Oysters are a common sight at French markets. Huitres are a natural pairing for wine, in both the gustatory and philosophical senses. Just like wine, they’re an expression of terroir (or merrior, if you like) whose character changes with their origin. And in matters gustatory, well, it’s a match made in heaven.
Champagne is a complicated place. Since its early days the region has been inseparably linked to a sense of glamour and marketing. It can be easy to lose track of quality and distinctiveness amid Champagne’s glossy promotional haze.
Sometimes it pays to do business face to face. This April, during a tasting at Domaine des Varoilles with owner Gilbert Hammel, he left the room suddenly, saying “I think I have something you might be interested in.”
New winemakers in Burgundy are hard to come by. It’s a tiny region, and between small harvests, ever increasing demand, and well-established importers, it can seem there’s nothing new to discover.
A perfect food-wine pairing elevates both elements. Here are 12 favorite French recipes pairings, including Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Sauternes, and more.
Hot weather requires cold wines. Most wines lose complexity when you chill them, so we tend to reach for simpler bottles in the summer. And at our house, it’s not summer without a glass of Auxerrois.
All of our winemakers care deeply about their craft, but Nicolas Paget is unusually impassioned. He believes fervently in his vines, his wines, his technique and his terroir.
If you know anything about Margaux, it’s probably about the iconic Chateau Margaux. But there’s lots to the appellation besides the famous First-Growth chateau. Margaux’s sandy, gravel-filled soils produce some of the Left Bank’s most elegant red wines; Jancis Robinson cites their “haunting perfume,” and “silky texture.”
Organic viticulture is the future of winemaking — the majority of our winemakers are organic or in conversion. But at some domaines, it’s also the past. The Domaine du Joncuas in Gigondas turns 100 years old next year, and they’ve practiced organic winemaking, as they put it, “depuis toujours” (“since forever”).
Everything about Thomas Morey is precise. From his wire-rimmed glasses, to his spotless tasting rooms full of Zalto stemware, to his clean, meticulous wines: Morey is a man of purity and precision.
Bordeaux is best known for its expensive, ageworthy red wines. Some carry 3- and 4-figure price tags; the best age for half a century or more. But not all Bordeaux reds are so prestigious. At ten times the size of Burgundy, there’s an ocean of Bordeaux beyond the famous names. Much is mediocre and uninteresting. But some is genuinely delicious, and careful shoppers can find great value.
The wines of the Domaine des Varoilles are at the bold end of the Burgundy spectrum. All of their cuvées come from Gevrey-Chambertin, a village known for its robust, masculine wines. Where much red Burgundy tends towards subtleness and finesse, the Varoilles style is noticeably more intense.
Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet produce the world’s finest dry white wines. In production for nearly two thousand years, the vineyards surrounding these villages produce wines of different characters — Puligny a bit more buttoned up, Chassagne a bit friendlier.
The wines of Côte Rôtie have been celebrated for thousands of years. Made from pure Syrah at its northernmost growing limit, Côte Rôtie represents Syrah at its most refined. Our source for Côte Rôtie is the Domaine Bonnefond.
For most people French Sauvignon blanc means Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. But the grape also thrives in Bordeaux. In the Loire the grape is exuberant and fruit forward; Sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux isn’t unfriendly, just a bit less outgoing.