Two of the most frequently asked questions I receive are:
1) What’s a good brand of wine to begin learning about wine and 2) How do I know what wine to pair with my meals?

I can answer both questions with Thierry & Guy’s Fat bastard line of French Wines. The Fat bastard brand is carefully sourced and crafted into consistently good varietal examples at a price point that allows us to enjoy them any day. I’ve often purchased this brand to introduce new wine explorers to the differences in grape varieties, and is often my go to brand for large parties.

Pairing wine and food has some basic guidelines; one easy to remember guideline is to match the region of food with the region of the wine. So, when I was asked to sample Fat bastard 2012 Pinot Noir I couldn’t wait to make this season’s first Coq au vin and pair it with this wine. Coq au vin is not as complicated as it sounds; translated it is Chicken with wine. Find a recipe from your favorite Chef and follow along. Note: You may need 2 bottles of this wine one for chicken dish and sipping while preparing and one for the dinner table.

Fat bastard
2012 Pinot Noir

The Wine

Bright ruby in color and opening with aromas of candied strawberries and bright flavors of bing cherries; the wine has nice levels of acid with gentle tannin finish. While sipping this wine on it’s own is good, pairing it with a meal or a cheese platter enhances the enjoyment.

Alcohol 13% | 100% Pinot Noir | Stainless Steel fermentation | Vineyard: Languedoc-Roussillon | Retails $11.00

The producers of Fat bastard would like you to know that for the months of September and October, they are donating 25cents for each bottle of wine purchased to benefit Breast Cancer programs. So far they have donated nearly $700,000. They are truly remarkable people, giving back and making a difference.

Many thanks to the good folks at Winebow and to Fat bastard’s wine maker Veronique Torcolacci for providing the wine.