A Rosé, and a Book on India
And some disheartening news about cheese!
Hello!
In the last 25 years, rosé has become more than a wine that makes me shudder. I don’t know if the rosé has improved or if I’m just that far removed from cheap white zin. Probably the latter. Either way, there are times when I love a glass of pink. October in NW Arkansas is perfect, with temperatures in the mid-70s and cooler nights. It’s great weather for sitting on the deck with a glass of rosé.
Gérard Bertrand Cotes des Roses rosé
Blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah
Languedoc AOP1, France
13% AbV, ~$16.99
This is a repeat buy for me, because I enjoy dry rosés. It’s quite light, but not without structure. It’s got just a little bit of heft, and could stand up to a pork or fish dinner. It would also pair well with Indian cuisine.
This is one of my favorite rosés to just enjoy and not worry about things too much. The name literally translates to Coast of Roses, which is fitting for the beachy coasts of the Languedoc, right next to a gulf of the Mediterranean Sea. You can taste the sunshine in this wine. Of course, there are fruity notes all over the place, but the wine is not sweet (I hate sweet wine) and it ends very dry.
Rating:
Will I buy it again? Yes
Drink or Save: Definitely a drink now. And enjoy!
Book Pairing: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Book 1 of the Jaipur trilogy
Published: 2021
Genre: Historical fiction
My format: eBook
As I was drinking this rosé, I was reading the first of a historical fiction trilogy. The ending, while complete, does set you up for the next book. The Henna Artist starts out painting an interesting picture of a young woman, Lakshmi, making her way on her own in Jaipur, India, in the 1950s. She was originally married off, from her small village, to a violent man. She eventually escapes to Agra, then Jaipur, where she has a career as a henna artist and herbalist to the upper classes. A speed bump is thrown into Lakshmi’s life when she discovers she has a little sister who has been living in her village. The book takes place during an interesting time period, as India is trying to find itself after independence from Britain. The separation of societal classes is a focus, and it’s those societal gaps that cause Lakshmi to re-evaluate what is really important.
Trigger warning: This book does address abortion so if that upsets you, you may want to skip it.
I’m halfway through the second book at the moment, which takes place in Jaipur and Shimla in the late 1960s, and I’m not enjoying it as much. (It’s definitely more of a red wine book than a pink.) My fingers are crossed for the third, which takes place in Paris and will be released in Spring 2023.
Rating:
Will I buy a physical copy for my bookshelf? No
Will I read it again? Maybe
Will I finish the trilogy?: Yes, I have high hopes for the third book.
Just a note about cheese:
I literally live on cheese. For me, there is nothing that compares to a sturdy red wine and some French and Spanish cheese. So I was a bit concerned to learn that there is a listeria outbreak from brie and camembert sold here in the US! It’s from Old Europe Cheese, Inc., but they sell their cheese under so many different brands, including but definitely not limited to the following: Black Bear, Block & Barrel, Charmant, Cobblestone, Culinary Tour, Fredericks, Fresh Thyme, Glenview Farms, Good & Gather, Heinen’s, Joan of Arc, La Bonne Vie, Lidl, Life in Provence, Market 32, Matrie’d, Metropolitan, Prestige, Primo Taglio, Red Apple Cheese, Reny Picot, Safeway, St. Randeaux, St. Rocco, Taste of Inspiration, and Trader Joe.
You can find out more (including all the brands) from this FDA Recall Notice.
Later this week I’ll talk about Stephen King’s new book and a classic cocktail. I’m new at this newsletter thing, so I appreciate your patience as I figure it all out and find my voice. So with that, au revoir for now, and thanks for reading! I’d love if you would share this newsletter with others.
Cheers,
Michelle
AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) is an appellation designation from the EU, whereas AOC (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées) is French only. I match whichever designation is on the bottle.