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Pineau des Charentes What is it called?
Pineau des Charentes (Pineau for short) is the type! How is it pronounced? PEE-no Day Sha-RAHNT What is it?
Pineau des Charentes is a unique aperitif (although it can also be used as a
not-too-sweet dessert wine) that is made sort of like a fortified wine (like
Port). I don’t like Port!
What’s wrong with you?!? Seriously, it doesn’t matter. Pineau tastes
nothing like Port. How is it different?
Pineau des Charentes is a little lower in alcohol (~18%) and somewhat less
sweet than Port. Also, the grapes are different, so the flavor profile is
totally different. To make Port, unaged brandy is added to partially
fermented, ultra-ripe red grape must (juice). The resulting wine is about
20% alcohol and pretty sweet from the residual sugar. With Pineau des
Charentes, the grape juice (must) does not begin fermentation, but as the
grapes are less ripe, the resulting wine is a little less sweet. The spirit
used is aged Cognac. Pineau is made from approximately 70%
unfermented grape must (grape juice) and 30% Cognac. Who makes it?
Numerous Cognac producers. We carry four examples by one of the best -
Chateau de Boulon What color is it? It’s made in two styles. The white (really gold amber) is more popular, but there is also a light red (ruby). Why should I care?
Because it is a unique product that most wine lovers know nothing about. And
that’s a shame, because it really is delicious. Are there different quality levels?
Oh yes! How is quality determined?
In many ways. The basics:
Which ones does Beekmans carry?
More details, please 1. The dominant varietals
for white Pineau are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche & Col-ombard, with
occasional Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Montils. The varietals for red
Pineau are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Chateau de Boulon
uses 15% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for
the ruby; they use 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc for the white. 2. Many producers harvest
by machine. Chateau de Boulon picks by hand. 3. Legally, Pineau must use
Cognac that is aged at least one year in barrel. Most producers use 18-month
old Cognac. Ch. de Boulon uses 3-year old Cognac! 4. Chateau de Boulon uses
1/3 Cognac and 2/3 juice. 5. Once the juice is mixed
with the Cognac, white Pineau must be aged in barrel at least 18 months.
Ruby Pineau requires 14 months. If they are aged 5 years, they can be called
“old” (vieilles). If they are aged 10 years, they can be called “very
old.” There is a 20-year old, but it is very expensive and not yet
available in this country. In addition,
Chateau de Boulon practices sustainable agriculture (nearly organic) in that
they avoid artificial pesticides and fertilizers. Boulon is one of the few
producers who can claim the title 'chateau;' not only is there a chateau,
but it is also a single estate. What do they taste like?
They are very complex wines. The whites have been described as
having characteristics of figs, stones, white flowers, vanilla, prunes,
quince, cheese, exotic fruit, crystallized fruit, honey, walnut, almond,
plum, mandarins, dried apricots, and lime. The older they get, the more the
floral, honey, vanilla, prunes, cinnamon, orange peel, gingerbread, and
walnut tastes seem to develop.
The
reds (the actual color is mahogany/deep rosé/copper) show
characteristics of quince, cheese, blackberry, black currant, licorice,
dried almond, honey, wood, cherry, morello cherry, cinnamon. As they age,
woody notes, prunes, and chocolate dominate with nuances of black currant,
cinnamon, mocha, and cocoa. How should I serve them and what should I drink them
with?
Serve them all chilled. Aside from the aperitif or dessert idea, the
whites are great as a delicate companion to foie gras, scallops, poached
fish, white meat in cream sauce. Exceptional with goat cheese and Rocquefort.
Also good with zabaglione, ice cream, or almond, vanilla, pear, pastries,
and peach desserts. The
reds are superb with foie gras, game, aged cheeses, pastries or ice cream containing
red fruits. Both
make an excellent reduction sauce, & the reds are terrific with BBQ. How long do they last?
They are at their freshest for a year, but they’ll be fine for two years.
Once opened, they will easily keep a month in the refrigerator, but they
will lose their freshness after two months. How did Pineau des Charentes originate?
According to legend, during the harvest of 1589 (at the time of Henry IV), a
winemaker accidentally added grape must into a barrel that he believed was
empty but in fact contained eau de vie (unaged brandy). The mixture was
returned to the cellars for fermentation. A few years later, the barrel was
retrieved and was found to contain the drink that is now associated with the
region of Charente. I’m a wine geek. Give me more geeky info.
