3 September 2010

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise
what:
AOC
Southern Rhône, France
sweet fortified wine
made from Muscat grape
where:
Au Rêve
89 Rue Caulaincourt
Paris
when:
late summer
character:
Muscat de Beaume de Venise is a summer fling—sweet
natured, flirtatious, easy in a way the buttoned-up year-round
romance never could be. And not exactly the kind of girl
who sticks around for the business of fall and winter. No,
she is from the south of France, and she will be taking
the south of France back with her at the end of the summer.
In the meantime there are ever so many long summer nights.
And there is perhaps no better companion for a long summer
night (particularly—apologies but it simply must be
said—the end of a long summer night), than
Mlle. Muscat. Neither as famous nor as aristocratic (nor
as expensive) as her compatriot Sauternes, she is nevertheless
terribly attractive, and seductive in such a blameless way
that it is almost wholesome (almost). Maybe she’s
done a bit of modeling, sure, but she the kind of model
you have a late lunch with. The kind of model who will flirt
with you. For the summer, that is.
tastes like:
Being kissed on the cheek by someone who has spent
all day at the beach.
pairs nicely with:
Taking
a place for the summer, keeping a place for the
summer with no furniture other than a bed, and having a
place for the summer with absolutely nothing in the refrigerator
other than a chilled bottle of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise;
women named Bianca, Camilla, or Margherita, or any woman
with ‘de’ in her full name (or for goodness
sake two); outdoor summer theater, free summer
concerts, and other cultural events people attend with no
intention of actually watching; Viennese lemon tarts, strawberries
with cream, fresh peaches, and promises to keep in touch.