Top food matches for Beaujolais (and other gamay)

Beaujolais - by which I mean red Beaujolais - is the most French of wines, the perfect wine pairing for a picnic or bistro meal.

It’s generally thought of as light and fruity, though it can also be quite full-bodied. In this post I’ll cover my favourite food pairings for specific types of Beaujolais (and other gamay). You’ll find it an enormously versatile wine.

Food-wise, it pairs with much the same ingredients and dishes as pinot noir, though gamay (the grape Beaujolais is made from) doesn’t have the best pinots’ complexity or silky, sensuous texture.

Beaujolais is almost always a winner with French charcuterie such as patés, terrines, rillettes, and saucisson sec and with white-rinded cheeses such as Brie and Camembert (provided they’re not overripe) but it’s a highly versatile wine that can easily take you through a meal where people are ordering different things.

Lighter styles of Beaujolais such as Beaujolais Nouveau, inexpensive Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, and lighter ‘cru’ (top level village) Beaujolais such as Fleurie or Chiroubles. (These wines can happily be served lightly chilled)

*Cold ham, especially the French jambon persillé (jellied ham and parsley)

*Cold turkey and chicken (Beaujolais is brilliant with Thanksgiving or Christmas Day leftovers)

*Salads, especially with chicken or bacon (think frisée with lardons) with pomegranate seeds, with berries like dried cherries or cranberries, or with goats cheese

*Seared tuna and salmon

*Fish stews like this cod pot au feu

*Sushi, if you like a red with it

*Strawberries (delicious with a young fruity Beaujolais poured over them)

More Full-bodied or More Mature Beaujolais

From riper vintages e.g. 2018, 2020 or weightier crus such as Morgon, Julienas, and Moulin à Vent

*Simply roast chicken, guineafowl, duck, or partridge

*Seared duck breast, especially with fruit like cherries or figs

*Classic French dishes in a creamy sauce like chicken with tarragon or kidneys with mustard sauce or even a retro boeuf stroganoff

*Simply grilled pork, lamb, or veal

*Toulouse or other garlicky sausages and lentils. (See also this quirky match with Toulouse sausage and prawn dumplings!)

*Steak tartare, as you can see from this post

*Bavette or hanger steak - the classic ‘steak frites’

*Confit duck

*Coq au vin or oeufs en meurette (Beaujolais makes a good red wine sauce)

*Fruity tagines like this lamb tagine with dates, prunes, and apricots

*Vegetarian dishes with butternut squash or sweet potato

See also What to Pair with Beaujolais Nouveau

There’s a more extensive list on the Beaujolais website

Photo ©jackmac34 at Pixabay.

The best food pairings for Barolo and Barbaresco

The food of Piedmont in north-west Italy is as highly regarded as its wines so it makes sense to make the local dishes your first choice if you’re looking for a match for a bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco.

I’ve grouped the two wines together because although there are differences between them their similarities are greater and the same kind of food will work with both.

More significant is the age of the wine - older vintages with their ethereal flavours and silky texture need a little more respect so don’t overwhelm them with rich sauces.

* feathered game such as partridge, pheasant, wild duck and pigeon and other slightly gamey birds such as guineafowl and quail

* roast goose

* carne cruda - raw beef or veal prepared the Piedmontese way - or steak tartare. (Locals might well drink a Barbera or even a white such as Gavi or Favorita but Barolo and Barbaresco would be an equally good choice)

* grilled fillet steak

* braised beef in Barolo (brasato al Barolo) - better with younger wines

* delicately flavoured offal such as calves liver, kidneys and sweetbreads

* truffles. Although locally they tend to drink Barbera or Dolcetto with truffle dishes like fonduta and tajarin (egg noodles with butter and truffles), Barolo and Barbaresco work well with these dishes too - and any beef or veal dish with wild mushrooms or truffles

* risotto with porcini/ceps

* cheese. Not all cheeses - a powerful Castelmagno or Gorgonzola piccante would certainly knock the stuffing out of a delicate Barolo but milder cheeses such as robiolo, grana padano and ‘toma’-style cheeses are delicious. Wine-friendly goats’ and sheeps’ cheeses would also work well.

Note: You could also pair the same type of food with Langhe Nebbiolo which in the case of the best producers is similar to the quality of a Barolo or Barbaresco.