The Roaring 20’s was a time of social, artistic, and cultural dynamism. The US, Canada, and Western Europe were on an economic high. WWI had ended and hyper-nationalism swept the west. France referred to this period as “années folles” or crazy years. Jazz music had awakened a festive atmosphere, igniting the joys of flapper dancing and art deco styles. Urbanization, infrastructure, and the women’s suffrage movement expanded at rapid pace. F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway shared the romance and the toils of excess of the Roaring 20’s in two of their most notable works, “The Great Gatsby” and “The Sun Also Rises”. However, excess is not meant to last. The Roaring 20’s came to a roaring halt in 1929 with the Wall Street Crash. Woody Allen’s 2011 movie “Midnight in Paris” is a modern reminiscence of the opulent era.

The Wine:

Les Dauphin wines embrace the roaring 20’s in Paris when the Dauphin wine region was at its peak of popularity due to its juicy, easy drinking style. Today Les Dauphin is crafted of the same historical varietals in Southern Rhône, and again inspiring the artistic creativity that flourished in 1920’s Paris.

2014 Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Réserve Rhone France ($13): 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre; clear medium ruby; clean medium- aromas of juicy red fruit, touch of damp underbrush, dried herbs, spice notes, cedar, and vanilla; medium acidity balanced with medium tannins and medium body, on the palate juicy red fruit gives way to dusty earth flavors, easy drinking wine that tastes beyond its price; great value, fun and a widely enjoyable.

The Food: It was the day after Christmas and I was looking for an easy and quick dinner to prepare at my local Central Market. I was about cooked out, and headed out of town in a few days so I wanted to keep it simple yet delicious and balanced. Furthermore, I wanted to keep the calories low since I was going to be dining out in New York City for four days.

My Choice: As I was perusing the grocery store aisles I decided upon pre-made sweet potatoes latkes (it was still Hanukkah and Central Market had a great selection of food for the occasion), and roasted purple cauliflower with shallots and garlic and made some steak and bacon meatballs.

The Results: The dinner was simple but it was crazy delicious. The wine was so juicy and earthy that it paired beautifully with dinner. It was exactly what was needed on a slow, easy post-Christmas day. Additionally, it would make a great weeknight pairing any time of year!

*Disclaimer: This wine was a media sample; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Song Selection: I feel warmer listening, watching, and dreaming of Paris!

Get your own bottle of Les Dauphins wine and let me know what song you pair with it. Cheers.