spices and herbs). For example, Bouillabaisse |
| white. The more common grapes are | | | | Provençale, or Daube de Boeuf Provencal |
| Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, | | | | Recipe (Provençal beef stew). |
| Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan for | | | | Provençal dry white wines with crisp acidity |
| rosés and reds, and Clairette, | | | | and minerality are great for almost all salads and |
| Sémillon, Ugni Blanc and Rolle (Vermentino | | | | vegetable dishes, or this local snack called |
| in Italy) for whites. | | | | Panisses, which are chickpea-flour fries. |
| We shall start with a rosé and two | | | | As our food journey takes us around the world, |
| rosé-friendly food choices. | | | | let's also explore the wines that give us the sense |
| Rosés from Provence could be peachy, | | | | of the local culture and people. |
| grapefruit-abundant, fresh-fruit driven or could be | | | | |