Last week, I had the opportunity to take part in a unique tasting experience, as the winemakers behind Sonoma’s Vérité returned to France for a wine-pairing dinner.
Vérité may be an American wine, but the winemakers behind it – the Seillan family – are decidedly French. So it seemed appropriate that these bold American vintages be paired with a decidedly French meal at the Michelin-starred le Taillevent, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe.
I had the joy to be seated next to Monique Seillan, matriarch of the family, during the meal. She shared with me how frequently she finds that people impose a three-meat tasting with these robust reds, noting that the family’s wines pair just as well with fish.
I was by no means obliged to take her at her word: our very first course was a delicious red mullet served with a rich sauce and butternut topping. It was the perfect example of how an imposing Merlot-dominant blend like Vérité’s 2010 La Muse can indeed pair well with a lighter ingredient.
The next dish was a rather unique play on a Wellington made not with beef but with pigeon.
Layered with olives and turnips, this dish was rich and just gamey enough to stand up to 2005 La Joie’s more cab-forward flavor. (It was also paired with some of the richest, creamiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever tried.)
Dessert was a gorgeous chocolate creation with black tea and blackberry, which played nicely with the 2008 Désir.
All in all, it was a delicious experience made all the more enlightening thanks to the presence of the winemakers themselves.
