Who could resist the colors in the frame above, between the Tempier Rosé and the heirloom beets offered on the forgivably precious menu at York Street in Dallas? It’s one of the perks of working in the wine trade: getting to dine at top restaurants and getting to bring your own wine. Members of our trade are accorded such liberties — a common courtesy extended to defenders of good wine.
If you don’t know the Provence producer Tempier, you should: its rosé is considered by many to be the best in the world (that’s not an exaggeration). Everyone from BrooklynGuy to Alice to Eric to Alder to Dr. V to Ray to Genevelyn would agree (Alder, wouldn’t you say that it’s the “best rosé in the world”?). I consider myself lucky to represent the winery here in Texas.
Sharon Hage of York Street has been nominated this year by the James Beard Foundation for the best Southwest Chef (together with Texas fellow Andrew Weissman of Le Rêve in San Antonio. Her “Bacon and Eggs” above are pretty darn precious, but, man, are they good.
Other perks include getting to taste some kick-ass wines, like this label-damaged Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 1988 that überhip sommelier D’Lynn Proctor poured me the other day at Graileys, also in Dallas. I have thumbed my nose at Bored-oh before but not this one… Not one of the greatest vintages of my lifetime but the wine is showing beautifully right now. 20-year+ Bordeaux is always fun to taste.
The greatest perk of all is the wide variety of fine wines I get to taste these days (yes, there is life beyond Nebbiolo and Chenin Blanc) and the many interesting people and palates I connect with during my travels.
Speaking of travels, NN+ will be performing in San Francisco and Los Angeles in early May. If you’re around, please come out and support our music:
MAY 7
San Francisco CA
The Rickshaw Stop
http://www.rickshawstop.com/
MAY 9
Los Angeles CA
Spaceland
http://www.clubspaceland.com/
In other news…
Check out Tracie B’s awesome post on pastasciutta. On occasion, I have been known to be the beneficiary of her fine cooking (another benefit of being in the wine trade!).
Does anyone remember this line from Hemingway’s short story, “Che ti dice la patria”?: “The pasta asciutta was good; the wine tasted of alum, and we poured water in it.”
Do Bianchi 
Jeremy:
Neat post.
As for the first photo, remember the words of The Beatles, “Please don’t wear red tonight.”
I may be able to come to the SF show!
No matter how hard I try I can’t find myself caring one whit about rose wines that aren’t sparkling. I’ve tried the Tempier amongst others and I just can’t get into it.
Also as a dedicated reader I can make it up to the San Francisco show.
um, when’s the Italia leg of the NN tour?
The Rosé & Beets is both a beautiful visual composition and a magical culinary combination. Though you were Stateside, the beauty of traveling along the South of France is the endless supply of Rosé and a myriad of dishes that pair quite nicely.
Tom, for red is the color that will make me blue… MAN! I LOVE that song…
Simona and Cory, I hope you guys can make it… NN+ shows are fun… there’s lots of humor and the girls have some amazing new dance steps… Cory, Tempier is great (and maybe worth revisiting). I am with you on the sparkling rosé: o my palate, the greatest Champagnes are rosé (Billecart-Salmon at the top of my list and I’m still angling to get to taste the Bollinger. Also, Alfred Gratien is fantastic…).
Adrian, as much as I would love to play in Italy with this band, we have two things working against us: we sing in French and we are American (not necessarily in that order).
Global Patriot, it’s freezing in Texas today: the south of France sounds fantastic!
And the cheese on the beets is chevre? I had a fantastic version of this classic at Casa Mono in NYC, where they did a caprese of organic beets, basil and cana de cabra, a pungent goat cheese.
i’ll take rose’ any day! maybe one day i’ll try that rose’ :)
hey jeremy – thanks for including me in your list of “everyone,” i feel special and honored. i love Provence rosé, particularly those from Bandol. I’m not yet certain whether or not Tempier is my favorite. There are other great ones too. I just tased Terrebrune’s 07 (also kermit lynch i think) and it was superb. i’d love to do a comprehensive Bandol rosé tasting…
Adrian, leave it to Mario “make it up as you go along” to make a caprese out of chevre! but then again, chevre runs in his family…
Tracie B, I think that can be arranged… ;-)
BrooklynGuy, you are not just anyone but someone… top wine blogger in my book! Terrebrune is indeed part of Kermit’s portfolio… I’ve never tasted it but will do so in May at the KL tasting in Berkeley…
Have you noticed that Ray Isle is now using *Top-Notch* instead of Best? Maybe he is on to something…
Another great shirt, JP.
try the chateau pradeaux if you haven’t. i’ll be drinking heredia 97 rosado tonight! yum
Pingback: Idol and Bandol « Do Bianchi
Pingback: Casing the Joint » Blog Archive » Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, in the house