Sommelier Notes for December

by Bill Summerville

DECEMBER IN PARIS IS A TREASURE

This month’s menu is recalls an extended December weekend I spent in Paris. The chill in the air had the tourists away and so we wandered (the French have a word for someone who does this- Flâner) through the streets meandering as we wished. It was mid-morning and we stopped at Baron Rouge for oysters. We stood on the street and slipped these little briny beasts down our throats, she drank champagne and I had muscadet, both notoriously known for playing well with freshly shucked oysters.

Be sure to ask for champagne from a grower-producer. This is a champagne producer who grows all their own grapes- very important. They oversee every aspect of the grape’s maturation unlike the big producers, who grow grapes, but also buy grapes in bulk like a commodity. Larmandier-Bernier is a favorite grower-producer.

Muscadet and champagne will go well with both the Grand Aioli and the oysters. Most whites will, but I’ve been recently drawn to wines from coastal regions for seafood- Rias Baixas, Txakoli, Sherry, Provence, Liguria, Campania.

Champagne and other bubbles will go well with the Pike Quenelle and it’s Sauce Nantua contrasting the richness of the dish. For a fun complementary pairing try a savory chardonnay from the Jura region or for adventure try a fino sherry and see how the briny viscosity of the sherry melds with the sauce. Avoid lighter whites.

Invigorated, refreshed and almost a little hungrier we wandered again. We entertained crossing the Seine to go to our favorite hors d’oeuvres bar, L’Avant Comptoir, but opted for discovering something new. And so we continued on until, looking up at the same time we saw Le Rubis, a zinc bar. Inside a few men in blue coveralls were just done with work and snacking on cured meats and drinking red wine.

I ordered what they were having. It turned out to be a simple burgundy and really good. We ate a type of meat wrapped in a savory pastry. She again had bubbles and commented how surprisingly beautiful it was with the meat pastry.

The beauty of beef tenderloin is in its tenderness and when combined with the mushroom duxelles and wrapped in pastry it becomes a regal and sensual dish worth celebrating with the unusual idea of champagne; an older, oxidized bottling would really do the job. Of course, at this point in December’s menu you may be craving red. Again, look for a celebratory wine, but stay away from anything too light or too heavy. A richer pinot noir from Burgundy or the states would do beautifully as would Barolo, Brunello or a classic Rioja.

We left in a bit of a reverie and walked quietly in no particular direction.
It does not matter where you are in Paris.
You are in Paris.