Wine to serve with Salade Nicoise

[hazardnc]

It's hot and humid, and I am craving a classic salade nicoise for dinner. What wine should I serve? On Food and Wine, they suggest a dry rose. I have never liked roses -- but perhaps someone can show me a good one?

Ingredients (just in case though I am sure most of you know already) tuna in olive oil, nicoise olives, anchovies, hard boiled, maybe blanched green beans, tomatoes, eggs, vinaigrette

[Rebel Rose]

My first choice would be a Burgundy-styled pinot noir, something lighter with acidity and earth/mushroom overtones--always nice with a range of flavors, particularly olives--or a tropical, tank-fermented chardonnay, chilled.

Oh, now you've got me thinking about grilled ahi tonight with a Windward gold label pinot, and I could finish off the bottle tomorrow night with a Nicoise spinach salad . . .

[Dave Hatfield]

It's hot and humid, and I am craving a classic salade nicoise for dinner.  What wine should I serve?  On Food and Wine, they suggest a dry rose.  I have never liked roses -- but perhaps someone can show me a good one? 

Ingredients (just in case though I am sure most of you know already) tuna in olive oil, nicoise olives, anchovies, hard boiled, maybe blanched green beans, tomatoes, eggs, vinaigrette

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Definitely a hearty well oaked chardonnay. You could be very 'Provincal' given the salad's origin and serve a chilled light red. Like you I'm not a rose fan, but budget & time to find allowing they make some very nice roses (as well as suitable reds) in Bandol. Not Bandol sur mer, but the other one a bit East of Marsielles.

By the way have a look at the Nicoise recipe on my Blog

and let me know what you think.

[lcdm]

I had a very nice Rose the other day which I think would be nice with a classic salade nicoise :

DOMAINE DE LA CITADELLE LE CHATAIGNIER ROSE

[wkl]

i think rose is ideal here.there's tons of good ones around.instead of specific rec's, look for rose from these importers: kermint lynch, fleet street, vineyard brands, r. kacher.

to each his own i guess, but i don't see oaky chard working here at all.

[jsolomon]

I'm glad I'm not the first one saying "think pink".

Go to your wine purveyor and say "dry rose with a good salad." You'll get hooked up.

[shelora]

I might try a Reisling and ditto on the Rose.

I'm going to make nicoise for lunch. Thanks for the idea.

[hazardnc]

okay - I will give the Rose a try. My Total Wine store has a J Vidal-Fleury for $16.

What about a Pinot Grigio? Another similar recipe I looked at online suggested that.

[ludja]

okay - I will give the Rose a try.  My Total Wine store has a J Vidal-Fleury for $16.

What about a Pinot Grigio?  Another similar recipe I looked at online suggested that.

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Was the quality you disliked in Roses too much sweetness or excessive dryness? I can't give you a specific bottle, but in general the French roses are much dryer than their American counterparts. (I don't mean American Pink Zinfandels, but the newer breed of "dryer" American Roses that are still usually sweeter.) While dry, the French Roses often have beautiful floral/strawberry overtones. I've had consistently good luck with many French Roses.

If you like a Rose to be a little sweeter than some of the French bottles you could try Bonny Doon's Rose.

Make sure the wine is pretty cool when you serve it. I usually have it in the fridge and take it out 1/2 and hour or so before serving.

Edited June 16, 2006 by ludja (log)

[SiseFromm]

I'm on board with a nice White Burgundy but if you want to go pink, Robert Sinskey has a lovely 2005 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. It's a steal at $17 and refreshing in the hot months. We've already drained 3 of our bottles and I'm sure we'll dust the rest by the end of July.

[hazardnc]

We went with the rose mentioned above and it was quite good - not sweet at all and it held up well to the flavors of the salad.

And yes, I avoid roses because I don't like sweet wine.

[KatieLoeb]

I've waxed poetic about this wine before, but the Domaine de la Courtade L'Alycastre Rose is really one of the nicest roses I've ever tried. It would be spectacular with any type of Provencal cuisine and is even delicious for sipping by itself. Pretty salmon color in the glass, smells like strawberries and sunshine, it's grown on the Isle de Porquerolles off of the French Riviera, between Marseilles and Nice, quite literally the sunniest place in France. Delicious stuff and reasonably priced.