Picnic Worthy Wine

Spending a romantic afternoon dining outdoors is one of my favorite summer activities, and having the right wine, food and cheese is always on top of my priority list.  I think living in New York City has forced me to perfect my picnic-ablity - meaning packing just the right amount of outdoor accessories, proper disposable dining supplies and a smart amount of food and drink, without carrying a kitchen-sized beach bag into the park.

When I first tasted Château Roquefort Côtes De Provence Rosé Corail 2010, I mentally began rearranging my perfectly-packed-picnic bag to fit 2 bottles, instead of one. This crisp, refreshing Rosé is aromatic, fruit-forward and lively, but also displays an elegant softness with sweet hints strawberry and raspberry. As I swished the wine over my palate, I imagined rays of sunshine glistening off the crystal clear water, as I sipped this perfectly pink wine, aboard a sailboat in Provence…ok, back to reality…

Over the weekend, I opened up a bottle of Corail to enjoy in the warm weather, after stopping by Murray's Cheese for Crottin de Chavignol, a classic French chevre. At only $5.99 a nugget, I expected a nice, enjoyable pairing, but was given much more!  This little French round is only a bit larger than a marshmallow; with a similar pillow-like rind and a lushious, gooey inside. Big flavors of salt and lemon tang are packed in this small, goat’s milk cheese, with a rustic, yet mild flavored white rind. A sweet and salty characteristic is drawn out when the two are paired together – the salt from the cheese becomes a perfect partner for the sweet berry flavors of the Corail (which is an equally perfect picnic value at $14.44 with our 6 bottle mix and match discount!)  – what a sensational pairing!