Macaron Vineyards
What a title. Doesn’t it have a special ring to it? When it popped up via Twitter, you can imagine my excitement. Vineyards. Macarons. For someone who loves macarons and wine – together, separately and not necessarily in that order – who wouldn’t be intrigued? Do they grow macarons?
It’s wines that the Albino Armani family have been making in Italy for 400 years and their new release since this Spring (using Glera grapes, traditionally used for Prosecco) is the Macaron Prosecco D.O.C. which is available in the United States. It’s a medium sweet sparkling wine and aptly named to match with the elegance of our favourite gluten-free Parisian confection.
As soon as the shiny blue-topped bottle arrived, a recurring image of macaron picnics took hold. When and where would the perfect moment be to open it? It looked too special to just open it at any time.
What about early June in a romantic French poppy field down by the river Seine with poppy and rhubarb macarons? Just as we were about to settle down, the heavens opened and we made a dive back to the car, cursing the storm through the flashes and arguing windscreen wipers. It reminded me of summers in Scotland, watching the coastal view from the car park with a flask of stewed tea with egg and cress fingers; except this time we had gone slightly upmarket, holding chilled Prosecco and macarons.
With summer and the end of the school year finally approaching, we’re all feeling rather bubbly. Surely in June we would have ideal picnic days, but anyone who has been watching the weather around Paris (and Roland Garros, the tennis open) will have seen just how disappointing our skies have been.
With a few sun rays over the weekend and macarons at goûter time, Antoine finally popped the question: ‘Shall we open it?’ Why does he always open bubbly with so much noise? What’s worse, some of it trickled down the side and right down the label. He was Jilled but it was Father’s Day. He’s a cool dad.
This Prosecco is medium sweet, so although it’s the perfect partner for macarons, I was rather hesitant to try what was left as an apéritif before dinner.
As melons from Cavaillon in Provence are now appearing at the markets here, I couldn’t resist pairing them. It’s not an original apéritif but with shavings of Parma ham, it seemed a rather fitting accompaniment of Italy meets France. The Macaron Prosecco matched it really well, with its subtle fruity, apricot notes. Needless to say, now that the bottle’s contents have disappeared the bottle has cool pride of place on our breakfast bar; or perhaps I should call it the brunch bar.
Better still: what about ‘The macaron bar’?
Update: Macaron Prosecco has just been awarded a gold medal at the 2012 Riverside International Wine Competition. Congratulations!
Disclaimer
This is a non-sponsored post. With thanks to Emily from Macaron Vineyards for sending a bottle of Prosecco from the USA to France. I was not asked to write a review and opinions published in this post are my own.
I haven’t tried the proseco, but I love this wine simply for the fact that the name of it inspires people to give me gifts of wine 🙂
Great marketing, isn’t it? That’s what I studied to do in the first place and wish I worked for them but now I’m in France. Trop tard. Life got in the way but it’s gooood. Just taste instead 😉
Jill this if fabulous. I need to live in your world for awhile. Please trade lives with me. Or let me visit. xx
I am always skeptical of off-dry Proseccos, but what an adorable label! It does sound like it worked as an aperitif, though–I’ll keep an eye out for it.
All those macarons and then the wine?? Delicious days
What a fun bottle! I’ll be on the hunt for it here is NYC.
This wine sounds wonderful! I imagine it is even better when enjoyed with your fabulous macaroons :)! Lucky you to have been sent a bottle. Hope you are having a wonderful week Jill :)!
Oh, how wonderful that you saw a few rays of sunshine 🙂 I’m going to hunt down this Prosecco and bake up some chocolate macarons for our own picnic! Thanks for the delicious inspiration~
This is so neat! I love the label too. I’m going to look for this at my local LCBO and I hope they stock it.
I am bad when it comes to wine and completely base my picks on the labels. Pretty labels mean I will be picking up the bottle to come home with me. I know, I know, but that is how I buy about 80% of my purchases. The good news is that I would be grabbing one of these. Too cute!
Although I’m not much of a wine drinker, I do like wine better than beer or any other drinks. I always like how you have a theme and make macarons based on that. Very cute! Great review, Jill!
Jill…what a lovely post. I will surely keep my eyes out for this Prosecco. I can think of no better way of pampering myself than with a glass of this and a plate of pretty macarons! No doubt we’ll be seeing a prosecco buttercream in one of your macarons, soon, no?! : )
Great idea, Anne. Trouble is, we consumed the total contents of the bottle. But may I suggest you give this a try?
Oh I need to look for this in Canada as well!!!!
Beautiful pics as usual! High five Antoine for suggesting to open the bottle! 🙂
Comme d’hab, des macarons tous plus beaux les uns que les autres!!! 😉
Jill: I love this! I’m on the lookout for this wine and it must be a lovely pairing with macarons. What a great addition to any Parisian gift basket or macaron gift. 🙂
That sounds like my kind of picnic!
On that note, I think I’ll have a glass of wine and some of the macarons I made today (with Jill’s recipe-naturellement).
A toast to Jill!
Jill, this prosecco is unbelievable and fabulous!!! How perfect! And I know how well a prosecco would go with macarons. What fun a pairing would be. That label is so pretty – I will have to look for it next time I’m in the US. Your macs are always so beautiful….