What wine to drink in front of Game of Thrones ?

The new season of Game of Thrones is approaching, it's time to take stock of the series. You've watched the entire series, or watched a summary on the Internet, but is it enough ?

What if you go a little deeper into Westeros while drinking the wine of your favorite character or family? ? The TV series not spreading the masses on drunk wines, we will rely on the Game of Thrones books.

Here are the real-world wines you should drink if you want to drink like a Game of Thrones character.

Here is a very nice map edited by Vivino to find yourself in Westeros and Essos :

Arbor Gold – Le Sauternes de Game of Thrones

I had to start with this one, because the golden wines of Arbor are presented as the best wine of the Seven Kingdoms, known for its sweet and delicious flavor, not to mention his drinkable character. Wine is drunk mostly by the ruling and wealthy class, and is considered a treat every time it is consumed. Arbor is a large island off the southwest coast of Westeros, separated from the mainland by the Redwyne Strait. This land belongs to the Redwyne family, which controls a large fleet. It's not for nothing that their crest is a bunch of grapes and their motto "Ripe for victory ! ".

The best real world equivalent for this noble noble wine can only be Sauternes. This wine is known to be affected by noble rot — le botrytis cinerea —. This wine is produced in the Bordeaux region. It is reputed to have been Napoleon's favored drink and is often touted as one of the most delicious and sweet wine products made in the world.. Château d'Yquem is the best example of what our golden arbor wine could be.. The price of a bottle can easily exceed thousands of euros. This golden yellow wine produced using the Sémillon grape - and often blended with sauvignon to give it acidity and help balance the wine - is a sweet wine.

Sauternes offers magnificent aromas of flowers and fruits that blend to create a complex and balanced bouquet.. We can find primary almond aromas, hazelnut, quince, mango, pineapple, roast peach, dried apricot and passion fruit. It also has beautiful floral notes : tilleuls, acacia, mimosa and honeysuckle and beeswax. In the mouth, the wine is powerful and fat, with a beautiful elegance and a powerful sweetness — i swear it is possible —, as well as a magnificent finale !

“You see the wonders that can be done with lies and the golden wines of Arbor ? » Lord Petyr Baelish

The acidic red wines of Dorne – Nebbiolo

Although very acidic, Dorne wines are known to be delicious all the same. They are simply the opposite of the golden wines of Arbor. This red wine is balanced and is appreciated by the wealthy and merchants alike.. Dorne is the southernmost region of the Seven Kingdoms and under the suzerainty of House Martell of Sunspear. Although the motto of this house is "Insoumis, undefeated, intact », we will all remember the combat opposant Oberyn Martell, said the Red Viper and the Mountain… — I still have spam and a tear in my eye —

The real equivalent is necessarily an Italian wine. Nebbiolo is a Piedmont wine that could satisfy kings for high quality wines, like the simple merchants for the simplest wines. The Barolo and Barbaresco appellations have smoky aromas, red and black tarry fruits. But also spicy notes, rose petals, ripe plum, licorice, or truffle. By adding well-controlled woodiness, we obtain one of the wines with the most complete aromatic palette that can be found in a wine.

“Every man needs a pitcher of sour red, dark as blood… or a woman. » Sandor Clegane

The fortified wines of Dorne from Game of Thrones – Porto

Definitively, Dorne seems to be a good place to live ! The wine is described by Tyrion Lannister as having "a languorous, heady taste on the tongue, the color of a purple so dark it looked almost black in the dark cellar. "

There is certainly no better wine than Port to match this description.. This wine from Portugal is fortified, this means that during its production alcohol or brandy has been added to preserve residual sugar and obtain a round wine, supple and opulent on the palate. Port is produced in the mountainous landscape to the east of the Douro Valley, in the north of Portugal. Grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, the Touriga Francesa or the Tinta Barroca give a great diversity of aromas depending on the method of production and conservation. The Porto Ruby retains youthful aromas of stewed red and black fruits, of kirsch and nice notes of spices and cocoa. Porto Tawny has a more complex character with roasting, dried fruits, candied fruit, nuts, tobacco, leather, of wax…

"More wine [fortified Dorne], Your Grace ? Lancel Lannister

Sweet wines from the Reach of Game of Thrones – Sangria

High quality red and fruity wine is produced on the coast, but most of the vines are cultivated in the land. These wines translate into fruity, a sweet aspect and a high alcohol content. They are not very popular with the upper classes, but they help the peasants to work the land all day.

