CleverRoot

4 4 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Estandon Vignerons Lumière rosé from Coteaux Varois en Provence accom- panied roasted drum with ratatouille and rice grits. "One of the most enjoyable aspects of rosé is its color palette," says Levon Wallace, Executive Chef of Gray & Dudley in Nashville, Tennessee. "The nectarine, glorious salmons, rose golds . . . it's both romantic and hypnotizing. I can drink rosé all day. But when I tasted the Provence rosé I said . . . 'What is going on with that wine?'" The answer is, a lot. Provence rosé is tradition- ally made by picking and pressing whole clusters of grapes—a technique known as direct press. From start to finish, this takes roughly four hours and results in minimal skin contact, pale pigmen- tation and explosive aromatics. Direct press cre- ates a tight core of acidity/minerality in the wines, but little by way of tannic grip and no residual sugar. Provence rosé is pure chiseled fruit. "The Provence rosés were asking for fat and salt to counterbalance their fruit," adds Chef Wal- lace. "And these ingredients actually coaxed even more flavor out of the wines. Although the dishes we chose to pair with these wines vary in intensity . . . squash, drum and pork, there is a running theme. There is heft in the food, and the wines provide a nice cleansing, grounding foil." "Rosé all day!" states Shane Batchelor with fervor. As Food and Beverage Manager for Gray & Dudley, he has put together an adventurous wine list that does more than look good on paper. "Rosé gives you the best of both worlds," he adds. "There is perfume and refreshment on the 'white' side of things, yet rosé holds up to food and can be enjoyed with a meal just like a red wine." "We chose three wines to match three dishes: Perle de Roseline from Côtes de Provence to pair with our summer squash gratin with lemon hollandaise, Estandon Vignerons Lumière rosé from Coteaux Varois en Provence to accom- pany our roasted drum with ratatouille and rice grits, and Maison Saint Aix AIX rosé from Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence to complement our pork chops with stone fruit," says Chef Wallace. "But, Provence rosés can be enjoyed without food." "It is crushable," adds Batchelor. "Something you can drink in hot weather and still take to table." Maison Saint Aix AIX rosé from Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence complements pork chops with stone fruit. EXECUTIVE CHEF AT GRAY & DUDLEY, NASHVILLE, TN photos by Acacia Evans Levo Waac, Perle de Roseline from Côtes de Provence paired with summer squash gratin with lemon hollandaise.

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