Nicolas La Madeleine’s food and wine pairing secrets

Festive meals are the perfect occasion to sublimate your dishes with carefully chosen food and wine pairings. From seafood platters to Yule logs, every dish deserves a special wine pairing. Here’s a complete guide to successful food and wine pairing during this festive season.

Champagne!

Champagne remains the guest of honor at festive meals, offering subtle pairings with a variety of dishes. For a gourmet aperitif with salmon toast or gougères, choose Champagne Nicolas Bio 2017 Brut Nature. Its brioche and yellow fruit notes add a touch of freshness and elegance. With foie gras, opt for a more mature Champagne like Grand Cru Nicolas Blanc de Blanc 2002. It offers sufficient aromatic depth and structure to accompany the richness of foie gras.

To enhance a seafood platter, Champagne Bollinger PN VZ19, a 100% pinot noir blanc de noirs, seduces with its minerality and saline finish that magnify iodized flavors. Finally, to end a meal on a festive note, a rosé champagne like Deutz Rosé balances lightness and freshness, perfect for a red fruit dessert or an iced log. For champagne-only diners, Cuvée 6 Cépages du Clos du Château de Bligny shines with elegance and versatility. It offers a refined experience from start to finish.

Seafood: minerality in the spotlight

To accompany a seafood platter, opt for dry, lively white wines. They are perfect for sublimating the delicacy of shellfish. The Magnum Coteaux du Giennois Blanc Bio Terre de Silex, by Famille Berthier, stands out for its remarkable tension. Meanwhile, Domaine des Émois Sancerre 2023 awakens the taste buds with its exotic fruit aromas and saline finish. These wines provide the ideal freshness to magnify oysters or lobster, offering a refined, elegant taste experience.

Festive poultry: soft and elegant

For turkey or capon, the elegance of light, refined red wines is a must. For a successful wine and food pairing, we recommend Le Moulin-à-Vent “Au Beau Moulin” 2020. With its silky tannins and aromas of black fruits and spices, it’s the perfect accompaniment to fine poultry. As for Chassagne-Montrachet Doudet Naudin 2023, it seduces with its amplitude and fruity notes, bringing a freshness and subtlety ideal for sublimating rich, festive dishes. These wines harmoniously complement the delicate flavors of these dishes, transforming each mouthful into a moment of refined pleasure.

Foie gras: tradition and originality

Sweet wines remain the traditional and essential companions of foie gras. Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Saint-Albert, with its bewitching aromas of quince and honey, envelops the palate in a subtle, refined sweetness. For those wishing to explore more daring pairings, Jurançon sec Cami Salié stands out for its dazzling freshness and liveliness. It creates a delicate, harmonious contrast with the richness of the foie gras. These choices each bring a unique dimension, tailored to the preferences of festive gourmets.

Salmon gravlax: between white and red

Gravlax or smoked salmon is an ideal companion for both a mineral white wine and a light red. Riesling Saering Grand Cru 2021, with its citrus and orange blossom aromas, is a perfect match for salmon. Pierre à Fusil, a delicate red from the Loire Valley, adds refined freshness and tension.

Vegetarian dishes: subtlety and complexity

An asparagus risotto calls for a white wine that will magnify its flavors. Cigalus Blanc, with its aromatic richness and gourmet notes of brioche and candied citrus, accompanies the creamy texture of the risotto. In contrast, Jean-Marc Brocard’s Petit Chablis seduces with its marked minerality, which balances and enhances the delicate, vegetal character of this dish. These two options offer the perfect harmony to sublimate a chic vegetarian meal.

Game and dishes in sauce: the power of full-bodied reds

Rich dishes, such as civet or game, deserve wines that are both powerful and spicy. Château La Grâce Dieu Les Menuts, with its intense aromas of leather and roasted spices, magnifies these robust dishes with its assertive structure. For an equally elegant alternative, Lionel Osmin’s Marcillac, a full-bodied red, goes perfectly with rich sauces.

Cheeses: from white to soft

To accompany a varied cheese platter, full-bodied or mellow white wines are perfect choices. Montagny Tête de Cuvée stands out for its ability to sublimate soft cheeses thanks to its rich, balanced texture. For a more gourmet experience, Château Bellerive Quart de Chaume 2013, with its delicate aromas of candied fruit and honey, brings an enveloping sweetness. These food and wine pairings create an exquisite harmony of textures and aromas.

Desserts: gourmet sweetness

Chocolate or red fruit desserts are perfectly balanced with natural sweet wines. Maury Vintage 2022, with its deep aromas of black fruit and roasted plum, is ideal for enhancing chocolate logs. Its aromatic richness is remarkable. Sao Pedro Das Aguias Ruby, a ruby port, seduces with its combination of chocolate and dark fruit aromas. Its delicate sweetness magnifies the flavors of fruity or chocolate desserts. These pairings create a refined, gourmet experience, ideal for concluding a festive meal.

Bubbles: an alternative to champagne

For an original alternative to champagnes, crémants offer an elegant, affordable option. De Chanceny Brut Nature 2015, a Crémant de Loire, stands out for its perfect balance of tension and freshness. With its finesse and aromatic complexity, it easily rivals the best champagnes. It adds a sophisticated, festive touch to your celebrations.

Serving temperature: A well-tempered wine reveals its full potential.

Contrasts or resonances: Match the wine to the dish by complementing or contrasting it.

WARNING: alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, and should be consumed in moderation.

Also read: Our best caviar spots in Paris