The annual production of Pineau is around 14,000,000 liters. The vast bulk
is drunk in France. Around 80% of production is made in the Charente-Maritime
département. Production is controlled under the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
'vin de liqueur' classification, though it is not a wine in the ordinary
sense. In principle the same producer grows the grapes, makes the wine and
distills it into brandy, presses the fresh grape juice, and then blends and
matures the result. The geographical zone authorized for the production of
Pineau des Charentes AOC is practically identical with that for Cognac, and
in fact nearly all the artisanal producers of pineau (numbering several
hundred) also sell their own Cognac. When a good
harvest is expected, the best grapes may be picked by hand, but most
producers harvest the bulk of their crop mechanically. Very strict rules and
formulas for the ratios of brandy and fresh grape juice are followed by each
vintner, and the process is even more tightly controlled for organic
producers. The year of the Pineau depends on the year of the eau de vie and
not on the grape juice, for the juice must be freshly squeezed from freshly
picked grapes - literally squeezed and mixed the same day as harvesting. The act of mixing the eau
de vie with the fresh grape juice is referred to as "assemblage",
assembly or blending. It stops/prevents the fermentation of the grape must
through a process called "mutage".
An
increasing number of vineyards in the area now produce and sell Pineau in
which both the grape juice and the brandy come from organically-grown
grapes. Their products have certification.
The
Pineau des Charentes vineyard stretches over the limestone hillsides of the
Controlled Appellation area, in Charente and Charente Maritime. Laws passed in 1919 and 1935 guarantee the origin. The Decree of October 12th, 1945 defines the strict standards of the Controlled Appellation of Pineau des Charentes. From this decree, Pineau des Charentes must be elaborated following strict standards as for the allowed yield and grape varieties, the number of plants, the process, the grape sugar rate, the must alcoholic strength, etc:
Besides
drinking it straight or on the rocks, what else can I do with Pineau Cocktail:
Le
Trousse-Chemise
Use
a shaker to mix fruit juice and lemon. Pour in Pineau, peach liqueur and
green apple liqueur. Shake and serve with a tulip-shaped glass. Decorate
with the zest of a lemon and an “apple fan.”
(Jacques
MARCHON) Starter:
Oysters
Simmered in Pineau des Charentes
Open and remove the oysters from the shell and save the oyster liquid. Gently cook shallots in Pineau until reduced. Add the oysters and their liquid to the mixture and simmer briefly. Return each oyster to its shell along with a little of the mixture. Whip crème fraîche and coat the oysters. Sprinkle with paprika and a touch of salt and pepper if desired. Brown in very hot oven. Sprinkle chives over and serve immediately on a bed of coarse salt or seaweed. Serves 4 (Luce Bodinaud) Main
course:
Duck
with figs, crystallized quinces, spice, & Pineau des Charentes
Quinces:
Make a
syrup of sugar and water. Add spices. Brew gently for 10 minutes. Peel and cut
the quinces into eight segments. Plunge them into the syrup and cook gently. Duck: Prepare
a large (cast iron) casserole by heating it well. Put into it the 2 ducks with
the wing flaps and the neck. Sear the meat over a high heat then transfer to a
preheated oven and bake for 10 or 15 minutes at 350F. Drain off the fat, add the
figs and quinces and roast to reach a nice golden or darker in color. Remove
duck from casserole and keep warm. Sauce:
Melt a
little butter with shallots, thyme, bay leaf and garlic in the casserole.
Deglaze with Pineau. After reducing, thin slightly with chicken and/or veal)
stock and mix in a little butter. Sieve the sauce. Garnish:
Quarter the ducks and
separate the fillets from the thighs. Decorate with the garnish and coat the
ducks with the sauce. Serves 4
(Eric
Frechon)
Dessert:
Chocolate
tart and Pineau des Charentes
Roll
out the pastry with cocoa ingredients in 24cm round fluted flan dish.
For the
filling, boil cream with butter and add chocolate and Pineau.
Beat
the eggs with a hand whisk until they turn white then add the yolks and sugar.
Mix
together the 2 mixtures and pour onto the bottom of the tart.
Bake
for 15 minutes at 350F. Serves 4
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