Chateau Miraval Pink Floyd 2010 and Ratatouille

I have arrived at my  final stop in France: Provence. I had to put my trip on hold for a week – I was suffering from a cold and could not taste or smell a thing.   But now I am healthy and excited to continue my journey!

I had been looking forward to this stop for two big reasons:

1. Ratatouille

2. Pink Floyd

Ever since watching the movie Ratatouille, I have been wanting to try the dish.  I used the basic recipe from my Joy of Cooking cookbook – and while the ingredients and recipe is pretty simplistic, there is a lot of chopping involved.

I was pretty impressed with myself, as I was able to skin and seed tomatoes without any assistance.

The end result isn’t exactly picture-perfect, but it is really tasty.  The vegetables and herbs all meld together to make a delicious dish.  And the thing is, I am not really a huge vegetable fan, but I am a fan of this meal.  I can also see how it would be a nice accompaniment to a roasted chicken or even pasta or rice.

For my wine pairing, I chose Chateau Miraval Pink Floyd 2010 Rosé.  The selling point on this wine (for me) was that the winery is also the home to Studio Miraval, where many artists have come to record their music.  This includes Pink Floyd (hence the wine), who recorded part of The Wall at the studio.

The wine lived up to its name – it was a lovely pink color.  But it wasn’t sweet – the nose was fruity, with hints of grapes and berries, and the palette had acids, peaches, citrus and a hint of spice.

My glass paired nicely with my ratatouille.  The acids from the wine and the tomato went well together, and the wine did not overshadow the delicate vegetables.

Rosé is a very popular wine in Provence, and I can see why.  It pairs nicely with just about any dish, and the Pink Floyd was a refreshing contrast to the many heavy reds I had been drinking over the Christmas Holiday.

From time to time, I feel a little overwhelmed by my project of virtually traveling around the world trying regional wine and cuisine.  But then I think about the wonderful wine and food I have tried so far.  I am really enjoying French wine, and the cuisine has been quite tasty.  Not to mention, I am actually learning quite a bit – which is never a bad thing.

From France, I am going to Spain – I am looking forward to some new wines and at some point, I hope to try Paella.  As always, I would love to hear any suggestions (food or wine) along the way, so don’t be shy.

Cheers!