As the September school holidays draw near, families and friends begin to plan for gatherings and outings. In a nation as enthusiastic about food as Singapore, there is no holiday activity as exciting as the hearty, homey cheer of a poolside or beachfront grill.
Enveloped by humidity and charcoal smoke, diners invariably look for something cool and refreshing to beat the heat. The brut Sémillon and the sweet and fruity Muscat, Clairette from leading French sparkling winery Jaillance are delectable options to bring down tropical temperatures. Effervescent, crisp and energising, these wines cleanse the palate between bites, injecting some light-hearted fun amidst the rich and heavy cookout staples.
The Muscat, Clairette, which recently took the silver medal at the 2012 International Wine and Spirit Competition, complements slightly sweeter sauces such as teriyaki and oyster. Excellent dishes for pairing include prawn and mango skewers with lemon and sambal, grilled chicken skewers with a caramel-based gravy, and pork spare ribs grilled with honey and soy sauce. The Muscat, Clairette presents hints of rose and lychee with a citrus aroma, bringing out the complex, dulcet tones of these savoury-sweet dressings.
The Sémillon, on the other hand, is striking with more savoury marinades. A winner of the bronze medal at the 2012 Challenge to the Best French Wines and Spirits for Asia for its clarity, intensity, harmony and aftertaste when paired with Asian cuisine, this wine offers notes of brioche with an aroma of gooseberry, pomelo and hawthorn. Its lively flavours draw out the umami in barbecue favourites such as grilled salmon with tomato and sambal, chicken skewers with lemongrass and yoghurt, as well as beef skewers with ginger and soy sauce.
Ms Marine Lombardo, Marketing Manager for Jaillance, shares, “The effervescence, acidity and flavour profile of sparkling wines make them ideal matches for a range of cuisines. A cold glass of Jaillance is exceptionally pleasing with the caramelised, charred and smoky flavours at a barbecue.”
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Over the weekend... I just brought the wines over to my brother's place and shared it with my family..
Toast to him for passing his flight test that day! :)
MUSCAT, CLAIRETTE
FRUITY & RICH
This was the first wine we tried...
it was really fruity and sweet... but not too sweet. Just nice!
We all love it!
Its suitable for all the young and old! My parents gave a thumbs up for this!
With 7% alcohol content it was just right for us! :)
SEMILLON
BRUT & ELEGANT
This one was quite bitter. I can immediately smell the bitterness in it before sipping it.
But after drinking it for a while.. I start to get the hang of it. Its good for those events whereby you have BBQs or when you're having beef dishes.
As I do drink beer pretty often recently... perhaps once or twice a week, this wine was pretty alright for me. Its up to own preference... Even right now i'm drinking it. Because we couldn't finish it that day. :P
The alcohol content for this is much higher at 12.5%.
So it can really make you go zZzzz.... (I mean drunk!)
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It was my first time trying out this wine..
The overall experience was good!
It will be my first choice of sparkling wines if I were to choose... for my BBQs n events in future! Especially the MUSCAT, CLAIRETTE - Fruity & Rich! All thanks to Jaillance for providing these great wines for me to try.
The Sémillon and the Muscat, Clairette retail at $29.90 and $26.90 respectively at Bottles & Bottles, Cold Storage, Giant, Jasons and MarketPlace.
About Jaillance
Jaillance originates from the Drôme Valley, nestled between Vercors and Provence, and represents the Cave de Die, a cooperative founded in 1950 under the leadership of Henri Bonnet. Today, the popularity of its sparkling wines is second only to Champagne in France, and more than 120 000 connoisseurs and enthusiasts visit its cellars every year in Die and Bourg-sur-Gironde to savour its collection. It is the leading French brand in Appellation d'Origine Protégée sparkling wines.
