To Pays Nantais
Today we're headed to the Pays Nantais region of the Loire Valley. The Pays Nantais is the area around the city of Nantes, on the central western coast of France. Its wine production dates back to the Roman era and it's known for producing stellar Muscadet. On this map, we're looking at the green areas today.
The Pays Nantais Pairings
- Culinary Adventures with Camilla presents Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Bruschetta with Chateau Mattes-Sabran Rosé
- Jeff of Food Wine Click premieres Mussels & Muscadet in our Imaginary Nantes Bistro
- Jill of L’Occasion pairs Light & Fresh with Muscadet
- Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares Pays Nantais and Taste of Contemporary Muscadet
- Michelle of Rockin Red Blog goes deep with Diving into Loire Valley Wine with Winophiles: Pays Nantes
- Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva shares Puff Pastry with Bleu Cheese& Pair with Wines from Pays Nantais
If you're reading this early enough, join us on Saturday, March 19th for a live Twitter Chat at 8
am PST/11 am EST using hashtag #Winophiles to share your favorite wines, food,
and travel experiences from Pays Nantais. Au revoir!
In My Glass...
Accckkk!! When I selected this wine - Chateau Mattes-Sabran Rosé - I was searching for 'Pays' and 'Nantes.' Then, I must have gotten a little careless because I ended up with a wine NOT from the Pays Nantais area. I think I bought a Vin de Pays which is not the same thing. Boo. So, my non-Pays Nantais wine is actually from Corbières and is a Languedoc Rosé.
A glowing, coral hue in the glass, I got a fair amount of spice and melon on the nose. On the tongue it bordered on the savory side with a balance of herbs, spice, and fruit.
On My Plate...
I had initially planned to make Balsamic Roasted Cherry Bruschetta with the Chateau Mattes-Sabran Rosé. But, when I went to the market this week, there were no cherries to be found. I could have sworn I saw some earlier. I must have been dreaming. So, I changed course and went with some fresh strawberries instead. Strawberries - all fruit really - get sweet and intense when roasted. I cut that syrupy sweetness by drizzling it with vinegar and pairing it with a creamy ricotta.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 pounds fresh organic strawberries
- 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
- ricotta
- bread
- freshly ground salt
- freshly ground pepper
Procedure
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Hull and slice strawberries in half lengthwise and place them on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with vinegar and roast until softened and caramelized, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. The syrup with thicken as it cools.
To serve, lightly toast slices of bread and smear with ricotta. Lay roasted strawberries on top and spoon some of the syrup over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
To serve, lightly toast slices of bread and smear with ricotta. Lay roasted strawberries on top and spoon some of the syrup over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
I think the strawberries sound better than cherries anyway. And as long as you enjoyed the wine.....all is good. Sorry I missed this month's event.
ReplyDeleteOh well, we're all human! The strawberry dish looks great! Glad you'll still hang with us!
ReplyDeleteWell at least it sounds like an enjoyable Rosé! And your strawberries sound and look great!
ReplyDeleteWell at least it sounds like an enjoyable Rosé! And your strawberries sound and look great!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try this! It sounds like just a beautiful dish for spring entertaining (summer too). I couldn't taste a thing that I ate or drank this week, including my pairing - we are kind of a motley group this week ;) Cheers! Thanks for joining in - can't wait to get to Corbieres for Rose :)
ReplyDeleteYou discovered a great tie in for Loire Valley and Languedoc - they both produce outstanding wines at great prices that pair well with a variety of food, cherries or strawberries! Way to go with the flow!!
ReplyDelete