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Home » wine » Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings #winophiles

Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings #winophiles

Published: Apr 21, 2018 · Modified: Jan 18, 2020 by Cooking Chat · This post may contain affiliate links

Picpoul is one of our favorite white wines, and we especially like it with pesto! Picpoul is also a great partner for seafood. Learn more about Picpoul wine and foods to pair with it as part of the French Winophiles exploration of this grape.

pasta with pesto served with white wine made from Picpoul grape.

This month the French Winophiles group is delving into Picpoul wine. I was eager to jump into this topic, as Picpoul has often been one of my go-to white wines. Picpoul wine is especially good with pesto, but certainly goes with other foods, too. But Picpoul is not a well-known wine here in the U.S., so let’s cover some basics first.

What is Picpoul Wine?

Picpoul de Pinet can be an excellent, affordable white wine choice. This Picpoul from Saint-Peyre is a very good value. #wine #picpoulPicpoul is a wine grape that comes in both dark skinned and light skinned varieties, Picpoul Noir and Picpoul Blanc, respectively. Picpoul Blanc is more prevalent as a varietal wine, while Picpoul Noir is more likely to be used as a blending grape. Picpoul Blanc is what I have had frequently, and will be my focus in this Picpoul wine article.

I tend to associated Picpoul with the Languedoc region in Southern France, but can also be found in other parts of France, Spain, California and other wine regions.

Picpoul de Pinet is the largest white wine producing appellation in the Languedoc. Located close to the Mediterranean sea, breezes moderate the daytime temperatures of Picpoul de Pinet vineyards. The soils are limestone, with sandy soil deposits. 

Picpoul can also be spelled Piquepoul. Seeing as I’m usually grabbing a Picpoul de Pinet, I go for the Picpoul spelling.

Picpoul and Pesto

bow tie pasta with pesto and tomatoes on a plate with white wine.

Picpoul is sometimes known as “lip stinger” based on the acidity of Picpoul wine. I guess that is why I naturally gravitated toward Picpoul as a pairing for pesto. Sauvignon Blanc is a classic pairing for pesto, but Picpoul is definitely a great alternative!

I’m a big pesto fan, and thankfully most of my family is, too. In recent years, I’ve been making more kale pesto than traditional basil pesto. I can vouch for Picpoul as a great pairing for both kinds of pesto. Get my kale pesto recipe along with 10+ ways to use it, and my basil pesto recipe here.

plate with bowtie pasta tossed with pesto, topped with tomatoes.

I’ve sampled some other Picpouls, but my favorite is the Saint-Peyre Picpoul de Pinet (appx. $10, 13% ABV). We had the 2017 Saint-Peyre Picpoul de Pinet for our recent meal.

I get citrus on the nose of this Picpoul. Taste of lemon fruit and sea shells. Minerality. Nice mouthfeel, some softness along with the acidity.

I served this Picpoul slightly warmer than I often do white wines. At a few recent tastings we’ve been talking about how whites show more flavor when taken out of the fridge for a bit (15 minutes or so) before serving. This approach worked nicely with the Picpoul.

As usually, the acidity in the Picpoul cut the bit from the garlic in the pesto. That bright lemon fruit refreshes the palate nicely. Pesto and Picpoul is a nice pairing!

For this recent Picpoul wine sampling, I tossed bow tie pasta with kale pesto, and topped with some grape tomatoes. The wine’s acidity also works nicely with the tomatoes.

Other Food Pairings for Picpoul Wine

With the proximity to the sea, Picpoul de Pinet and seafood are a natural combination. I had a few pieces of easy sautéed shrimp on my plate. As anticipated, the shrimp paired very nicely with the Picpoul de Pinet. I’ve also enjoyed Picpoul paired with simple pan seared scallops.

roast cod with parsley pesto

I have also enjoyed Picpoul with our Roast Cod with Herb Pesto, another example of Picpoul working well with seafood…oh yes, pesto too! With the cod, we served the  2014 Domaine Feline Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet ($11, 13% ABV). That’s another good Picpoul producer if you can’t find the Saint-Peyre.

For even more Picpoul pairing ideas, be sure to checkout all of the articles from my fellow Winophiles bloggers!

