Gail Skoff
THE DELICATE SIDE OF WINTER
by Dustin Soiseth
We often associate winter as a season for rich hearty food and wine, and rightly so. But if you’re feeling a bit contrarian, the season also has more than its share of delicate flavors that shine with a dry rosé.
Winter is when Pacific oysters are at their best, I feel. They’re always so fancily presented at restaurants, but at home I just shuck them over the sink and eat as I go. You’re going to want a rosé with plenty of crisp acidity and minerality to spar with the oyster’s creamy flesh and briny liquor. The rosé from Domaine de la Tour du Bon is always the lightest and most aromatic of our Bandol rosés—like a fresh breeze off the coast—and is my favorite with Marin Miyagis or lovely little Hama Hamas from Washington. It’s also peak Dungeness Crab season all along the Pacific Coast. I bought an inexpensive crab net a few weeks ago and it’s loads of fun, especially for my kids. You just bait it, toss it in, wait a few minutes, then pull it up and see what’s there. I find that the gentle sweetness of crab melds beautifully with the slight creaminess of the rosé from Les Pallières, “au petit bonheur”—it’s like drinking a Grenache-tinged cloud.
Of course, winter’s delights aren’t just from the sea. This time of year my pantry fills up with winter greens and squash from the Riverdog Farms CSA. I sauteé the greens—red mustard, chard, rapini, spinach—in olive oil with lots of garlic, and add a splash of homemade red wine vinegar and pinch of dried red pepper at the end. There’s a bit of heat and pleasing bitter bite that’s perfect with Yves Leccia’s structured rosé from Corsica, which has a bite of its own.
Squash pairs well with rosé for the same reason crab does—the little bit of sweetness. I’ve experimented with cooking acorn and butternut squash in the fireplace this year and it’s worked really well. The outside is charred all to hell, but the insides are soft and well-done, with just a whiff of smokiness. And while you can certainly do red, I like to mix it up and pair it with Tavel rosé from Château de Trinquevedel, which is a bit weightier and has more sunny red fruit than the Pallières, Leccia, or Tour du Bon. It stands up to the fuller flavors without overpowering them, bringing a bit of equilibrium to a season that is often overpowering enough as it is.
Wines In The Collection
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
This Gigondas rosé is a real pleasure to be around. It’s seasonally versatile and could quite possibly be the most food friendly rosé we carry!
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
A refreshing rosé refreshing whose distinct grape varieties yield a familiar wine with just enough Corsican terroir to set it apart.
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
Suitable for dishes from briny black tapenade all the way through meatier courses like garlicky spring lamb.
France | Southern Rhône
This Gigondas rosé is a real pleasure to be around. It’s seasonally versatile and could quite possibly be the most food friendly rosé we carry!
France | Corsica
A refreshing rosé refreshing whose distinct grape varieties yield a familiar wine with just enough Corsican terroir to set it apart.
France | Southern Rhône
Suitable for dishes from briny black tapenade all the way through meatier courses like garlicky spring lamb.
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