The art of combining wine and food is a wonderful journey that I pursue every day. There are always new combinations to try, new possible fantastic pairings to be discovered…

In the south of France, in the appellation AOC Bandol in Provence we find the Domaine de la Bégude, which I recently visited. Their organic Rosé Vin de Bandol is such a fantastic pairing with salmon! It is made from a cuvé of 80 % Mourvèdre, 15 % Grenache and 5 % Cinsault, and the alcohol level is 13,5 %.

The vineyard is Ecocert certified since 2006, and for this wine ambient yeasts have been used. It has a beautiful pink-orange color, and on the nose I sense both fresh lime and red cherries and strawberries surrounded by roses and violet. On the palate the red berry notes are accompanied by spices and a fresh acidity. The finish is long and tasty. This rosé gets 89 pooints, a wine to both drink as it is and serve with food!

Even though this rosé wine is fantastic as an aperitif, it is also a great match with both fish dishes and lighter meat dishes – even grilled and with spicy sauces. Asian food is also very nice with this rosé.

The food I prepared to serve with the Domaine de La Bégude Rosé is a slightly grilled smoked salmon with fresh stewed potatoes, which you boil and mix with milk, cream, oatmeal and butter. Add some fresh dill and lime, and serve with pickled red onion and seaweed chips.

Bon appétit!