Among the pleasures nearly all French people hold dear is their wine. A meal just isn’t the same, unless it’s paired with a glass of wine. Whether you are visiting this beautiful country or planning to stay a while, unlike what you may have heard, one needn’t be a sommelier in order to pick an appropriate bottle to compliment one’s food.
Just as Belgium and Germany are known for their beers, it’s difficult to think of France and not imagine drinking wine. Although, you might be surprised learn that France is not the largest producer of wine. Spain edges out France in that category. After 7 billion bottles produced annually in France, after a point, does it really matter?
Winemaking is a tradition that France has been perfecting since the 6th century BC. While it might seem like a cliché to think of Romans being fed grapes and sipping on a glass of red wine, the image came from some place, and it’s likely an accurate depiction.
Although in the US, Americans are led to believe that a bottle’s taste instantly improves as the price tag increases, while this might be true of California varietals, this always isn’t in the case of French wine. Red, white, or rosé, it’s quite possible to find a good bottle without breaking your piggy bank. It’s not unheard of to pair steak au poivre with $5.00 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, especially when it’s being served in someone’s home.
Where to Buy Your Wine
If your holiday to France happens to take you anywhere near the Provence region, you wouldn’t want to experience their unique cuisine, which often includes herbes des Provence, their rolling hills that back into picturesque mountains and endless fields of lavender, without stopping in a wine cooperative or two.
In one such cooperative, arrive with a 2-gallon jug, leave with a blend of your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The best part is that you did the mixing yourself. Prefer more tannin? Have a 2:1 ratio of Cabernet:Shiraz. Prefer a slightly smoother ride on your pallet? Add a little Merlot to that mixture.
And of course if you have no aspirations to make your own concoctions, you can of course go to the Supermarket and purchase bottle that someone else already blended and corked in advance of your arrival.
