Thomas, the Vigneron/Winemaker from Domaine Rouge Bleu in France, is joining us for dinner!
From Erin (the distributor) when she visited Domaine Rouge Bleu:
“I was pointed towards Domaine Rouge Bleu by another small midwestern importer. It worked out that I was travelling in the region and could stop in to visit personally in February 2023. The day we arrived the Mistral was authentically blowing, giving us a real sense of the specific terroir of Saint-Cecile-les-Vignes. We were enthusiastically greeted by a smiling, bearded, Frenchman speaking in a crisp British English. Neither Thomas nor his Australian wife Caroline have roots in the southern Rhone, but they seem quite at home there now.
“I love the quote on their website from Thomas, as it describes my experience of working with him quite well!
“I have been passionate about wine my whole adult life. Becoming a vigneron has been a life-changing experience and an everyday learning curve.”
“Thomas told me that when he and Caroline met and decided to make a life together based on their mutual love of wine - they dreamt of something like Rouge Bleu. Caroline interned a harvest in 2011 and it was just a few years later that the owner offered it to them for sale. Their vision is to draw the best character from the terroir using respectful and sustainable agriculture and non-interventional wine making - modern tools where they help and traditional methods where they are still the best.”
About Domaine Rouge Bleu itself:
Domaine Rouge Bleu is a southern Rhone Valley biodynamic and organic winery that is situated just between Gigondas and Chateauneuf de Pape. They farm just 30 acres of land, 20 of which are AOC CdR Villages Sainte Cecile. There wine has a lot to teach us about this wonderful area: Sainte Cecile is a tiny AOC and the Mistral (an extremely strong, dry, and cold wind that blows from the north down into the Mediterranean affecting the grapevines) is something I hope to experience in my life.
Thomas will lead us through the following wines:
Dentelle Rose
Curry Scented Tuna Rillettes with Whole Grain Crackers served with Domaine Rouge Bleu Dentelle Blanc 2023
Côte d’azur Cure-All Soup (garlic soup, Southern France’s answer to Chicken Noodle Soup) served with Dentelle Rouge 2022
Roasted Bell Peppers with Olive Oil, Herbs, and Garlic and Olive Fougase Bread served with Cotes du Rhone Sainte Cecile Mistral 2020
Cornichon, Parmesan, Caper, and Sun-Dried Tomato Wagyu Burger with Onion Marmalade and homemade French Fries (a la Cafe Salle Pleyel) served with Lunatique
Strawberry Sable with White Chocolate Mousse