Vin Perdu

2011 Vin Perdu Napa Valley Red Wine

All is not lost when the bread goes stale...The proof is in the pain perdu created by my dear friend and culinary mentor, Jacques Pepin. While working as a breakfast chef at the celebrated Plaza Athenee in Paris in the 1950s, Jacques accidentally dipped his crusty baguette in a tub of melted vanilla ice cream rather than the usual egg batter he was aiming for. Undaunted, or perhaps in a bit of a rush, he went ahead and fried the vanilla bread with butter and sugar...Et voila: a signature dish was born. (Jacques recently reminded me that the secret to perfect pain perdu is to use truly stale bread so it doesn't absorb too much of the batter mixture and lose its shape. The batter should be only a coating.)

The Wine

Once again, Heidi has masterfully blended small lots from some of our finest vineyard blocks on the eastern side of Napa Valley to deliver an incredible array of mind-altering aromas and flavors. The composition of 2011 Vin Perdu is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah, 11% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc from the Amuse Bouche, La Sirena, Au Sommet and Lamborn estates. Because the percentages of the Vin Perdu components vary year to year, each vintage is truly unique.

The 2011 Vin Perdu label is inspired by the Year of the Snake. An ancient Chinese proverb states that a snake in the house is a good omen because it means the family will not starve. The snake, cunning, keen and intelligent, is willing to sacrifice his possessions (such as they are) in order to pay for his family's food and wine! Snake years are sixth in the cycle, following Dragon years, and recur every twelfth year.

For those of you who wish to embark on a more in-depth study of the Chinese horoscope associated with the Year of the Snake, please download our 12-month zodiac analysis.