L'Amour dans une Bouteille ou Quatre #Winophiles #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the February #Winophiles event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

Mon Amour et Moi, California coastline

"The way to man's heart is through his stomach." I have heard that so many times and, given the three ravenous males with whom I share a house, I can say with absolute certainty that that is true! 

I have even heard Jake utter the words, "I might have married her anyway, but the fact that she could cook...that sealed the deal." So, yeah. Stomach, heart, marriage proposal. And that was almost nineteen years ago now.

Lynn from Savor the Harvest coordinated this month's French Winophiles and lined up some wines for our theme. Her preview post is here. But we were tasked with finding wines, either with name or label, that give a nod to love, l'amour. And, in honor of love and Valentines', the #Winophiles are posting early. Typically we post on the third Saturday of the month; this month, we are posting from February 14th till the weekend. So, keep checking back.

Given that we received a generous sampling of four wines, I decided to post L'Amour dans une Bouteille ou Quatre - love in a bottle or four! But first, here are the other writers' posts for the theme..

The French Winophiles Talk About l'Amour

• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares L’Amour dans une Bouteille ou Quatre
• L.M. at binNotes shares The Hedonistic Taster | № 36 | #Winophiles + Love: L’Amour du Patrimoine
• Jeff at Food, Wine, Click! gives us French Wines for ‘His’ and ‘Hers’ Valentines
• Jill from L’Occasion takes us on a sensory route Tasting Romance: French Wine and the Senses
• Michelle of Rocking Red Blog helps us Celebrate La Saint-Valentin with French Wine
• David of Cooking Chat dishes up French Wine Picks and Pairings for Valentine’s Day
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares How Do I LoveThee? Let Me Count the Wines
• Liz from What’s in that Bottle says to Celebrate “Galentine’s Day” with French Wines & Fondue
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares Sweethearts: French Wines and Pizza
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm encourages us to Spice up your Love Life with Shrimp Etouffee
• Nicole from Somm’s Table shares Cooking to the Wine: Domaine Chardigny Saint-Amour with Roasted Salmon and a little Romance 
• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog tells us about Celebrating L’Amour Du Vin With French Wine At The Table
• Jane from Always Ravenous explains Why Does French Food and Wine Taste So Good? Love!
• Rupal from Journeys of a Syrah Queen posts Valentine's Day Romance with French Wine.
• Our February host, Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares L’Amour du Vin

 L'Amour dans une Bouteille ou Quatre 

As for me, we tasted, cooked, and paired meals to match all of the wines that were sent. I have to admit that I didn't completely get the 'French wines with a name or concept reminiscent of love' on some of these. But I went with it.

Roasted Lemon-Fennel Spatchcocked Chicken 

recipe here

With Bottle No. 1 Famille Bougrier, Pure Loire Rosé d'Anjou 2016

Famille Bougrier, a sixth-generation winery that was founded in 1885, is one of the Loire Valley’s last family-owned domaines. Pure Loire Rosé d'Anjou is made from 50% Gamay and 50% Grolleau with a blend of both macerated and pressed juices.

While I don't typically choose sweet wines, this one was alluring with a floral finish. And at less than $14, it's a wine to keep on hand for drinking all through the Spring and Summer. 

Tartiflette with Fromage Fort

recipe here

With Bottle No. 2 Domaine Jean Perrier et Fils, Apremont Fleur de Jacquère 2017

Jean Perrier & Fils is a family estate that's been handed from father to son for seven generations. Since 1853 they have been pioneers in making mountain wines in the French Alps. Due to the steep angles of their vineyards, all of the cultivation and harvesting is done by hand. That passion and dedication is palpable in the wine!

Jacquère is a grape variety that is completely new to me. It's an alpine varietal common in the Savoie region of France. I don't think I've ever described a wine as 'shiny', but I think this one does. And I can't call it 'sparkling' because it's a still, but it definitely has a glint of silver in its hue. On the tongue there is a delightful balance of complexity and pure freshness. The wine was very dry with a lot of minerality and a splash of citrus.

Steak and Potato Nachos

recipe here

With Bottle No. 3 Maison Vidal Fleury, Brune et Blonde 2013

Vidal-Fleury’s winemaking philosophy can be summarized this way: source quality grapes from the terroirs of the Rhône Valley and respect the required time to mature and age the wines.

A dry red wine from one of France's oldest vineyards, the Côte-Rôtie 2013 Brune & Blonde de Vidal-Fleury is comprised of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. The name refers to the different substrates under the vines: Côte Blonde is on the southwest side with soil rich in clay; Côte Brune, to the northeast, is richer in iron and manganese oxide.

The wine has a vivid crimson color with a complex nose full of fresh fruits, smoke, and spice. On the tongue, however, the wine is less intense and more balanced. It's full-bodied with a soft feel and moderate tannins.

Carpaccio di Tonno

recipe here

With Bottle No. 4 Vinescence Cave de Bel Air, Saint Amour 2016 (Vignerons de Bel Air)

Made from 100% Gamay, this wine was a deep, intense red with flowers and dried fruit on the nose. On the tongue, the wine was rounded with underlying tannins. 

However you celebrate Valentines' Day, may it be filled with the people you love, delicious food, and a lovely bottle...or four...of wine. Cheers!

Find the Sponsors..

Famille Bougrier on Facebook

Vignerons de Bel Air on Twitter

Vidal-Fleury on Facebook

Jean Perrier et Fils on the web, on Twitter

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.