As you know, I write once a month about food and wine pairings for the Provence WineZine. On occasion, I will also share information about a special winery or wine that I really enjoyed with one of my meals. And, if you know me, you know I like a good pairing to complement my food. Sometimes the meal is built around the wine, and sometimes the wine is chosen to go with something I “cooked up.”

On Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 PST/5:00 EST, these elements will all come together in a virtual special event called Cook, Drink & Learn – an afternoon/evening with Susan Tipton (Acquiesce Winery), Susan Manfull (Provence WineZine) and me! To sign up click HERE – the cost is only $96 for the event (covers the three bottles of wine) and, if you use the Promo Code: COCOA, you will get free shipping. A link to the event will be provided.

Acquiesce Winery’s owner and winemaker, Susan Tipton had a life changing experience when trying her first white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. As a foodie and wine lover, beginning in 2008, Susan was inspired to plant six of these rare white varieties on her 18-acre estate vineyard located in the Lodi, California wine appellation. The three wines included in this package are some of her most unique wines with complex floral and stone-fruit aromas, offering rich and inviting mid-palates with creamy and savory notes on the finish. These are the perfect wines to pair with a wide array of foods.

Susan Manfull will tease out a little more detail from Susan Tipton about that fateful encounter with a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape and how it eventually led to her portfolio of stunning white wines made from some of same grape varieties found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Tipton’s well-known passion for finding just the right food to pair with her wines probably stems from her father’s love of Julia Child — more on this subject, too. There will be some talk about the six grape varieties that comprise the wines we will be tasting as well as the question everyone asked Tipton when she first said she would be planting these relatively rare white grapes in Lodi, California, a region most known for its Zinfandels. Before Susan Tipton, that is.

The program will start with a cooking session. When planning the event, The Susans and I decided to use one main ingredient that pairs well with all three wines — in this case, fresh goat cheese/chèvre. I created three appetizers adding a variety of ingredients to the goat cheese to bring out the best of each wine. We have chosen one of the three — my Mini Croques — to make together to pair with Ingénue, one of two blended white wines Acquiesce produces. The mise-en-place/ingredient list will be provided so that you can cook along. Following the event, you will receive full recipe cards with three dishes that we paired with the wines.

Together we will discuss the growing interest in white wines (going beyond the ubiquitous Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio) and provide a few ideas on assembling your own food and wine pairings.

We truly hope you will join us! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments or send me an email at cocoaandlavender@gmail.com.

~ David

13 Comments

  1. Ron

    October 30, 2020 at 6:06 am

    Sounds fantastic David. I wish I could signup and get the package here. Do you know if the event will be recorded and be available virtually afterwards for those who sign up? Also, can I sign up from Sweden and have the wine shipped to my son in Washington state? It must be very exciting for you.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      October 30, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Hi Ron – I will check to see if the event will be recorded (I am pretty sure it can be!). And, yes, you can sign up from Sweden and have the wine sent to your son in Washington. I just wish you could be with them to taste the wines. I wish it weren’t so late at night for you – you would be welcome to come to the event! It should be a lot of fun – first time we are trying something like this but there may be more in the future. Can wine be shipped from France to Sweden??

      Reply
      • Ron

        October 30, 2020 at 11:35 am

        David, I think one can ship wine from anywhere in the EU to Sweden. It would be cool if I could watch it recorded so I could get my beauty sleep. But, if not I’d be willing to stay up late with a nice bottle to watch.

        Reply
        • Cocoa & Lavender

          October 30, 2020 at 11:37 am

          Kind of like when we were kids staying up to watch Johnny Carson… but we won’t be as funny! We are looking at doing an event with a winery in Provence. Will definitely keep you posted!

          Reply
  2. Chef Mimi

    October 30, 2020 at 6:42 am

    This is so exciting! They won’t ship wine to Oklahoma, so unfortunately I can’t participate. Dammit.

    Reply
  3. John / Kitchen Riffs

    October 30, 2020 at 7:21 am

    Sounds like a delightful event! The price is a real bargain. And we all love bargains! 🙂 The Mini Croques sound wonderful — exactly the sort of finger food I enjoy. And I LOVE goat cheese.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      October 30, 2020 at 10:19 am

      It should be a lot of fun, John – I am looking forward to it. The wines are really wonderful and, with free shipping, it is a nice bargain! 🙂 Thanks for your comment!

      Reply
  4. 2pots2cook

    October 30, 2020 at 9:50 am

    What a festa you are preparing dear David ! Sounds really great ! I hope you all will have a god time together ! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      October 30, 2020 at 10:21 am

      I am really looking forward to it, Davorka! It is fun coming up with these fun events to combat all the news of the day…

      Reply
  5. Eha Carr

    October 30, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    Fun looking on from the sidelines in Australia! Especially since I have always been a ‘white wine girl ‘ !Best of luck to everyone concerned ! Meanwhile just love the look of the small croques : now decent goat cheese is available here so wish there was a way to get to that and the other two recipes . . .

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      October 31, 2020 at 4:21 pm

      I think you know the right people to get the recipes! Promise I will send.

      Reply
  6. Raymund

    November 3, 2020 at 11:21 am

    That sound like a great virtual event, its just sad how the pandemic changes how events / conferences work across the world, luckily here the virus is quite contained so we can do the real thing once in a while like The Food Show in Auckland that is happening soon. Its just so different when you have physical interaction with people, plus the tons of free food tasting 🙂

    Reply

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