Crab tian and premier cru Chablis

I went to a very posh lunch at Fortnum & Mason last week (about which more to follow) which has to be the most festive place in London. If you’re in the vicinity this week make sure you check out their Christmas decorations department on the first floor. And don't miss the spectacularly expensive crackers! (I was told the £1000 boxes had already sold out.)

Anyway, we were upstairs in the boardroom where we dined on crab tian and venison Wellington (wrapped in mushrooms and pastry). The venison was paired very successfully with Fortnum’s Pauillac but it was the crab that to my mind was the even better match with their own label Chablis 1er Cru - a classic combination but none the worse for that.

As I’ve mentioned this week in the Guardian, Chablis isn’t the best match for turkey but it’s great with any Christmas shellfish. The 2010 vintage is showing well now and there are plenty of good offers around - see my column for a couple of suggestions.

We also drank Fortnum’s own rich, toasty 2002 vintage champagne which is made by Louis Roederer and fantastically good for the money (£37.50). Not so good with this way of preparing crab, though (too sweet). Chablis is the winner.

Chablis and snails

I’m a great believer in eating and drinking like the locals when I’m on holiday so when we stopped overnight at Le Pot d’Etain in L’Isle sur Serein in Burgundy last week there was nothing for it but to order a starter of snails with the Chablis we were drinking.

I realise this won’t go down that well with some of you - snails apparently topping the list of least favourite foods according to a survey that's just been released - but I must confess I like them.

The taste of course you’re matching is not the snails themselves (though they have an earthy quality that demands a wine of some power and persistence) but the garlic and parsley-flavoured butter that anoints them.

That calls for a crisp dry white in my book and none better than Chablis though the 2007 1er Cru Les Forests (right) from Vincent Dauvissat was probably a rather better example than we needed though it did come into its own with our mains of stuffed rabbit and sea bream with Mediterranean vegetables as you can see on my Facebook page. A young Chablis (2010 at the time of writing) or even Petit Chablis from a good producer would have been fine.

Other options would be Muscadet, Picpoul de Pinet and - oddly - a fresh style of non-vintage champagne like Taittinger which I can remember once drinking with snails in Reims. As you do.

Incidentally the Pot d’Etain is well worth an overnight stay not only for its snails and spectacular wine list but its really excellent cheeseboard which I’ve posted about on my cheese blog here.