To kick off the New Year, Jason and Jill asked us to revisit Occitanie (formerly Languedoc) specifically the AOP's of Minervois and Corbieres. You can learn more at their preview post.
They chose this month because January 9th is National Cassoulet Day. To help us out, the folks at L'Aventure Languedoc sent each blogger a bottle of each AOP to sample. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post and all opinions are my own. Well, I'll be stating my husband's opinion as well.
Another group of which I am a member, The Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project, was also celebrating Cassoulet this month. I decided to make a Cassoulet using my Instant Pot and paired it with these wines for dinner one evening. You can find my recipe here.
While I put the finishing touches on dinner, Frank opened and poured both wines. He tasted each and jotted down his thoughts:
Gerard Bertrand Minervois 2013:
- Good legs
- Lighter color
- Black Pepper on the nose
Domains St. Eugenie Corbieres 2016:
- Good legs
- Deeper finish
- Purple in color
I took a sip of each and added that I found hints of raisin in the Minervois and found the Corbieres to be fruity and dry.
We sat down for dinner and we were surprised how differently we felt the pairings were with the Cassoulet. Frank absolutely loved the Corbieres with his dinner. I told him I thought the Minervois was much smoother with the Cassoulet than the Corbieres.
His response? Good.
Then he took the bottle of Corbieres and set it in front of him, leaving me to enjoy the bottle of Minervois with my meal.
Here are what the others are sharing this month.
- Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm: A Classic Pairing; Revisiting Languedoc
- Lauren from The Swirling Dervish: Warming Up with the Wines of Corbieres and Minervois
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Conquering Cassoulet Alongside the 2014 Minervois le Chateau d’Albas
- Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog: What Grows Together, Goes Together – Slow Cooker Cassoulet Paired With Affordable Occitanie Wines #Winophiles
- Michelle from Rockin Red Blog: Spending January in Languedoc Drinking Wine and Eating Cassoulet
- Jeff from FoodWineClick: Let’s Make Occitanie and Cassoulet Household Words
- Nicole from Somm’s Table: Kicking Off 2018 with Corbieres and Minervois
- Jane from Always Ravenous: Hearty Red Wines of Corbières and Minervois Paired with Cassoulet
- Lynn from Savor the Harvest: Corbières and Minervois – Where Syrah and Carignan Shine
- David from Cooking Chat: Chicken Cassoulet Paired with Languedoc Wine
- Rupal from Journeys of a Syrah Queen: Staying Warm the French Way – Cassoulet and Wine
- Liz from What’s in that Bottle: Let’s Learn About Wines from Languedoc #Winophiles
- Amber from Napa Food and Vine: A Tale of Two Wines
- Jason and Jill from L’Occasion: Eat, Drink, Travel the South of France: Minervois and Corbières
- Susannah from Avvinare: Mas Du Bosquet-An Unexpected Find From Minervois
- Gwen from Wine Predator: Cassoulet Domesticates the Wild Wines of Minervois andCorbieres
I love it, his and her bottles of wine. Sometimes things just work out! You are the cassoulet queen, having made so many cassoulets lately.
ReplyDeleteWell, mine have both been knockoffs. The title of Cassoulet Queen goes to those who spent days creating the "real" thing.
DeleteChecking out that cassoulet recipe. I'm trying to find some good slow-cooker recipes for some upcoming busy weeks. Thanks, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteI think you will be pleased with it Debra.
DeleteWow, I never would have guessed cassoulet would work so well in a slow cooker -- I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Rob. I was more surprised by how well it turned out in the Instant Pot.
DeleteI will have to try the slow-cooker method of making cassoulet - seems a lot simpler than the whole kitchen method! And how wonderful that you and Frank each fell for a different wine. Everybody's happy!
ReplyDeleteYes, on both counts Lauren.
DeleteI need to get up to speed on this Occitanie thing! Looks like some tasty cassoulet.
ReplyDeleteI'm lost too David. Something to do with the Government in France.
DeleteWhat fun! I love how many cassoulets we all made. Thanks for sharing yours, Wendy.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun event and the food and wine were excellent.
DeleteSounds like you and Frank had a great dinner. I appreciate you enjoyed the wines differently. That's what makes wine drinking fun. I am growing in curiosity about the InstaPot. Thanks Wendy.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving it thus far Michelle. We were supposed to meet friends for dinner out tonight but they canceled so now I have a frozen pork loin in there. Keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out.
DeleteWhat luck you each liked a different wine with your cassoulet, I'd hate to battle Frank for the bottle!
ReplyDeleteI am always interested in slow cooker ideas, especially with lots of flavor and texture. You paired some great wines too, well done Wendy. Did you get a thaw in Michigan yet?
ReplyDeleteYes, Jill....it is in the 40's this week. Snow is all melted and my back yard is a mud pit filled with poop. We have 4 dogs so you can imagine......
DeleteHa! My wife and I had the same issue. She preferred one of the bottles, while I preferred the other! Was making the cassoulet in the instapot easier(or faster) than it might have been otherwise?
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely faster Martin. It was no easier than when I used a crockpot but I haven't made a "true" cassoulet yet.
DeleteAh, the slow cooker, what a great invention, nice how it simplifies things. And with cassoulet, be interesting to see if in the end, there really is a taste difference. Yours looks delicious Wendy! Tell Frank Mark and I experienced the same with the wine ;-)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how different each palate can be?
DeleteIt's so funny how this can turn out -- each with a different clear favorite. Works out though since you each got more of the one you loved!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly did Nicole and it just goes to show that there is no right or wrong when it comes to wine. It all depends on the palate.
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