Foie gras and Sauternes form a traditional duo, but there are better alternatives. Find out which wine to drink with this exceptional dish…
Typical dish from the south-west of France, where we find the main producers, foie gras has become over the years, the essential ingredient of a successful event such as the end of the year celebrations. With a beautiful creaminess and a superb taste persistence, but the agreements between this dish and the wine can be complex and require to prepare them well. Foie gras is distinguished by a high level of unsaturated fatty acids.
To sublimate it, it is interesting to combine it with a sweet accompaniment such as fig or onion confit. It is what one might call a textbook case of the food and wine pairing since depending on the preparation, it will not match with the same wine.
Basic rule
Like the order of the dishes during a meal, the order of wines should not be neglected to best accompany the whole dinner. To go to the simplest, just remember :
This order aims to taste wines that are increasingly rich in alcohol and therefore in sugar.. The same goes for a wine tasting.
Foie Gras as a starter
Accompanied simply with a slice of toast or a little fleur de sel, foie gras does not need more to be enjoyed.
Contrary to a too widespread idea and following the rule stated just before, we will avoid wines that are too sweet - sauternes for example —, and we prefer a semi-dry white wine. The latter has sufficient length in the mouth to pair with foie gras. We will also favor the wines from North region which offer greater liveliness. As we are at the start of the meal, it is possible to choose a Champagne or sparkling wine whose acidity and fine bubbles will balance the fat of the dish. In that case, a Brut Nature Champagne will be a good match for your dish. Better, you can easily opt for a vintage Champagne with toasted aromas which will perfectly enhance your foie gras.
Foie Gras with fruit or plain jelly
The melting texture of the dish and the redcurrant jelly - to name just one - will ask for a dry white wine. A full-bodied wine characterized by a good minerality will be an ideal choice. A wine that has evolved in recent years will allow an interesting complexity between the freshness of the fruit and the sought after minerality.. A woody touch - I said touch - will reveal a little more harmony with foie gras.
Foie Gras with coarse salt
More and more, the combination of foie gras and red wine is highlighted when it is accompanied by coarse Guérande salt. A red Grand Cru from Bordeaux or Burgundy aged several years and not too light, so as not to overload the taste buds when foie gras is served as a starter, while revealing its flavors. Pairing the foie gras with red wine will certainly intrigue more than one, but will bring a real unusual harmony to your meal.
Pair with a sweet wine
You absolutely want to drink a sweet wine ? You are quite right, because it is really the ideal match, but for that you will have to change your habits and replace the foie gras in the place it deserves : just before dessert.
Sauternes, Sweet Gaillac, Bergerac, Jurançon, but still Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer from Alsace or a wine from late harvest, there are many possibilities to pair your foie gras. Be careful however, these wines should not be served too young, because they will tend to be too sickening with your food. A sweet wine should be opened when it has reached a good maturity, when the sugars have worn off and it has gained in aromatic complexity.
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The Pacherenc-du-vic-bilh is a nice choice as is the Quarts de Chaumes and others «Bonnezeaux ", «Coteaux-du-layon ", «Savennières ".
It’s a very good idea indeed ! We often forget the Loire Valley…
What do you think of a Coteaux de l'Aubance or a Vouvray also with foie gras ?