RHONE VALLEY WINES – Discover the Joy of the Harvest with Fine Wine and Seasonal Recipes

Harvest is a special time around the wine world when the year-long fruits of winegrowers' labor have come to fruition. In the Rhône Valley, in Southern France, wineries celebrate this time with family-style meals and gatherings. It is a time to relax and enjoy local wines, seasonal dishes and each other's company all under the beautiful plane trees that speckle the region.

As this rite occurs at the end of summer and early fall, gardens are abundant with vegetables and beans. The region's Mediterranean climate and soul enhances this culinary scene: olive and fruit groves, thyme and lavender thrive; lamb graze throughout the hills and valleys and fresh fish are hauled in daily from the Mediterranean Sea, located just a few miles from nearby vineyards.

While an oenophile and gourmand's paradise year-round, harvest in the Rhône Valley is especially bountiful and showcases how the area's food and wine are intrinsically linked.

Celebrate this season with distinctive Rhône Valley Vineyards wines and classic regional dishes. We have five recipes and recommended pairings for Rhône Valley's Grignan-les-Adhémar AOC, Costières de Nîmes AOC, Luberon AOC, Ventoux AOC, and Vins du Diois AOC. Look for wines from the Rhône Valley when you dine out and wherever you purchase wine.

Tapenade + GRIGNAN-LES-ADHÉMAR AOC

The Dish

Opt for a classic tapenade spread of finely chopped olives, capers and anchovies-a versatile hors d'oeuvre traditionally served on slices of baguette or with crudité.

The Wine

Produced in three colors, the lesser-known Grignan-les-Adhémar wines are balanced and well-structured. Red wines from the area merge the approachability of Grenache with the strength of Syrah.

Tapenade Ingredients (Makes about 1.5 cups):

1.5 cups pitted black olives; 1 tablespoon brine-packed capers, drained (tapenas in Provençal); 2 canned anchovy fillets in oil; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 to 3 garlic cloves; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme;1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Baguette slices or raw vegetables for serving (carrots, celery, radish, cucumber)

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.

2. Pulse until all ingredients are chopped, but not totally pureed.

3. Serve on grilled baguette slices or with raw vegetables.

Aioli + COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES AOC

The Dish

Aioli is known and used around the culinary world, but hails from the Rhône Valley. Here it acts as the dressing on a simple boiled vegetable, salted cod and hard boiled egg dish.

The Wine

Pair with a Costières de Nîmes rosé or white wine, as the maritime influence from the region's southernmost appellation fosters a distinct freshness and minerality that act as a wonderful foil to the salt and fat found in this dish.

Aioli Ingredients (serves 6):

1 large egg yolk at room temperature; 2 garlic cloves finely grated; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 canola or grapeseed oil; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients For the Aioli Dish:

6 medium carrots, scrubbed; 6 leeks; 6 potatoes peeled and cut in half; 6 small zucchini, scrubbed; 1 lb. cod; 3 to 4 eggs

Method:

Make the Aioli:

Place the egg yolk, garlic, salt in a bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in oils in a slow, steady drizzle until the sauce is thick (like a mayonnaise). Add lemon juice and pepper to taste.

For the Dish:

1. Steam or boil all vegetables for about 20 minutes. If boiling, add herbs and onion to the water for more flavor. They should be tender but not overcooked.

2. Poach the fish in water with aromatics and salt for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Cook the eggs until hard boiled, 6 to 7 minutes. Peel and cut in half.

4. Place all ingredients on a large platter and serve the aioli sauce on the side.

Soup with Pistou + LUBERON AOC

The Dish

For a cool night, whip up a one pot, hearty pistou soup, chock full of summer vegetables, early fall shell beans, potatoes and herbs. It gets its name from the final ingredient: a dollop of pistou-a fresh pesto from the south of France.

The Wine

Green is the name of the game in the Luberon where vineyards thrive alongside a Natural Regional Park-part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Luberon rosés (52% of the production) and reds are fresh and fruit-forward with delicate layers of herbs and spice that complement the earthiness of the dish.

Soup Ingredients:

1.5 cups fresh or dried white or cranberry shell beans, soaked overnight in water if dried; 1 large onion; chopped; 2 garlic cloves minced; Bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bayleaf); Salt; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion; 2 leeks, diced garlic cloves, diced; 3 large carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 medium zucchini, diced; 4 or 5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half; 1.5 cup dried pasta, ditalini or orzo

Pistou Ingredients:

2 large garlic cloves; salt; 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Drain beans and place them in a large pot with the remaining ingredients and cover generously with water. Good for 45 minutes (if dried) or until tender, adding more water if necessary. Set aside.

2. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, leek and garlic.

3. Add shell beans in their stock and all vegetables except for the green beans, and cook for about 45 minutes. Add water to cover. Add the green beans and pasta, cook until they are tender. Check seasoning.

Make the Pistou:

1. Mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar. Remove and add the basill by handfuls and grind to a paste. Add the garlic back in, and slowly incorporate the olive oil. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

2. Ladle the soup in bowls, add a generous dollop of pistou in the center and swirl to mix.

7 Hour Lamb Roast + VENTOUX AOC

The Dish

Lamb is the signature meat from the region and in this authentic and simple (yes you read that right!) dish, the leg of lamb leg stews in a savory vegetable and herb broth for a minimum of 7 hours (no fussing required).

The Wine

Characterized by aromatic and flavor complexity, Ventoux reds are the perfect companion for this full-bodied dish. Plus the supple tannins of these wines mimic the texture of the fall-off-the-bone meat.

Ingredients:

Serves 6 to 8

1 (4 lb) shank end leg of lamb or shoulder; Olive oil; 2 cups broth; 1 bottle dry white Ventoux wine; 20 cloves garlic, unpeeled; 10 sprigs each rosemary, thyme and savory; 5 bay leaves; Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Heat oven to 300F.

2. Rub lamb with olive oil and season with Salt and Pepper. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven and brown lamb on all sides over medium heat.

3. Add 1-cup broth and scrape browned bits from bottom and side of pot. Add the remaining broth, the wine, and all the aromatics and cook, checking frequently that the liquid is covering the lamb, until the meat falls off the bone 3 to 4 hours. Check seasoning.

4. Serve the lamb with roasted potatoes and broth.

Grilled Figs and Peaches + VINS DU DIOIS AOC

The Dish

Figs and peaches are tossed on the grill for a smokey sensation, while the honey further coaxes out the fruits' sweetness.

The Wine

This sweet and savory dessert matches the intensity of a selection of sparkling wines like the rich and sweet character of Clairette de Die, and the highly aromatic and dry Crémant de Die.

Grilled Figs and Peaches Ingredients (serves 6):

6 peaches, halved; 6 figs, halved; Olive Oil; 6 tablespoons honey

Method:

1. Heat up the grill to medium.

2. Brush cut halves of the fruit with olive oil and grill, cut side down, until the fruit soften and grill marks develop for about 4 minutes for the peaches, 2 minutes for the figs.

3. Turn over and move to the side to continue to cook on indirect heat, about 3 minutes.

4. Place 1 peach and 1 fig on a plate and drizzle honey on top.

For more information on Rhone Valley Wines, please visit: https://www.vins-rhone.com/en. Follow them on social media @rhonevalleyvineyards

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Freeimages.com

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