We decided to throw a dinner party for our friends, Roberto, Chef Davide, and Ivan, from Amici Miei along with their families, since they have always been so wonderful to us when we visit the restaurant. Since they are Italian and serve that country's food in their restaurant, we decided to try something different - French food and wine! We selected a pairing for them that we have enjoyed - bouillabaisse along with the wine that is made for it, Bandol.

We begin with appetizers - Ernie's specialty, Clams Oreganata and Oysters Rockefeller. As usual, these were a hit. To go along with them, we served up a treat that had been a gift from a friend here in Little Italy, a 2012 Basalto Chardonnay Insolia Sicilia. The wine had been brought back with care from Sicily, and it was delightful! The wine was very fresh and citrusy, with hints of the sea (since the vineyard is near the Sicilian coastline). With the clams and the oysters, it made a great combination. Our Little Italy friend is hoping to bring this wine to the attention of more people - we can definitely see why. Our guests enjoyed the wine very much.

Clams Oreganata (left) and Oysters Rockefeller (right).

And then on to the bouillabaisse. One of the keys to this dish is having a piece of toasted French bread in the bottom of the bowl along with rouille - which is a garlic mayonnaise of sorts. I had a little trouble making the rouille - it was too wet. So Davide was very sweet and showed me how to make the rouille so that it actually spread like a mayonnaise. A smear of rouille on the toasted bread, then the bouillabaisse was poured over top. Ernie used lobster, mussels, shrimp, cod, and grouper - yummy!

The toasted bread with the rouille smeared on top...

...and the bouillabaisse soup poured over the toast.

I have developed a love for Bandol since we first tried it. Bandol is grown in the south of France near Toulon, and it is actually blend of primarily Mourvèdre grapes (at least 50%) mixed with Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah in varying amounts. Bandol wines can be white (blanc), red (rouge) or rosé. For our dinner, we had both a 2012 and a 2011 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge La Migoua.

The three wines we enjoyed. The Basalto is not sold in the USA at this time, but we hope that someone will begin to import it!

It is always fun to try two vintages of the same wine to see the differences. The 2011 was delightful - blackberries, currants, spice, and hints of herbs like rosemary with a smooth, fine tannin finish. The 2012 was also excellent - similar taste, yet a bit more distinctive tannins and a bit tighter and "chewier" than the 2011. Our guests had never tried a Bandol, so they loved being able to taste the differences and also see how well the wine went with the bouillabaisse.

For dessert, we introduced our Italian friends to Seven-Layer cookies from our favorite Piedigrotta Bakery here in Little Italy. Seven-Layer cookies originated in southern Italy, so most of them had never tried the cookies (since Davide and Roberto are from northern Italy and Sardinia). The kids especially enjoyed the cookies. All in all, an enjoyable evening with good friends - lots of food, wine, and camaraderie. Which is what makes life enjoyable, is it not?