      • Michelle of Rockin Red Blog says, “Picpoul…Take Me Away.”
      • Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm encourages us to Pick a Picpoul to Enjoy al Fresco This Summer.
      • Susannah of Avvinare features Picpoul de Pinet – A Refreshing White from the Languedoc.
      • Jill of L’Occasion shares Mediterranean Bliss: Picpoul de Pinet.
      • Jeff of FoodWineClick! pairs Picpoul de Pinet and Steak Tartare Redemption.
      • Nicole of Somm’s Table writes Cooking to the Wines: Font-Mars Picpoul de Pinet with Crab Cakes and Fennel-Apple Salad.
      • Payal of Keep the Peas posts A Lip-Smacking Lip-Stinger: Picpoul de Pinet.
      • David of Cooking Chat makes a case for Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings. (you are here!)
      • Lauren of The Swirling Dervish says Picpoul de Pinet: Your Go-To Wine for Spring.
      • Lynn of Savor the Harvest asserts The Single Variety Wine For Summer- Picpoul de Pinet.
      • Gwendolyn of Wine Predator has Picpoul Goes Southern Style with Shrimp and Grits.
      • Jane of Always Ravenous pairs Halibut with Spring Vegetables and Picpoul Wine.
      • Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Picpouls from Pinet and California and a Seaside Pairing.
      • At Culinary Adventures with Camilla, she’s Pairing Bourride à la Sétoise with Picpouls From France to California’s Central Coast.
      • Rupal of Syrah Queen will be posting The Rise of Picpoul de Pinet soon.
         

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren Walsh

    April 21, 2018 at 8:39 am

    A great line-up of potential Picpoul pairings, David. I agree with you about letting the white wines warm up a bit – they are so much more flavorful when you take the chill off them. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      April 22, 2018 at 5:09 am

      I need to do that more regularly with the whites.

      Reply
  2. Lynn

    April 21, 2018 at 8:55 am

    I’m also a huge pesto, kale, and Picpoul fan David. I’ll be scanning your site for more recipes for Picpoul. By the way, very nice photos!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      April 22, 2018 at 5:09 am

      Thanks Lynn, sounds like we have similar tastes!

      Reply
  3. jeff

    April 21, 2018 at 2:13 pm

    Great call on Pesto & Picpoul! Thanks for all the additional ideas.

    Reply
  4. Payal

    April 21, 2018 at 2:23 pm

    Love all the potential Picpoul pairings, which, incidentally would work with Muscadet from the Loire coast as well! Gorgeous plating of the cod and pesto!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      April 22, 2018 at 5:08 am

      Good idea, Payal. Muscadet is definitely good with seafood.

      Reply
  5. Jane

    April 23, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    I am a new fan to Picpoul, and it may have to share the summer table with my other crisp white wine favorite, Sauvignon Blanc. Great pairing with pesto, perfect for the coming summer.

    Reply
  6. Michelle Williams

    April 24, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    Pesto and roasted cod? Wow. Two great pairings David. Both look delicious. I had not thought of Picpoul with pesto – what a great idea! Thanks.

    Reply
  7. Jill Barth

    April 24, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    To me pesto is beautifully Mediterranean, a delightful match for Picpoul. Your photos are stunning!

    Bookmarked for summer when my basil comes in!

    Reply
  8. Nicole Ruiz Hudson

    April 26, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    I’m totally going to try Picpoul with pesto. The Halibut looks just beautiful as well. I also completely agree with you that the wines show a little more when they’re not quite as chilled as other whites.

    Reply
  9. Lori

    April 30, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    Love love love pesto! and I too think it is a great pairing for Picpoul!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 02, 2018 at 6:50 pm

      Thanks, definitely a go to pairing here!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Single Variety Wine for Summer- Picpoul de Pinet - Savor the Harvest says:
    April 21, 2018 at 9:15 am

    […] David of Cooking Chat makes a case for Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings. […]

    Reply
  2. Picpoul from Pinet and California and a seaside pairing with #Winophiles - Crushed Grape Chronicles says:
    April 21, 2018 at 9:51 am

    […] David of Cooking Chat makes a case for Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings. […]

    Reply
  3. Want to learn about Picpoul? - Crushed Grape Chronicles says:
    April 22, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    […] David of Cooking Chat makes a case for Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings. […]

    Reply
  4. Halibut with Spring Vegetables and Picpoul Wine - Always Ravenous says:
    April 25, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    […] David of Cooking Chat makes a case for Picpoul Wine with Pesto and Other Pairings. […]

    Reply

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Hi there! I'm David. I love creating tasty, (mostly) healthy recipes, finding great wine pairings, and sharing good food with family and friends. learn more about me!

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