Anyone who has visited Paris and “toured” the city knows how much walking you can do in a day.  (There’s always the local bus and metro if you want some relief).  We probably walked a good five to seven miles every day.  During one of those particularly tiring days, we found ourselves hungry during the mid-afternoon and stepped into a casual bistro, of which there must be hundreds.  We needed something to carry us over until dinner, which usually is not served in French restaurants until 7:30 at earliest.  As we scanned the menu, we noticed that the traditional French dish Ratatouille was listed.  This really appealed to us, being a hearty vegetable dish.  Ratatouille originate in Nice, the original name being Ratatouille nicoise.  This tomato based dish was perfect with its stewed mix of eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, squash, onions and fresh dried Provencial spices.

Yesterday, still being a little jet lagged, my wife and I were searching for a savory yet not overly filling dinner.  Remember, we just came off of two weeks worth of rich French food, not the least of which were breads and cheeses galore!  Ratatouille seemed to fill the bill.  We stole the recipe from the Williams Sonoma Essentials of French Cooking (on the Recipe section), let it stew in a covered pot for a few hours, added a few pieces of sourdough bread on the side and then turned our sites to a wine.

While pairing wine here might seem a little challenging, it makes it easier if you think of the dish as tomato based.  That opens the door to a few reds and the ever versatile Rose.   I was interested to try a Zin but to my surprise, I couldn’t find one at first.  Then I recalled a older bottle of Turley that made the trip from Massachusetts with me a few years ago.  Now the challenge was to find it!  Eventually, it showed up in the back of a cabinet.  It was a 1997 Lodi Spenker Ranch.  Knowing that it was a bit past its “due” date for drinking, I reserved an Italian Merlot just in case.  Turns out the wine was simply beautiful.  While I suspect that it was a classic Zin in its earlier days with a spicy, raisiny and earthy character, it had softened into a smooth and lovely wine with a residual hint of spice and jam that harmonized perfectly with the dish…………Just shows how age can work its magic.

For more Williams Sonoma recipes and products, please visit www.williams-sonoma.com.

Tags: Provence, ratatouille, Williams Sonoma