Match of the week

Red wine and peaches

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on July 9 2007 at 07:49

The peaches are so fabulous here in Arles, so gorged with sweet, ripe juice that we’re eating them almost daily. One great way to serve them which I was reminded about the other night when we dined at a local restaurant, Le Corazon is with red wine - just as good as the better-known pears in red wine.

They turned them into a roast peach crumble with a vin chaud (mulled wine) sauce which was a great idea for a dessert. But you could also simply slice up a few ripe peaches and pour over some fruity wine such as a Pinot Noir (sweetening it beforehand with a little sugar syrup if you feel it needs it). It’s a favourite Italian combination.

Red wine also goes well with other fruits, especially strawberries and orange. Another interesting combination I had at a restaurant yesterday, L’Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel, was Ossau Iraty (a Basque sheeps’ cheese) served with an orange compote instead of the more usual cherry one they favour in south-west France. The combination wasn’t totally convincing on its own but was great with a glass of accompanying red wine, a Château de L’Ermitage Costières de Nîmes, they offered us. I’ll be writing more about their very intriguing vegetable- and fruit-based menu later this week.

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