What's Going On in the World of French Wines

Recently a reader sent in the following question to the blog:

Should you always pair regional cuisine with a wine from that same region? I made a great Mexican dish last night– could I have served it with a French wine?

I wanted to share my answer to this question in a blog post because I think that this highlights an important issue about food and wine pairing that confuses a lot of people.

In general, when it comes to matching a wine to a dish, it is rare to make a mistake when you pair wines and food of the same region together. Traditionally this had to do with the fact that in some places your selection of foods and beverages was limited to what was grown/made within the boundaries of that region. So naturally, most dishes and the wines people drank with them would need to be somewhat complimentary. We can actually apply this principle across much of Europe. In the various regions of Italy, for example, once could argue that many wine styles evolved in large part due to what cheeses, meats and vegetables were available. We speak of wine having a sense of terroir (the impact of the interaction of grape, soil and climate on wine), but certain foods have terroir too. And it is this taste of a place that helps make regional wines and foods such a good match.

However, that being said, in today’s global world there are few boundaries when it comes to limiting our choices for what we eat and drink. Sometimes it is the real thing, other times a variation on a theme. While I might not be able to get fresh wild Maine blueberries in North Carolina, I can find frozen or canned versions. And although the best bagels (to my palate anyway) are still made in New York, you can find imitations almost everywhere (with some examples being better than others).

While it can be nice to pair foods and wines from the same region together that isn’t always possible or practical. These days, there are so many different types of foods and mixtures of cuisines that authenticity is a bit difficult to come by. Add in the fact that many of our favorite “ethnic” recipes here in the States are actually quite different from the original dish and you can see that the world is now your oyster when it comes to food and wine pairings.

And of course, last but not least, there is the fun factor. Experimenting with food and wine pairings – Chinese food with a Gewurztraminer from Alsace, Mexican food with a Côtes du Rhône, an Indian curry with a Chenin Blanc from the Loire, sushi with Champagne – the list can go on and on. Given the wide availability of delicious and affordable wines from France, it is possible to pair a French wine with just about any type of dish.

So when it comes to making your own pairings, remember that even though a dish and a wine might not be from the same place, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be a perfect match for your palate – the one location that really matters.