If the Beaujolais produces France’s quintessential bistro-quaffing reds, Alsace is arguably home to its white-wine counterparts. Regional blends like this blanc from Kuentz-Bas so often deliver unrivaled charm, food-friendliness, and value that they are an obvious choice when deciding which bottle to open for a potluck among friends or a family gathering. The 2023 Alsace blanc achieves the impressive task of balancing roundness and crisp refreshment, and its mouthwatering flavors of lychee, peach, and jasmine offer a perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes, from grilled brats to your favorite bean salad.

On a cold winter night in Orange, France, I once had a porc à la moutarde violette at a small family bistro, the only one I could find that was open. Fascinated by the idea of violet mustard, I couldn’t resist. My meal arrived in two parts: a small bowl of pork stew alongside a plate of pommes purée, accompanied by a smaller bowl of capers. A basket of crunchy fresh bread was already on the table, and I ordered a local red wine. I learned later that “violette” refers not to the flower but to the mustard’s color, which comes from grape must. Here is my version of the stew I had that night. I don’t remember what wine I ordered, but this Côtes du Rhône Villages perfectly recreates the memory of the dish and the taste of the wine.

Braised Pork Shoulder with Mustard and Capers
by Georgeanne Brennan, James Beard award–winning cookbook author

2½ pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 2–2½-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ large yellow onion, chopped, about ½ cup
1 leek, white and pale greens, chopped, about ¾ cup
½ bottle dry red wine
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon Moutarde Violette or Dijon Fines Herbes mustard
1 / 3 cup capers, drained

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Sprinkle the cubed pork with about half the salt. Heat the butter and olive oil together in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming, add about one-third of the seasoned pork, but don’t overcrowd. Sauté the pieces until golden brown, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Repeat until all the pork has been browned. To the same pot, add the chopped onions and leeks, along with a sprinkle of the remaining salt, and stir, continuing until the edges of the vegetables are beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add about ½ cup of the wine to the pot, and cook, scraping any sticking bits. Return the pork and any collected juices to the pot, and add the remaining wine and bay leaves, along with half the minced rosemary and a little of the pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven and cook until the pork can easily be cut with a fork, about 2 to 2½ hours. Halfway through the cooking, check the amount of liquid, adding a little water or beef broth if needed to keep the meat nearly immersed. When done, the sauce will have darkened and thickened. Just before serving, add the remaining salt and pepper, the remaining rosemary, and the mustard. Stir and taste for seasoning, adjusting as desired. Serve accompanied by the capers, mashed potatoes, and a baguette or country loaf.