Pairing Pinots in Spring
A Recipe, Revisited
by Allyson Noman
© Michael Bargo
© Michael Bargo
Jean Boxler
© Jimmy Hayes
Stéphanie Ducloux, Director of Champagne Paul Bara
© Joanie Bonfiglio
Harvesting Pinot Gris
© Domaine de Reuilly
The Côte de Nuits
© René Bouvier
Since we launched our first wine club over fifteen years ago, members have received tailor-made recipes inspired by our selections. This series, “A Recipe, Revisited,” features one such recipe from the archives, chosen, prepared, and reimagined with new pairings by one of our writers.
© Michael Bargo
© Michael Bargo
Jean Boxler
© Jimmy Hayes
Stéphanie Ducloux, Director of Champagne Paul Bara
© Joanie Bonfiglio
Harvesting Pinot Gris
© Domaine de Reuilly
The Côte de Nuits
© René Bouvier
Since we launched our first wine club over fifteen years ago, members have received tailor-made recipes inspired by our selections. This series, “A Recipe, Revisited,” features one such recipe from the archives, chosen, prepared, and reimagined with new pairings by one of our writers.
Pairing Pinots in Spring
A Recipe, Revisited
by Allyson Noman
Spring arrived early in the Bay Area this year. By mid-March my entire garden had bolted, cabbages and lettuces bloomed alongside the roses, while buds on the fig tree were slowly unfurling into full, broad leaves. A reluctant gardener but eager cook, I spent a few evenings in the yard, glass of wine in hand, busy harvesting.
Back inside, I’d been digging deep into our archive of wine club recipes, waiting to be struck by the right bit of inspiration. Coming upon Chris Lee’s Wild Salmon Baked in Fig Leaves with Rosé Butter, I thought, what could be more appropriate right now? The recipe appears a few times across our sixteen-year archive, and the suggested pairings change every time, ranging from lush whites to juicy, light reds, and crisp, mineral rosés in between. For such a simple dish, the possibilities seemed endless. In revisiting, I wanted that same versatility in the glass, and only one word came to mind: Pinot.
While setting up my mise-en-place, I popped a bottle of Paul Bara’s Brut Réserve. Both rich, and refreshing, it was a perfect starting point. Prep on the recipe was minimal: fish from the market with a generous sprinkle of salt, wrapped and baked in fragrant fig leaves, finished with a silky sauce of butter, shallots, and rosé. (If fig leaves aren’t available, shiso leaves, and even parchment paper, work beautifully.) The dish came together in little more than half an hour.
Once it hit the table, every Pinot found a moment to shine. Boxler’s Pinot Blanc provided a floral flourish against the saltiness of the fish, while Bouvier’s Pinot Noir tempered the salmon with its soft tannins, cleansing the palate between bites. Reuilly’s skin-contact Pinot Gris, a rosé at heart, was supple and soft, letting every component on the plate shine. And of course we had to revisit the bottle of Champagne that started the evening; its crisp effervescence elevated the dish and ended the night on a bright note.
You can find Chris Lee’s recipe for Wild Salmon Baked in Fig Leaves here.
Wines In The Collection
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir aromas and flavors, and a deeply fruited and solid core.
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
With beautiful texture and notes of honeysuckle, peaches, and stones, this Pinot Blanc is a masterful display of subtlety and refinement.
Paul Bara France | Champagne
With classic notes of sweet spice and quince, it’s great with dessert. An apple-walnut pie? Apricot and frangipane tart?
France | Loire
Take 20% off this month with promo code LOIRE20
France | Burgundy
Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir aromas and flavors, and a deeply fruited and solid core.
France | Alsace
With beautiful texture and notes of honeysuckle, peaches, and stones, this Pinot Blanc is a masterful display of subtlety and refinement.
France | Champagne
With classic notes of sweet spice and quince, it’s great with dessert. An apple-walnut pie? Apricot and frangipane tart?
More Collections
Garden of Variety
As the Loire River winds through the region known as le jardin de la France, it creates a myriad of microclimates and a rich variety of soils, yielding impressive diversity even among the same grapes...
Arthur Ostertag
Arthur’s wines were the revelation of the trip. For months after, in the group chat with everyone on the tour, my screen would light up with shots of his wines—those incomparably elegant bottles with the stunning labels—standing tall atop the tables of every restaurant the other growers were dining in, in their hometowns or around the world. Arthur was officially the breakout star of the trip...
Unheated Rivalry
It’s a bit funny to write about two equally fantastic Bandols made by men with quite opposite personalities. I don’t imagine their interpretation of the métier is that different—make wines that express their terroir—but a vigneron always leaves their mark, and that fascinates me…
A Primer on Vouvray
Vouvray’s wine is a product of what we call the Chenin Blanc grape, but I prefer the local name, Pineau de la Loire, and [René] Loyau is of the opinion that the original plantings of Pineau were Pinot, the Chardonnay, imported to Vouvray from Burgundy. Over sixteen centuries or more, the plant evolved ever so slowly as it adapted to Vouvray’s soil and climate. Even today, Loyau says, certain Vouvrays show a striking aromatic kinship to the Chardonnays of the Côte d’Or…
The Alchemy of Red Wine and Braised Beef
In the Adventures Club bulletin from 2011, where I found Chef Chris Lee’s recipe for beef braised with red wine and chocolate, Chris muses that rustic French stews are typically quite soupy and made to be sopped-up with lots of country bread. The French actually have a word for the act of sweeping bread across one’s bowl or plate to capture every last bit…
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.