Pairing: Pan-Fried Breaded Cod Paired with a 2015 Chateau Tyrians Coteaux Varois en Provence 

Food: I grew up in a Catholic family in the 1950’s. This meant, among other rituals and expectations, you always ate fish on Fridays … always. Yes, I know that the rule was to abstain from eating meat. There is an excellent history of the evolution of the ‘fish on Friday’ rules here. Even when the church relaxed those requirements (prompting my father to bemoan “the church is going to H___ in a hand basket”) following Vatican II, our family continued to observe the “always fish on Friday” tradition. And I, for one, am forever thankful that this tradition carries on in our family to this day.

My mother, born on this day in 1909 (Happy Birthday, Mom), drew from a fine, but somewhat limited, set of options to serve her family for Friday dinner. Number one on the list (at least, my list) was lightly breaded white fish (cod, haddock, or sole) pan-fried in some butter in a cast iron skillet. This was almost always served with Harvard Beets and some type of potato or rice.

Wine: The wine region, Provence, encompasses the far southeastern area of France, with the appelation, Coteaux Varois en Provence, covering the most southeastern corner of the territory. Most wine drinkers rightfully equate Provence with rose which accounts for upwards of 80% of total wine production in this region. Red grape varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsaut are the principal constiuencies of rose. The discerning wine consumer will do well to explore some of the outstanding white wines of this often overlooked wine region. Chateau Trians makes a white blend composed of 80% Rolle and 20% Semillon. Just over the nearby border with Italy, lies the tiny coastal Italian wine region of Liguria noted for its white wines made primarily of the Vermentino grape. This is mentioned here because the Rolle grape grown in Provence is often confused with the Vermentino grape in neighboring Liguria. Many growers of Rolle grapes in Provence are calling their grapes Vermentino perhaps to attract more wine consumers who are far more likely to recognize the name Vermentino. Recent DNA testing, however, has shown that they are two distinct varieties rather than two names for the same variety. It takes a real wine geek to really care about this distinction, particularly since the taste is very much the same in both wines.

Tasting Notes: A warm, golden yellow color. Complex aromas of honeysuckle, Easter Lily, and vanilla sugar. Layers of flavor including Charentais melon, peach, quince, slightly under-ripe melon, and a touch of burnt sugar. The finish carries the peach and melon. Very interesting and nice with the fish.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Pan-Fried Cod: Chardonnay (California), White Burgundy (France), Chenin Blanc (South Africa), Pinot Blanc (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Vin de Provence: Grilled Sea Bass, Pasta with Pesto, Fried Calamari, Fritto Misto

View the Stunning Provence Region: Provence

A Source:  www. klwines.com