Woodfired Salmon Pizza with La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rose on Joyeuses Pâques #winophiles

Our #Winophiles wine group is celebrating Easter with beautiful French wines that were gifted to some of us for this event.  "Pâques" (Easter in French) is an important holiday in France.  Much like in the United States, it is a traditional gathering for families and friends.  Some enjoy a three-day weekend with Good Friday off from work, while others enjoy Easter Monday off here.  In France, Easter is a national holiday.

Much like here, there are traditional egg hunts but the eggs are not left by the Easter Bunny, they are left by magic bells (Les cloches de Pâques) that fly!  I dug a little deeper to learn why the French has magic bells. As a Catholic, I am aware that the Church doesn't ring bells from Good Friday until Easter Sunday to acknowledge the death of Jesus.  The French story is that the magic bells fly to visit the Pope, the return with gifts of chocolate eggs.  Isn't this a sweet tradition?

From Adobe Stock Photos

I also found that the French like to have lamb for Easter, and decorate their dining tables with spring items such as spring flowers and greenery.  We love our Easter table decorations as well, usually finding dyed Easter eggs somewhere amongst greenery and pretty flowers.

I found another fun connection between the U.S. and France.  In Southern Louisiana, the Cajuns "Pâques" the eggs. One person holds their egg with just the end showing. It can be top or bottom. That person challenges someone to Pâques their egg, meaning, to hit their egg against your egg.  As soon as one of the eggs, cracks, the egg loses. The winner gets to keep the losing egg to eat!

It was fun diving into the French traditions, so let's continue on through the French tradition of wine!  Chateau La Nerthe has been around since the 1560s (some say it has been around since the 12th century!) making it one of the Chateauneuf's oldest estates.  Chateau La Nerthe's vineyards are located in a single block around the Chateau and are certified organic.  The soil is sandy-clay with big round stones called galettes that were carried down to the Rhone by the glaciers.  The vines average 40 years old.

We paired a delicious wood-fired pizza with this pale pink rose.  On the nose, we noticed florals and tangerines.  The mouthfeel is soft and full.  The finish is beautiful and fruity.  We didn't know this, but the recommendation is to serve this with salmon dishes.  Perhaps this is why we loved our dish so much!  The wine has a blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 30% Mourvedre.  

The pizza's baked salmon, the pickled red onion, and the fresh herbs, wow, this was a perfect pizza.  The wood-fired crust wasn't too heavy for this pizza at all, and the rose wine really kept things together with a lovely balance.  Highly recommend this pairing!

Check out all the posts of these bloggers for more information!

• Bring on Spring with Loire Valley Wines by Vino Travels
• Celebrating Spring with Raclette and Rosé by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Château Aqueria - Tavel Rosé Paired With The Perfect Spring Time Salad by Syrah Queen
• French Rosé, Sparkling Wine, and A Taco Bar for Easter? Si! by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• French Spring Menu with Tavel Rosé & Cru Beaujolais by Always Ravenous
• Joyeuses Pâques with Champalou Paired Pork Loin by The Quirky Cork
• Roasted Salmon with Grilled Pineapple Pico de Gallo + Château D'Aqueria Tavel Rosé 2020 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Woodfired Salmon Pizza with La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rosé by Our Good Life