In the continuity of our first post on the French history of Wine & Food pairing, to help you succeed your own pairing, we present the reflections and some advices that Gaëtan Bouvier, best Sommelier of France in 2016 and elected one of the Best Workmen of France in 2022, gave recently in an interview.
«Two ways to explore»
Which wine should you offer when you sit down to dinner? That’s a tricky question. The wrong bottle can turn your meal sour. Beyond considerations of taste, there are a few rules, which sommelier Gaëtan Bouvier reveals to you.
What are the main rules for pairing a dish with a wine?
“It’s customary to say that there are two paths to explore: the ‘accord de raison’, in which the smells, aromas, flavours and textures of the dish and the wine would be similar; and the ‘accord d’opposition’, in which we try to create a balance between the sensory profiles. These are the two approaches to consider when starting the exercise. After that, you realize that an infinite range of paths emerge as you practice the discipline. The path I prefer is that of tasting the wine first and then tracing the technical cooking routes and products in a second stage. This stimulates those who are passionate about cooking, who find themselves challenged by the wine.
Can we rely on the color match between red wine and red meat, white wine and white fish?
If we speak basic color, we can add the rosés, clairets (clear red wine), yellows and orange wines, and, for muted, garnet, tuilés, ruby, tawny. Then, each color offers its gradient. The former cook that I am has explored this path, even going so far as to be inspired by paintings made by painters. Neuroscience shows that what we see conditions our organoleptic sensations. I recognize that a rosé on salmon works very well. This changes when the wine is served in a black glass.
What do you think of local pairings, such as Sancerre with a crottin de Chavignol?
The origin of products often creates this taste effect that reveals a region. It’s one of the simplest approaches, but also one of the most effective. Leonardo da Vinci said that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. I find this quote inspiring.
With a dish in sauce, what would you rather focus on?
I think the sauce is a unifying element that brings together the components of a dish. It cements the dish. Great chefs like Yannick Alléno, 3-star Michelin chef at the Pavillon Ledoyen restaurant in Paris, have worked in depth on this subject. In my sommelier case, I always have a mocha spoon to taste the sauces of the chefs with whom I work. Cooking a sea fish like a civet and serving it with a powerful red wine has helped me win the loyalty of many customers.
And champagne, with what should it be paired?
Champagne is the most beautiful sparkling wine in the world. It benefits from an exceptional terroir and know-how. In Champagne, the soil, made up of chalk, marl and limestone, has the memory of water. A poached sea fish, or with short-stewing cooking, leaves its mark in the memories of those who try this art.