J'aime partager le vin et la vie avec vous

I love sharing wine with you, and since I am visiting France today for our World Wine Travel event celebrating Valentine's Day, I thought I would let you know in French.  

Deanna of Wineivore is our host today, saying that since our event falls on Valentine's Day this year, we should......

Choose a wine from anywhere in the world that speaks to your idea of Valentine's Day, whether that’s romantic, platonic, nostalgic, or purely about loving what’s in your glass right now. Share your story, pairing, and/or the juicy details about your wine.

I am sharing a wine that I served with a dinner inspired by Julia Child and the film Julie and Julia.  You can access the Shrimp Quenelles recipe, along with my review of the movie, via the link.  

In the film, Julie's love of Julia Child inspires her to spend a year cooking every recipe in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Julia Child's love of cooking and of expressing it through her meals has inspired cooks worldwide, who share their love with friends and family every day.   

These Quenelles were an expression of love to my husband, Frank.  We don't celebrate Valentine's Day, but we treat each day as if it were and try to let each other know how very special we think our love is.  

It is a very rich dish, and I wanted a wine pairing that would complement that richness.  I had gotten a bottle of 2023 Les Belons, a citrusy white wine named for the oysters found on the Atlantic Coast of Bordeaux.  It retails for $25 per bottle.

Les Belons is citrusy, with pronounced minerality.  I think it would be better suited to the oysters after which it was named, or perhaps a Louis salad with fresh seafood.  I would also love to pour a glass this summer, when having a crab boil or grilling lobster tails on the patio.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed the glass I had while preparing dinner more than I enjoyed the glass we had with dinner.  I think the wine was not strong enough to stand up to the richness of the Quenelles in that creamy, buttery Bechamel.  

I'm heading over to check out what wines the others are serving to their Valentines today.  Won't you join me?

• 'Fair Verona and the Romance of Valpolicella' from Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles 
• 'Pretty in Pink: Wines and Small Bites from Around Italy' from Camilla at Culinary Cam
• 'J'aime partager le vin et la vie avec vous' from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• 'Valentine’s Amore: Sharing Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpolicella' from Jennifer at Vino Travels
• 'Chef's Private Dinner at our Resort in Mexico' from Terri at Our Good Life
• 'A Love Letter to Wine' from Cathie at Side Hustle Wino
• 'Valentine's Day Wines: A Wine for Everyone to Love' from Deanna at Wineivore