Highgarden is the regional capital ruled by the wealthy House Tyrell. This region is reputed to be the most fertile in all of Westeros, and no wonder they make wine there. The vine needs to be stressed to give the best of itself.. The motto of House Tyrell is "Grow with Vigor.", and grapes and spices are no exception to this motto. Their regional specialty is a red wine enhanced with sugar and spices called hypocras.

“I could have hired a man to kill Bronn for half of what I spent on hypocracy. » Cersei Lannister

The wines of Castral Roc – Amarone della Valpolicella

Castral Roc is the Mecca of the Lannisters, certainly the most power-obsessed family, money and its inheritance. The most famous motto is "A Lannister always pays his debts", but the real motto of the family is "hear me roar ! ". The wines produced in the region are wines known for their price… But beyond that, the wine is nowhere near that good.

Amarone della Valpolicella is an Italian dry red wine made with dried grapes produced in the province of Verona, in Veneto, in northeastern Italy. Grapes from indigenous Corvina grape varieties, Rondinella and Molinara are harvested late, then they are air-dried for two to three months before vatting them with the pulp of the grapes. Generous in alcohol and long in the mouth, fruity, powerful and complex like a Lannister and concentrated in aromas, it is a wine to keep for a long time to gain in complexity. Amarone is one of the most famous and expensive wines in Italy : a four- to five-year-old bottle from a modest producer is worth more than 30 euros and some bottles that are several years old are worth several hundred. — a Lannister always pays his debts ! —

« Your skies were too gray, your wines too sweet, your women as chaste, your food too bland… " Oberyn martell

Lys white wines – Viognier from Languedoc

Non contractual photo

List, also known as the beautiful Lily, is one of the nine Free Cities and is located on an island southwest of Essos. Southernmost free city, it is known to house alchemists who are experts in the manufacture of poisons, including the choke, which they administer using hollow rings. The city is also the place of manufacture of Larmes de Lys. Producing wine is often likened to the profession of an alchemist, no wonder they have the resources to produce superb white wines. The city is also famous for its openness and its houses of pleasure. Prince Oberyn being young, he was exiled to this island where he certainly discovered his taste for good things.

In the middle of the summer sea, the island is certainly crossed by southerly winds and particularly sunny. A viognier from Languedoc-Roussillon renowned for being very aromatic with a complex and refined palette matches very well the complex image of refinement and lust of this island.. Viognier can develop fruit aromas : apricot, White peach, pear or exotic fruits ; but also floral : violet, honey ; or sweet spices, gingerbread.

" Now, what will i buy with 100 dragons d’or ? A dozen barrels of Dorne wine ? Or a girl from the pleasure houses of Lys ? » Petyr Baelish

The pale green wines of Volantis – Rhone Valley

Located in the southwest of Essos, Volantis is at the mouth of the Rhoyne on the summer sea. The city and the region thirst for wars and wine. Volantis is the oldest free city. The vast majority of the city's inhabitants are slaves, who occupy all kinds of functions. Volantis is an important commercial crossroads where many ships stop over., but also a major producer of wine and beer.

Of course, mellow red wines as well as white wines are produced there.. Very south, we can easily compare Volantis to the Rhône Valley and its hot and dry climate where very good red wines are produced there. White wines made from Grenache grape varieties, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier offer citrus scents, white fruits and very pure flowers such as acacia and violet.

"Kayla is famous here in Volantis … in some circles. She is one of four women in the world who can make a proper Meereenese Knot. » Tyrion Lannister

All you have to do is sit comfortably on your sofa watching the new season of Game of Thrones, a good glass of wine in hand ! Personally, it will be a port and you ?

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin