Now that you’ve celebrated the 4th of July with some great American wine, grab a bottle of Champagne and get ready for France’s independence celebration. The French equivalent of July 4th is Bastille Day, July 14. On July 14, 1789, French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, a notorious Paris prison, and turned the tide of the struggle in their favor. Since then the French have celebrated their independence much like Americans do -- with family, friends, firecrackers, flags, picnics, leisurely meals and plenty of good food and wine. The French drink mostly French wine, and who can argue with that? Vive la France!
To host your own Bastille Day fête, think like the French. Pair food with wine in multiple courses starting with an apéritif and hors d’oeuvres and ending with dessert and a digestif. The French are famous for savoring their long, lovingly-prepared meals and since Bastille Day falls on a Sunday this year, there’s plenty of time to put together your own Bastille Day event.
Start with an apéritif, which, strictly speaking, is an alcoholic beverage meant to whet the appetite. In France, popular apéritifs include Lillet, a famous French liqueur, and vermouth. Another traditional apéritif is Kir Royale, which is white wine or Champagne mixed with a bit of crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur. You can find a nice Kir Royale recipe here. A simple flute of Champagne is also traditional, and given the happy, fire-cracking sound made when you pop the cork from the bottle, Champagne is perfect for Bastille Day.
Next comes the hors d’oeuvres course, which never, or rarely, includes cheese. Cheese is considered an after-dinner course, especially when served alone on a cheese board. More on that in a minute. Instead the French love paté, savory tarts made with vegetables, crudités (raw vegetables served with garlic and olive oil dips), and salmon tartare. Wines that pair well with almost any traditional hors d’oeuvres are lighter - and medium-bodied whites or rosés, and for those who insist on red wine, a lighter Beaujolais. Excellent whites for hors d’oeuvres include white Bordeaux, generally a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The wines are crisp and dry. Some of the lighter Provencal rosés are also ideal. If your guests prefer tostick with Champagne, either vintage or non-vintage, no French person would argue with that!
For your main course, how about that bistro classic, steak frites? Yes, it’s steak and fries, but the French have a way with parsley, shallots and garlic that makes the dish heavenly. Here's a great steak frites recipe. Any red Bordeaux from a First Growth to a simple Bordeaux Superieur is perfect. If you’re planning a porkdish with a southern French provenance, try a Rhone red, either a Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Côtes du Rhône. The French love dishes with duck and rabbit and both pair well with medium-bodiedreds, such as lighter Burgundies, or bigger whites, such as a classic Chardonnay or Rhone white, like Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc or Condrieu.
The French love fish, and a classic is Mediterranean-inspired bouillabaisse, fish stew with a garlicky, tomato base. One of the many charms of this beloved stew is that it pairs with whites, of course, and some reds. If you’re leaning toward whites, try a Sancerre, one of the best appellations for crisp,flinty Sauvignon Blanc. Or try an Aligoté, a white grape from Burgundy usually overshadowed by Chardonnay,though Aligoté has its own, distinctive, citrusy flavor profile. For red drinkers, offer a lighter Burgundy or Beaujolais.
The French eat green salad next as a palate cleanser. So,serve a simple green salad next. Guests can continue drinking whatever they had in their glass from the previous course or move to a white. And now (drum rollplease), comes the cheese course. The French believe salt comes before sugar, so they serve cheese boards with an array of several cheeses before serving dessert. Fruit may be offered with the cheese, which ideally is an assortment of fresh goat cheese, a blue cheese, and a hardcheese, perhaps a Comte. Again, diners may want whatever they still have in their glass. Another good idea is a dry or off-dry Riesling from Alsace.
If you have room for dessert, there are classics from a tarte tatin, or French apple tart, to prunes in Armagnac, a southern French staple. Whatever you serve, consider offering famous French digestifs, like Cognac, Armagnac and Benedictine. À votre santé!
