In the dish, in the glass

Wine: Jean-Luc Colombo, 2007 Les Abeilles (grenache, syrah, mouvedre); Côtes du Rhone, France


Paired with: Coq au vin


Comments: Here on Tuesday/Friday we often pair our wine with food, but don't always explain why. There are many people who will go on about rules for pairing - the cliché of white with fish and red with beef being the most well known. The truth is there are no rules. If you like the wine with the food, it's a success.

That being said, there are some guidelines that will help you find wines that the majority of people will enjoy with certain foods. Probably the simplest of these guidelines is: if it's in the dish, it's in the glass. Anytime we're making a meal that involves wine in the recipe, we always buy an extra bottle to drink with dinner.


Tasting Notes - pre-food: This was very light-bodied, pleasant in a bland sort of way. Even on the nose, it was kind of generic with just a general red fruit smell


Tasting Notes - with food: The food gave it a little more presence, particularly following the bacon in the Coq au Vin where a smoky boldness was present


Color: medium-red, fairly light color considering the grapes


Price: $11


Verdict: Tuesday, a French red that doesn't start singing with French food is only okay.