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Tomato Season
Even though we can get tomatoes at the grocery store year-round, there’s nothing like late summer for locally grown tomatoes at the peak of flavor. A tomato tart is a great way to let those tomatoes take center stage, and a refreshing high acid wine makes a perfect match to the bright tomato flavors.

Gascogne and Domaine Tariquet
Gascony is well known as France’s home of Armagnac. The Côtes de Gascogne IGP wine region in France is less known, though wineries produce unique and delicious wines from local grape varieties such as Gros Manseng. It is particularly well known for refreshing, moderately priced white blends. Domaine Tariquet is viewed as one of the top producers in the region. They have been producing Armagnac since 1683, and have served as pioneers in wine production in the region since the 1980’s. The Grassa family still runs the entire operation (Bas-Armagnac and wine), and all the products are estate grown. Their environmental commitments go well beyond simple sustainability. They are committed to protecting the land and improving the soil through cover crops, soil integrity, and organic amendments. They actively promote improvements in biodiversity on their land through supporting forests, hedgerows, meadows, and wetlands. They discuss these efforts in detail on their website.

Disclosure: The bottle of wine for this post was provided as a sample. No other compensation was involved, all opinions expressed are mine.

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Domaine Tariquet “Classic” Côtes de Gasgogne Blanc IGP 2024 (sample, $18 typical US) abv 10.5%
Classic is the flagship bottling of Domaine Tariquet. Grapes: Gros Manseng 32%, Ugni Blanc 25%, Colombard 20%, Sauvignon 15%, Chardonnay 5%, Chenin 3% whew!
Eye: Pale lemon with a touch of green
Nose: Medium plus aromas of apple blossom, freshly cut grass, lime and a touch of grapefruit.
Mouth: Dry, lip-smacking high acidity, light body, low alcohol, medium plus intensity flavors, medium finish. The flavors echo the aromas with a tart citrus fruit focus.
Observations: Very refreshing and enjoyable. Even though the Sauvignon Blanc is only 15%, it definitely plays a part in the aromas.

Summer Lunch with Domaine Tariquet and Tomato Tart
This tomato tart is so easy as it relies on puff pastry from the grocery store for the crust base. It also will remind you that this is not a pizza! We use the recipe for Roasted Tomato Tart with Ricotta and Pesto from NY Times Cooking as our base recipe, though we prefer a few changes. Instead of crême fraiche, we use a thin layer of Dijon mustard. One very important note that is stressed in the recipe – salting the tomatoes well in advance is key to avoiding a too wet result. Serve this tart with a side salad and a crisp glass of white wine and you’re all set. Leftovers can be reheated or even eaten cold.