When it comes to white French wine and food pairings, the possibilities seem limitless. To help consumers, an organization of professional Alsatian white wine producers, known as the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace (CIVA), has put together a list of practical pairing tips. Whether you are discovering French white wine or already a member of a white wine club, these recommendations may offer and inspire pairing ideas for the next time you serve or give les grands blancs d’Alsace, the major Alsatian white wines.
White French Wines for Aperitifs
The CIVA recommends choosing Muscat, Gewurztraminer or Crémant d’Alsace, a sparkling wine, to go with aperitifs. These three types of wine possess delicate flavors that will not overwhelm your taste buds, so that you will be able to enjoy the wines that come after.
French White Wine and Main Dish Pairings
Alsatian white wines tend to pair well with fish, seafood, and white meat dishes. Pinot Blanc and Riesling offer the widest range of seafood and fish pairing possibilities. These two wines can accompany any of the following types of fish and seafood: oysters, mussels, calamari, shrimps, lobsters, grilled sardines, cod, hake, whiting, crab, salmon, mackerel, trout, and scallops. If you appreciate omega-3s rich fatty fish, take a look at CIVA’s pairing tips for white French wine and omega-3s fatty fish.
Similar to seafoods, the delicate flavors of white meat can be overpowered if served with an overly bold wine. For roasted poultry, choose a bottle of Riesling. Additionally, some types of French white wine can go well with red meat. The CIVA suggests Pinot Noir for red meat and game, Pinot Gris for veal, and Gewurztraminer for ham.
White French Wine & Cheese Gift Baskets
If you need pairing suggestions for a wine & cheese gift basket, the CIVA offers white wine recommendations for three categories of cheese: mild, strong/ripe, and goat. A bottle of Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner or Pinot Noir, will go very well with a gift of fresh, young, and mild cheese. For stronger tasting cheese, such as blue cheese, choose either Gewurztraminer or Pinot Noir. If the gift recipient enjoys goat cheese, a bottle of Riesling will be a perfect accompaniment.
White French Wine and Dessert Pairings
For less-sweet desserts, try one of Alsatian delicate sweet wines, such as Gewurztraminer and Crémant d’Alsace. Crémant d’Alsace, which makes up 22% of Alsace’s total wine production, is currently the most preferred AOC sparkling wine in French households. Sweeter desserts can be accompanied by a bottle of either Alsatian Vendanges Tardives or Sélections de Grains Nobles.
Choosing French white wine, like many things in life, is ultimately a matter of personal preference. The CIVA itself recognizes that there exist many pairing possibilities in addition to those suggested by it. Use these recommendations as reference points. The best way to discover good white French wine and food pairings is to taste and experiment yourself.
Source:
“Choosing the Right Wine,” Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin d’Alsace
