The French Winophiles: Spiced Orange Salad + Cave de Saint-Roch-les-Vignes Côtes de Provence Rosé #winophiles

Welcome to second event for a fledgling group - The French Winophiles - coordinated by Christy of Confessions of a Culinary Diva. Here's her initial plan...

We start with the Regions first and then move to the Appellations. The proposed schedule, based somewhat on the seasons is as follows:

• June 20 - Loire Valley (click for my post: here)
• July 18 - Provence or Corsica
• August 15 - Southwest
• September 19 - Languedoc-Roussillon
• October 17 - Cote due Rhone
• November 21 - Bordeaux
• December 19 - Champagne
• January 16 - Burgundy
• February 20 - Alsace

I love this group already! And I'm having so much fun exploring wines and recipes that are unfamiliar to me.

To Provence
So, today, the crew is heading to Provence.

wikipedia.com

Provence is a region in southeast France. Its name derives from what the Romans used to call it: la provincia nostra, meaning our province; it was the first Roman province outside of Italy.

Wine has been produced in this region for nearly 3000 years - since the ancient Greeks founded the city of Marseille in 600 BC. Today the region is known predominantly for its rosé wine which currently accounts for over fifty percent of the production of Provençal wine.

The  Round-Up

• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares “A Tipple and Taste of Provence”
• Jeff from foodwineclick indulges in “Filet de Porc au Geniévre avec Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge”
• Sarah from Curious Cuisiniere explores the flavors of Provence with “Petit Farcis (Provencal Stuffed Zucchini) and Exploring Provence Wines”
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on a Farm brings us “A Taste of Provence inspired by A Pig in Provence”
• David from  Cooking Chat shares “Bacon Pineapple Orzo with a Rosé from Provence”
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla  inspires us with “Spiced Orange Salad + Cave de Saint-Roch-les-Vignes Cotes de Provence Rosé”
• Michelle from Rockin Red Blog brings us “A Meal in Provence”
• Anna from Anna Dishes is still whipping up her pairing
• Tammy from Telling Stories from Chez Nous is creating a spectacular pairing with  Rosé
• Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva is sharing  “A Month in Provence”

The Conversation

Join us for a live Twitter Chat Saturday, July 18th at 11 am EST/8 am PCT. You may join in the revelry by following hashtag #winophiles. A Vôtre Santé!

In My Glass...

Whenever I have a choice, my usual inclination is to go with the unusual or the obscure. But, in this case, I went with the most common varietal there: Rosé. Besides, I couldn't track down a white wine. I'll keep my eyes open. 

I had had this wine for a different wine event this month (my #winePW's French-French pairing) and knew that I wanted to bring out the citrusy side of the wine this time.

Cave de Saint-Roch-les-Vignes Côtes de Provence Rosé is so lovely. It's a pink, almost salmon, color with a lightly floral nose. My husband actually called it a girlie wine. Fine. I poured him a drier Sauvignon Blanc and drank his glass! More for me...

On My Plate...
To bring out the citrusy side of the Rosé, I made a fresh orange salad. So fast, so tasty. The hardest part is supreming the oranges.

Ingredients makes 4 servings

• salad greens
• 4 oranges
• 1/2 C olives (I pitted a combination of Niçoise and Picholine)
• 3 to 4 T white balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• dash of smoked paprika
• dash of ground ginger
• 1/2 t organic granulated sugar
• 1/4 C fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
• fleur de sel to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Procedure
Supreme your oranges and set aside. To plate, lay down washed and dried green. Top with the orange segments, olives, and fresh herbs. In a small jar, mix the remaining ingredients and shake to emulsify. Pour over the salad. Serve immediately.