Be a Hipster with Pineau des Charentes, Prize No 3, Menu for Hope V
No it is not a spelling error, I did not mean to write Pinot, be it Grigio or Noir.
Don't call Pineau des Charentes the poor cousin of Cognac though it is definitely a lesser known quantity.
My 3rd Prize for Menu for Hope 5 is a set of 2 bottles of Pineau des Charentes (one white, one red).
Both are young, aged 3 years.
What is Menu for Hope if you wondered?
It brings bloggers the world over who use their combined power to raise funds for the UN World Food Programme.
Composition for the White Pineau is 1/4 cognac 3/4 wine.
Grape Varieties: Ugni Blanc (which is the predominant grape in Cognac); and Colombard for the wine part.
As for the Red it is 1/4 cognac 3/4 wine.
Grape Varieties: Ugni-blanc; and Merlot for the wine component.
To give you a little background information, Food Reference tells us that "in the town of Segonzac, the capital of Grande Champagne appellation in Cognac, you have many opportunities to taste a range of Pineau – an invention of French viticultural genius. This delightful beverage consists of the juice of locally grown grapes and the distillate derived after it has been fermented and distilled. In other words, Pineau des Charentes is a combination of raw and the finished product. The producer fortifies grape juice with a grape distillate eliminating all yeast, thus stabilizing this versatile sweet but not cloying fortified beverage"
They suggest pairing it with Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola and attribute its lack of popularity in the USA to poor marketing.
One person that fell under the spell of this Aperitif is The Brooklyn Guy Loves Wine who tells us in Pineau des Charentes (January 2008) that after it was "chilled in the fridge for a half hour...what bright and completely enjoyable nip before dinner. So good that I felt like sharing with you, pal. I'm convinced that this is an under-appreciated drink. Try and see what you think."
And you will not break the bank, a bottle sets you back around $20.
So my 3rd Prize for Menu for Hope is 2 bottles of young Pineau des Charentes (one white, one red) from Delpech & Fougerat thanks to the generosity of Sheena and Paul Jones of JTE Spirits, importers of Unique Spirits.
Pineau can be a great base for cocktails or served as a digestif or a dessert wine.
It is a fortified wine.
Prize available for US only.
Retail value: around $40 for both.
Prize Code for this Pineau des Charentes set is UE 30.
How do you go about bidding for prizes?
As in previous years we partnered with First Giving who set up a Donation Page for Menu for Hope V.
Once your mind is set on which prize(s) you want to bid on, make sure you have all the prize code handy.
Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation.
If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.
Please allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
All prizes for the East Coast (US) available as of now are listed on Steamy Kitchen courtesy of Jaden Hair.
If you want to see what the rest of the world including our friends on the West Coast have to offer, visit Chez Pim, without who Menu for Hope would not exist.
Previous Offering: Nut Butters for Grown Ups, Nothing Kinky, My 2nd Prize for Menu for Hope 5