By Elspeth Brown
I went home to South Carolina a week ago to see my family and friends. Everything was blooming, and the air had the sweet smell of my grandfather’s yard. I sat down for a late lunch of seared scallops in cream sauce served over jasmine rice. They poured their spring and summer house white wine: Picpoul de Pinet. The wine was light- to medium-bodied, with a very aromatic, floral nose—like summer flowers blooming outside. I tasted notes of honeysuckle and ripe pear, finished with a crisp zest. It was the perfect white wine for sipping on the porch, chugging by the pool or pairing with a Lowcountry boil.
Picpoul de Pinet is the appellation in the Languedoc region in southern France. Picpoul blanc is the grape varietal used in producing the wine. The wine almost always comes in the very distinctive Neptune bottle: a tall, green bottle with waves on the top and the Languedoc cross on the front. Originally, Picpoul blanc was grown to produce Picardan, a dry white wine. It has also been a primary grape in the making of Vermouth, a fortified wine.
Although Picpoul de Pinet has been grown for centuries, it was only awarded an AOC in 2013, and has now grown to be one of France’s greatest success stories, with more than 11 million bottles a year sold. For some reason, unknown to me, the British consume almost half of all the Picpoul production. There are 24 wineries and four cooperatives in Languedoc producing Picpoul de Pinet. It is now grown in other areas of France, Australia, Spain and Portugal, and has even made its way to the US. Tablas Creek Vineyard, in Paso Robles, CA, was the first US winery to plant Picpoul in 2000. It produced a very small amount, but sold out very quickly.
Picpoul is typically unoaked and fresh, but there are versions that are aged in oak and even sparkling versions. In the past they have not fared as well in the marketplace. Picpoul de Pinet is low in alcohol and has flavors of honeysuckle, tangy lemon and lime, tart apple, ripe pear and salty minerality. Picpoul literally means “stings the lip,” because of its high acidity. It is very drinkable, and perfect to pair with those “weird” foods like oysters, mussels, broccoli and artichokes, to name a few. (Believe me, my children would have a much longer list of weird foods.)
Picpoul is a winemaker’s dream to grow. It has great tolerance to heat and produces higher than average yields, putting more money in the owner’s pocket. It ripens late, but still retains some substantial acidity. Picpoul de Pinet wine is grown close to the coast and has the influence of a maritime climate to cool down the grapes on the vine, allowing for ripe fruit flavors while keeping a crisp finish. But even without a maritime climate, it thrives with warm temperatures, which is a plus as global warming increases.
The summer season is here, and a refreshing Picpoul de Pinet is the perfect wine to stock in your wine cellar and your beach cooler. It needs to be drunk young, so go ahead and enjoy!
Elspeth Brown is the owner of Maggie B’s Wine & Specialty Store, 10 C South Main Street, Weaverville. For more information, visit MaggieBsWine.com, or call 828.645.1111.
