Visiting the Wines of Southwest France outside of Bordeaux #Winophiles

The French Winophiles are heading to Southwest France today and I have three wines to share with you that are perfect for the warm summer months that we are all looking forward to.

When Linda of My Full Wine Glass  announced that we were going to visit the wines of Southwest France, I went out and bought this bottle of Belingard Bergerac Sec.

I had some Chilean Sea Bass in the freezer that I made Matecumbe style because I thought that it would be a nice pairing with this Sauv Blanc/Semillon blend.  Here are the tasting notes that I wrote at that time......

• Poured clear, almost like water
• no nose....I could smell a touch of citrus but very little
• light, bright, crisp. lemony and dry 
• it was an okay pairing but the dish really needed a heavier wine.
• wonderful as an apertif

I then promptly forgot that I had bought the bottle and did a pairing for this theme, so the next time I was out on an excursion to Total Wines, I bought 2 more bottles, a Rosé and another Bergerac Sec. 

 I have turned itno a big Rosé fan, especially during the summer months.  So I gravitated towards this Mont Gravet Rosé from the Languedoc region.  Bonus because it was less than $10 at Total Wines.

I was having friends over for dinner and opened this bottle that I sipped as an apertif while we enjoyed appetizers and waited for the main course to finish cooking.  It is a lovely sipping wine, very crisp and acidic, perfect for the lovely Spring evening.

I had gotten a sponsor gift of Blackberry Smoked Honey Seasoning and Rub for participating in #BBQ week.  I sprinkled the chickens inside and out with this rub and put them on the rotisserie.  

Guests had brought potato salad, vegetables and dip and pasta salad.  I had made this Cucumber, Corn and Tomato Salad.  The wine was a perfect pairing with the chicken and all the sides.  I was too busy having fun at this point to get any photos of the food and wine together.

The following night I used the leftover rotisserie chicken to make voul a vents and opened the second bottle of Bergerac Sec.  This bottle was from Chateau Laulerie and was bought at Total Wines.  I don't remember the price but I know it was less than $15.

This wine was very citrusy, heavier than first bottle but still light and crisp.  It paired perfectly with the Chicken Voul a Vents.  

One of the best things about belonging to the French Winophiles is learning about and tasting affordable, delicious wines from all around France.  Prior to joining this group I, mistakenly, thought all French wine was expensive or not worth buying.  I was soooooooo wrong.  There are so many wonderful wines available from all over and I am looking forward to trying them all.

We get together on the second Saturday of each month to talk about the wines we are tasting.  You are welcome to join us.  You will find us on Twitter at 11 AM ET by following #Winophiles.  Here are the topics we will be discussing this Saturday.  Hope to see you there.........

• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Garlic and Herb-Rubbed Standing Pork Rib Roast + Château Laulerie Bergerac Rosé 2020
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles: Fish, cheese, and red wine. Exploring the Basque region of Irouléguy
• Jeff at Food Wine Click!: Deconstructed Tartine & Domaine de L’Astré Pèlroge
• Deanna at Wineivore: Organic Negrette & Manseng Wines from SW France Paired with Southwest Sliders
• Jane at Always Ravenous: Affordable Wines from Southwest France: Tasting & Pairings
• Cindy at Grape Experiences: A Taste of Southwest France: Nature Secrète Saint Mont 2018 and Sauteed Duck Breasts with Mushrooms
• Nicole at Somm’s Table: Encounters with Tour des Gendres Pét-Nat with a Side of Risotto
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator: Mauzac? SW France’s Domaine du Moulin Features This Unusual Grape in Methode Ancestrale Sparkler
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm: Visiting the Wines of Southwest France outside of Bordeaux
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest: Gascony Surprise: Meet Domaine de Joÿ in Southwest France
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass: Two Tannat-based wines from Southwest France