Chat on Le Monde: What wine with what dish ?

The entire discussion with Olivier Poussier, meilleur sommelier du monde 2000, Monday 25 September 2006
Part 1

Jean-Cri: If we can’t have access to every wine, for every dish, would it be possible, for a small to medium-sized cellar, to select ten appellations for white wines and ten appellations for red wines, that are able to deal with a wide range of culinary situations ??

Olivier_Poussier: Yes, we can select approximately twenty wines which will provide you with a balanced cellar. This means, for white wines, three whites chosen for aperitif or to “quench your thirst”, then three whites with medium power, which are chosen more for their freshness and minerality, then three more powerful whites that are richer, more elaborate, able to go with noble fish and white meats. Then, a mellow white to serve with blue cheeses, foie gras, desserts made with yellow fruits …

Tangibly speaking, for an aperitif, “thirst-quenching”, refreshing white, I would go with vineyards from the northern latitudes – a good blanc de blanc, pure Chardonnay champagne. I also like serving Alsatian dry Muscats at cocktail time. A second possibility is the Menetou-Salon appellation from the Cher, an appellation which produces fruity Sauvignons, quite likeable and easy.

Next come the medium-power white wines, which are quite interesting, such as a Premier cru Chablis. Here too I would recommend white Sancerre blanc, a classy expression of Sauvignon. Also, an excellent Riesling grand cru for example.
For fleshier, rounder wines, that are richer, I would suggest any of the three villages of the Côte de Beaune: a Meursault, a Puligny or a Chassagne. There is also the Rhone valley, with a white Hermitage, or, on a lower budget, a good white Crozes Hermitage blanc. A more southern recommendation would be for a Côteau du Languedoc white wine.

For the mellow white, try a Barsac, a Sauternes or a Jurançon moelleux.

For red wines, I would make the same type of categories: three light red wines (and light has no pejorative connotation): a good quality red Anjou. Then I would go for an Irancy Burgundy, a great expression of the Pinot Noir from northern Burgundy. And I would also choose a Loire valley wine, such as an excellent Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, for example.
For reds of medium power, I would go to Burgundy for a good red Marsannay, then to the Rhone valley with a red Saint-Joseph. And a superb appellation, Médoc or Haut-Médoc.
For wines strong on power, I would tend to recommend a Burgundy such as a Gevrey-Chambertin, a Côte Rôtie from the Rhone valley, a red Bandol and a Bordeaux appellation, with a Saint-Estèphe or a Pauillac.

I have deliberately made highly diverse suggestions, because it is truly part of my culture to propose wines which come from throughout France. I think it is important that the cellar reflect the best from wine-producing France, through top quality winemakers who work on the terroir and all that it entails.

jerome philippon: Isn’t it a bit too heavy to serve a mellow wine with foie gras, since this accumulates two products which are very rich ? Why not a demi-sec? Vouvray for example?


Olivier_Poussier: That’s an interesting thought. It’s important to adapt wines which are mellow to foie gras, but that are not too sweet. It’s important to play with the balance between the sugar and the acidity in the wine, in order to reach a perfect match. In France, foie gras is served at the beginning of the meal, and if we choose mellow wines which are too rich, or too liquoreux, there can be problems with the continuation of the meal. This shows the need to choose mellow wines, or demi-sec, with mellowness that is elegant. Make a match in harmony with the dish – one that goes with the roundness of a foie gras, yet retains just the right acidity and adds a bit of relief to the foie gras.

vivelebonvin: What champagne can be served with foie gras?

Olivier_Poussier: This depends on whether you’re serving sautéed foie gras, or terrine. I would tend to think that with a terrine of foie gras, a match with blanc or noir champagne, or a dry champagne, that is one with very little sweetness, could be interesting. 
With a sautéed foie gras, I would go for champagnes with greater Chardonnay content, quit simply because I would look for the contrast between the rich fat of the sautéed foie gras and the pointed acidity of the wine.

End Part 1