The so-called "dog days of summer" ended on August 11, marking the astronomical turning point of the summer season and our tilt towards fall. The last best BBQ weather is upon us, and even if you can BBQ year round as we can in California, somehow food from the grill always tastes better in summer. I don't know how much they BBQ in France's Languedoc, but I found a perfect wine from that region to go with your grilled foods.The 2003 Chateau de Caraguilhes is a fun, old-fashioned grenache-based blend with a little bit of syrah, carignan, and mourvedre in the mix. ($10.99, Mission Wine) It's a bit rustic and rough around the edges, with all kinds of warm herbal and brushy notes up front in the aromas. These mouth-watering summer smells are followed by ripe, blackberry fruit and a lingering aftertaste of dusty and grilled herbs. The ripe fruitiness underneath comes through at the very end, keeping the wine balanced and making it utterly perfect for BBQ. This robust wine is unfiltered, so expect it to throw a little sediment, or expect to decant it if this bothers you. I thought this wine represented excellent QPR at just a hair over $10, as it was richer and more complex than many reds at this price-point. And it's organic, to boot.
As for foods to pair with it, it would be as good with simple grilled chicken as it would be with BBQ ribs slathered with a spicy tomato sauce, burgers, hot dogs--you name it.
Chateau de Caraguilhes is a historic wine chateau located in the Corbieres district of the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in southern France. The tradition of grape-growing and wine-making extends back to Cistercian monks in the 12th century. The chateau was a pioneer of organic agriculture, and the vines have been farmed without chemicals or pesticides since 1958, a tradition that continues today in this certified organic winery.
I tried a white from the Languedoc for WBW #33, and did not like it as much as I had expected to given the reds I've tasted and enjoyed. But this wine didn't disappoint, and confirmed my sense that if you like robust reds, you should keep your eyes out for wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon.
6 comments:
Like you, we can, and do, grill out all year in Key West. And we keep plenty of charcoal and gas stored because if one of those "storms" come upon us, grilling is our only means of cooking! Also, the wine supply is kept in tip-top shape, as you do not want to run low during one of those "storms". But with summer's end not too far off in the distance :( it is time for some of the reds to come back into play. This one sounds delicious!
I'm jealous! We pay twice the price up here in Canada for the 2001 of that wine. Another very similar bottle to look out for (that I recall enjoying very much) is the Lionel Faivre Cuvée Prestige (Organic) Corbières. The wine label you posted reminded me of it and now I'm seeing that it's directly connected to the Faivre -- same producer. It's only $17 in Quebec so it might be even a stronger value down there.
Got to love these rustic organic Midi blends with their cute labels!
By the way, your BBQ talk is making me want to go back over WBW33 -- something I've pretty much left behind over the summer in favour of light whites (and light wineblogging)...
It's funny, Deb and Marcus, that we're all craving the reds these days. Maybe there's something to the dogs days after all! Thanks for the tip on the Lionel Faivre, Marcus. I will keep my eye out for that, and look for some more L-R reviews in the upcoming weeks, since it turns out I've got a few stacked up.
I tried to find this wine on the site for Mission Wines in South Pasadena and couldn't find it. Is that the right place?
Anonymous, I did buy it at Mission Wines, but it was in May. Not all of their wine is in the online store, so if you are around South Pasadena you may want to give them a call and see if they have some on the shelf. I haven't been able to find the wine anywhere else, or I'd send you to it.
Anonymous, I went to Mission Wines yesterday (September 19) and they did have this wine in stock.
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