IGP Charentais wines make a fine marriage with the blue horizons of the coast as with the green stretches of the hinterland, with a seafood platter or with grilled meat. They are not for one specific moment but for any moment. They pace the lives of those who know how to take time.
Five tips to know…
how best to taste a glass of IGP Charentais wine !
Taste your wine like a professional !
Here is some advice from our experts on how to taste like a professional and to appreciate the complexity of a wine !
- Observe carefully : take a moment to admire the colour, the intensity and the brilliance of the wine. A light or dark robe can reveal clues as to its aging and grape variety.
- Smell with concentration : Put your nose deep into the glass and breathe in gently. Seek primary aromas (fresh fruit), secondary aromas (fermentation) and tertiary aromas (aging). Try to identify the subtle nuances that emerge.
- Turn delicately : turn your glass to oxygenate the wine. That will enable the aromas to blossom and to offer a more complete tasting experience. Smell again. Are you aware of the aromas from your first attempt ?
- Taste a mouthful : let the wine spread on your tongue and the walls of your mouth. Explore its texture, its structure and its balance. Note the primary flavours, the notes of acidity, of softness and of tannins. What did you think of the attack ?
- Evaluate the final : concentrate on the flavours that remain after swallowing or spitting out your mouthful. A long and harmonious final is often the sign of a balanced wine and of exceptional quality. Note the flavours that last and try again to memorise !
Matching food and wine (Oriane Chambon and Cédric Coulaut)
AUTUMN
Boeuf bourguignon cooked slowly in the casserole with confit of little onions
A comforting family dish during the first cold spells of the winter.
I recommend this authentic dish with a dense, structured red wine that can balance with this seasonal recipe. This dish with a sauce that contrasts the tenderness of the tasty beef needs an ally of weight that is as delicious and impressive.
A red Charentais made from barrel-aged Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon gives presence to this shared family dish. The meat is juicy and tender.
The tannins in red IGP Charentais wines underline the tasty, powerful sauce.
Profit from this complicity by opening a young red, often firm in tannins. Meat dishes that have simmered in the casserole bring out the contrast with tannic wines without their being overwhelmed.
WINTER
Poached conference pear, crispy tartlet with grand cru, creamy chocolate and red grapes.
An authentic, convivial dessert made for winter !
The poached pear because of its melting flesh, juicy and fruity and the whole enhanced by a powerful coating of grand cru chocolate. This dessert needs to be accompanied by a red wine that is fruity and generous, with density. A happy marriage between the sweetness of the pear and the gourmet aromas of red fruits and spices of an IGP Charentais wine. And to top it all, the delicate perfume of cocoa and ideal partner to the generous flavours of Syrah and Malbec. The peppery notes of these two characterful varieties make a perfect alliance with chocolate and pear, a delicate bitterness and the sweetness of the dessert.
SPRING
Medley of spring vegetables, fresh Charentais goats’ cheese, lemon vinaigrette
An entrée on a vegetable-based theme, with accents of the terroir, a fine entrée full of vitality. The acidity and freshness of the goats’ cheese teases out the citrus notes of young gourmet white wines. The crispness of the spring vegetables extends the aromatic persistence of white wines such as Sauvignon or Colombard varieties. The first warm days of May make you want to eat outdoors and share this spring entrée with white Charentais wines.
SUMMER
Charentais melon marinaded in lemon, thinly sliced cured ham and radish pickles
The sweetness of a juicy melon and the soft melting texture of the ham tease out the fruity notes of young fresh rosés. The crispness of the sweet melon extends the aromatic persistence of rosés based on Merlot and Cabernet varieties. The hot sun of July makes you want to have a picnic to share this summer dish with IGP Charentais rosés
