Earthy flavors bring out the best in this $15 pinot noir from France: Phil Your Glass
I’m always on the hunt for the next wine to feature in my column, and I like to give credit where it’s due. I was tickled ruby red to find this week’s wine at a recent tasting at Regency Wines in Fairlawn.
Domaine de Cabrials pinot noir is produced by Bernard Julien and his family, who mainly grow grapes. This wine comes from across the big pond in the heart of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France.
It’s very difficult to find a good bottle of pinot noir for under $20. If this wine came from the famous French pinot noir region of Burgundy, it would be closer to $30.
I found this $14.99 wine to be extremely complementary with several soft cheeses. The creamy Supreme camembert cheese from Mustard Seed Market topped with Smucker’s strawberry jam really highlighted the strawberry nuances of this wine.
It was also great with Sweet Fire chèvre, a cheese topped with blackberry habanero syrup from Mackenzie Creamery in Hiram. It's my favorite local goat cheese, which you can find at Mustard Seed Market, Heinen’s and Market District, to name a few places.
Recently, a package from Murray’s Cheese in New York City serendipitously arrived on my back porch with a wheel of Couronne de Reines goat cheese. It was a gift from my sister in Florida. This $21 donut-shaped, ash-covered wheel of yumminess was also spectacular with the wine. Thanks sis!
Sometimes I'm a little overzealous with these pairings, as I whipped up a pot of portobello mushroom risotto to have with the stuffed mushrooms that I picked up at the Market District in Green. Both were a hit with this pinot, as it loves to be paired with earthy flavors. The shocker was how surprisingly well the pickled beets on my salad complemented this wine.
You’ll want to keep a bottle on hand to have with your Easter ham. On second thought, better pick up two bottles: one for the Sunday dinner and one for all the leftovers you’ll be eating the week after the Easter Bunny arrives.
You can buy this wine at Tony’s Wine Barrel, Leprechaun Liquor Store and Silver Spirits in Akron; Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls; Mustard Seed Market in Montrose; Bistro on Green Regency Wine Bar in Fairlawn; Beau’s Market in Copley; Lakes Beverage in Portage Lakes; H2 Wine Merchants in Medina; and The Desert Inn and The Bistro of Oakwood in Canton.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: An affordable Cabrials pinot noir to complete your Easter dinner
