Easter is the perfect occasion to indulge in those little pleasures we often restrain from. A joyous family gathering, plentiful food, some bits of chocolate here and there and obviously an exquisite glass of wine. Wine, good food and celebrations go hand-in-hand, and for those special days, the choice of wine shouldn’t be underestimated. The right wine complements your home-cooked meal and adds that touch of Je ne sais quoi to your feast. To liven up your Easter weekend, we propose a few exciting wines from the award-winning Bijou range.
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé – IGP Coteaux de Béziers
The warmer season demands a spring-like wine. To satisfy the desire for a fresher and more delicate taste, we recommend Bijou’s flagship rosé, Sophie Valrose. This award-winning wine combines quality and tradition in an elegantly defined bottle—a beautiful pale, salmon-coloured rosé with fragrant aromas of strawberries, citrus and delicate floral notes. The palate is round and creamy, with refreshing acidity and a silky-smooth finish that makes this superb rosé a perfect accompaniment with canapés, white meats, fish, and season salads.
Produced minutes form the Mediterranean coast, Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose provides an instant sense of place. Its grapes are sourced in the Coteaux de Béziers, a small sub-region in Western Languedoc. Here, the vineyards benefit from several characteristics that this small region has to offer with its unique micro-climate. Sustainability has been a core part of Bijou’s production for several years. The blend for this wine includes Caladoc, a crossing of Grenache and Malbec, notable for qualities that make this grape variety desirable in a changing climate. Additionally, their growers in the Coteaux de Béziers achieved the HEV Level 3 certification in December 2019 (High Environmental Value), which is a significant achievement in terms of sustainability.
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose rosé is available from Waitrose & Partners for £9.39.
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rouge – AOP Languedoc-Cabrières
Regardless of the right combination with food or season, the choice of wine can be also subjective. For those hesitating to move away from rich and stronger tastes, we suggest Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose rouge, award-winning red wine and one of its kind in the Bijou’s range. The palate of this red wine is full-bodied, combining intensity with finesse and smooth tannins. With delicious flavours of blackcurrant, plum, and raspberry leading to a lingering liquorice finish. Sophie Valrose rouge is perfectly accompanied by roast beef, duck breast, and hoisin sauce.
The inspiration for Bijou’s outstanding rosé and red goes back to the late 19th century and the legend of Sophie Valrose. She worked in the Languedoc vineyards alongside her female peers. At the time, women were often mistreated, overworked and underpaid. Sophie stood up against this exploitation, challenging the treatment of the female workers. She became something of a local hero and a source of inspiration for creating Bijou’s most renowned wines. We source the grapes from low-yielding, handpicked bush vines, alike those that Sophie harvested herself many years ago and pay tribute to her on the back of every bottle.
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose rouge is available from Waitrose Cellars for £8.99
