France is the country of wine and gastronomy. One is rarely seen without the other. Each region has its culinary specialities and it will take more than just one trip to explore them all. It is a country that offers immense gastronomic breaks. A gourmet getaway is where you can combine great food and fine wines in the heart of a vineyard. Food and wine pairings are prominent in French cuisine. In addition to them taste local specialities with regionally produced wine. There’s something for everyone: Bordeaux is great for those who love specialities from the southwest, Burgundy is perfect if you’re after delicious gourmet cuisine. 

France is internationally recognised for its gastronomy and way of life. Since 2010, the French gastronomic meal and its rituals have been recognised as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage. The special attention paid to the pleasures of the table can also be found in everyday life. The French are very attached to the three-meal day. Traditionally, breakfast is eaten in the morning, lunch at around 1 pm and dinner at around 8 pm. If you have a sweet tooth, there is always a good pastry shop near you where you can meet for a chocolate éclair or lemon meringue tart. Restaurants also pay special attention to their dessert menus. It is far from uncommon to be offered a café gourmand – a coffee accompanied by tasty mini-pastries -at the end of a meal.

 In France, wine is the perfect companion of gastronomy. It highlights the dishes and awakens the taste buds. There are vineyards everywhere: in the Bordeaux region, Burgundy, Alsace, the Rhône valley, the Loire valley and the Mediterranean coast. There are even a few in Paris, on the heights of Montmartre. Visit the countryside and try them as you sample its cuisine. 

While the French is proud of their gastronomy and culinary specialities, they have also left room for cuisine from farther afield France is a multicultural country that is open to the world, and has varied and mixed cuisine. Most big cities have a large number of Chinese, Indian, Italian, North African, and African restaurants – and more. If you’re feeling homesick, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding specialities from back home. Vegetarian, pasta lover, meat-eater or fast-food fan, you will find what it takes to sate your appetite and taste buds.

Wine Paths has selected the best wine tours in France to offer travellers like you a unique opportunity to step into the extraordinary world of French wine. From hot-air balloon flights over world-famous vineyards in the Loire Valley to discovering the ancient underground cellars of Champagne or sharing rare Grands Crus vintages with the châteaux’s winemakers in Bordeaux.

French wine is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed in the world. Wine tourism in France is very distinct. Unlike other countries, France has managed -through centuries of maintained quality and to successfully transform their most renowned wine regions into international household names, so much so that one of them (Champagne)has become the global name for sparkling wines, although it cannot be legally used outside of the limits of the namesake region in northern France. Now, with so many regions, mouth-watering names and appellations to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide which wine route to explore first during a visit to the country.

No other world cuisine benefits from food and wine pairing as much as French food. The heart of French tradition is rooted in savouring the balance and flavours of food, both as individual ingredients and complicated dishes. A perfect French wine pairing only enhances the food. The French enjoy a glass of wine with many of their meals, a small luxury daily. This wine will be local, even a homegrown and made wine. Complex wines are kept for special meals and occasions. The Basic Rules on Pairing include things like: Red wine goes with meat, and white wine goes with seafood and poultry. Forget that rule and drink what you enjoy. The hard and fast rules for enjoying wine with food are now archaic and irrelevant and the point is to take pleasure in sipping the wine and enhancing your dining experience. If, like most people, you have a small number of wines that are your favourites and don’t do much experimenting beyond those few bottles, try pairing different varieties of wine with the meals you cook to understand the basics of wine tasting. The acidity, body, aromas, and flavours of wine are all factors to consider when searching for one to match a specific dish. These attributes mean different things to different palates.

Matching the food to wine is easier than it sounds. Determine if it is light, spicy, sweet, or rich, and match it to your dish. The rule of thumb is to pair wine with food that equals its intensity. A flavorful chicken recipe will go well with a light, spicy-sweet white, a steak with a heavier sauce to a full-bodied, strong red. Some common Food and Wine Pairings include- Sauternes with bleu cheese; Chardonnay with chicken, scallops, lobster, and brie; Sauvignon Blanc with shrimp, acidic pork, oysters, and whitefish; Pinot Noir with salmon, fatty fish, and duck; Zinfandel or red/white Burgundy with turkey, pheasant, and quail; Red Bordeaux with a lamb; Beaujolais with traditional pork; Cabernet Sauvignon with beef, venison, and grilled meat; Burgundy with braised meat and game; White wine served with skate wing with brown butter.

Goat Cheese (Chèvre) and Sauvignon Blanc (Loire) as simple as it sounds, fresh goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc are a match made in heaven. The pungent flavours found in earthy chèvre come alive when served alongside an acid-driven glass of Sauvignon Blanc. There are many more pairings that can be found all across France. To know more about food and the cuisine you should visit France.

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