Match of the week

Tête de cochon, chou and chenin blanc

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on September 28 2021 at 10:32

Pork and chenin blanc is a tried and tested pairing but this delicious way of serving it at Le Saint Eutrope in Clermont Ferrand the other day made the wine we were drinking - a Pineau de la Loire from Thierry Puzelat of Clos de Tue-Boeuf - really shine.

The dish consisted of thinly sliced, pressed tête de cochon or pigs head topped with a shredded cabbage salad dressed with a buttermilk dressing and toasted hazelnuts which offset the soft slightly appley flavours in the wine perfectly.

It also survived a punchier dish of pigs ear with homemade kimchi which was served warm but the kimchi wasn’t as hot as most. Also really good - do go if you’re anywhere near Clermont or en route to the south.

I can’t find the wine online in the UK (although Les Caves de Pyrène imports most of Clos de Tue-Boeuf’s wines) but according to Le Caveau in Kilkenny who stock the wine

"Pineau de la Loire is the original name of Chenin blanc, in this case, the blend is 90% Chenin and 10% Menu Pineau grown on a mix of clay, flint, sand and gravel. The vines were planted betweem 1993 and 2013. The grapes are crushed gently, the juice ferments and ages 7 months in old barrels. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered with a tiny amount of SO2. Lovely citrus and wild flowers on the nose, the palate is soft and gentle, with pear, apple and lime character."

You could of course, try the combination with another natural Loire chenin or maybe a South African old vine chenin blanc. A dry perry would also be delicious.

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