What about Tavel?

I

Ian Fitzsimmons

Ian Fitzsimmons
I'm reading A.J. Liebling's "Between Meals," which, by the way, is very funny. Reminds me some of Twain, because of the pervasive dry irony and deadpan delivery. It's also been a while since I've had to keep a dictionary next to me while reading a general audience book.

Anyhoo, Liebling speaks with sentiment and conviction about the goodness of Tavel, which he used to drink as a young man exploring Paris and its culinary offerings. I personally have the very faintest recollection of drinking Tavel once (likewise, as a young man in Paris) and liking it (with food), but I haven't entered into any dalliances with these wines since then.

Are there any Tavel devotees among the readership? Favorites and recommendations? I'm in the mood to dally.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons: What about Tavel?I'm reading A.J. Liebling's "Between Meals," ... It's also been a while since I've had to keep a dictionary next to me while reading a general audience book.
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Ian, I have this book on my Kobo eReader and am looking forward to reading it. Fortunately, on my eReader, the dictionary is handy by simply highlighting the word and clicking on it to get a definition.

. . . . . . Pete
 
I was luck enough to purchase a hardback first edition of "Between Meals".
Plenty of Tavel around in my market. It's generally okay but nothing special.
 
tavel has its place and it is with the robust and garlic-y food of provence where it can be just the ticket.

j.l.l regrets the way it has been upstaged by the ubiquitous light, very pale, very dry roses that have become the latest trend.

tavel is often 14% or close with lots of colour and does not get pushed around by aioli, anchoiade, bourride and food of that ilk.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by robert ames:
j.l.l regrets the way it has been upstaged by the ubiquitous light, very pale, very dry roses that have become the latest trend.
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...which, however, are yummy, too.
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But not typical of Tavel rosés, which have always been bright pink and leaned more toward fruit than tea.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by robert ames:
j.l.l regrets the way it has been upstaged by the ubiquitous light, very pale, very dry roses that have become the latest trend.
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...which, however, are yummy, too.
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he's not dissing their yumminess, just lamenting that the worshiping of that style has lead to tavel being eschewed as un-hip. when in fact tavel's role at the provence dinner table is still just as great as it always has been.
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
I was luck enough to purchase a hardback first edition of "Between Meals".
Plenty of Tavel around in my market. It's generally okay but nothing special.
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I think I'm suffering from special fatigue right now, unspecial sounds just right.

Is it promiscuous behavior to dally with the unexceptional? Or is it the other way 'round?

Thanks, all, for the suggestions.
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

originally posted by MLipton: It’s an inspirational book.
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Between Meals is indeed compelling. I would be curious in what way you feel it is "inspirational".
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It inspired us to more deeply embrace classic French cuisine. Having grown up in the era of nouvelle cuisine and Chez Panisse, we weren't necessarily sympathetic toward Escoffier and the earlier styles of cooking. It had a similar impact to reading Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route a decade earlier.

Mark Lipton
 
read Liebling's Between Meals 40 years ago (and 2 hardcovers in my library to boot).
Inspirational as I recognized Liebling as one who sought beauty in the art of cuisine (among other interests), a quest that was not about the pursuit for the "best" but of caring about craftsmanship and, dare I say, heart. The genius of his compositions was the ability to impart said wisdom.
His ramblings guided me in seeking "true" and "honest" experiences when i traveled through western Europe, and of course informed further decisions in exploring the home grounds.
Burton Anderson's Treasures of the Italian Table is also a worthy mention along these lines....
and i have enjoyed Tavel wines too....
 
Mark and Mark, well said. I'm about 25% through the book so now I know what to look forward to. Thus far, at least in my view, there is more of a (often humorous) focus on quantity rather than quality.

Thanks.

. . . . . Pete
 
I guess this thread confirms me as a Philistine, something I've suspected for a while now. I mostly thought the book was just funny (or is, I'm still reading). Liebling's main point with respect to food seems to me to be, don't worry about your liver too much. Or should I be drilling through his other volumes in order to drench myself thoroughly in his thinking on the subject?

Lynch's book significantly affected my outlook on wine for many years, but I don't see anything like that in this book. The musings about what goes into the making of a chef are interesting.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons: What about Tavel?I'm reading A.J. Liebling's "Between Meals," which, by the way, is very funny. Reminds me some of Twain, because of the pervasive dry irony and deadpan delivery. It's also been a while since I've had to keep a dictionary next to me while reading a general audience book.
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Ian, having now finished the book, I've been mulling over how I would describe the book to someone. I decided to refer back to your summary comments.

You have said it very aptly. And, yes, my Kobo ebook dictionary was used regularly...so glad it was just a finger touch away.

I wonder if one needs a special appreciation for cuisine and wine to enjoy Between Meals.

Regardless, a fascinating book.

. . . . Pete
 
No search results, but I seem to recall Tavel rules raised maximum abv from 12.5% to 13.5% a while back; was it 20 years ago?

Even more dimly recalled, wasn't it was also around that time that reds from the Tavel zone aka Lirac gained a reliable place in the global points markets and such? Presumably this could have changed the incentives surrounding selection and harvest timing.

Whether any of that is true or not, it neatly explains why I lost interest, excluding woefully random exceptions. Anyone else notice any changes across the decades?
 
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