Wine and food for a beginner (2015-2016)

 How I discover food and wine pairing and my love for seafood

My other friend Dominique lived in the middle of picturesque vineyards. He even had his own little garden with table grapes (and chicken). Walks at his neighbourhood were breath-taking, especially during autumn when the nature in the Loire valley is the most spectacular and vineyards with surrounding forests changed their colours from green to different shades of yellow, orange, red. By now I was already used to the sight of vineyards next to the roads but to spend days in the middle of them was completely new and incredible experience. It was like a fairy-tale for a girl who grew up in the middle of potato and cabbage fields.

That big tree is a walnut. We picked nuts from the ground as it did not seem to belong to anyone.

Dominique, as Caroline and Christian, liked to eat and drink well. He introduced me to oysters, snails, scallops. I had actually already had oysters when I lived in Rennes but my first impression was that they are overrated and tasting like liquid snails. By the time I moved to Angers, my taste had become more sophisticated.

Oysters straight from the market

Mussels cooked in white wine

Snails

Dog cockles (amades de mer – sea almonds in literal translation)

Two weird looking fishes. I do not remember what they were but apparently the taste was fine.

Once he even prepared me snails from his own garden. There was always different types of cheese, fresh breads, vegetables, meats, mushrooms. Before every meal, he asked me what I wanted to drink or presented different options and asked if anything would do as if I would know to pick anything else. I always accepted what was offered and trusted that this is the best choice to go with the meal or mood.

Thinking back now, I would not be surprised if he had introduced me to Champagne on one of those warm autumn weekends when we just had oysters and other exotic seafood just because why not. There did not have to be a special occasion for oysters. They were cheap and available. Back then I ate everything. Dominique said that it is trés important (very important) that a person knows how to enjoy life and it was cool that I wasn’t picky or afraid to eat with my hands when necessary.

Dominique also made his own walnut wine. As much as I remember, it was based on a red wine and aged on sugar and walnuts. It was a delicious dessert wine. I did not try to do it at home but I did get an idea to make vanilla infused rum from him. I did it myself the same autumn and again last one.

 

Vanilla bean cut to slices in a white rum (first try)

These culinary visits were the point where I started paying more attention to what I eat. I had discovered so many interesting dishes and combinations. I was and still am against the statements that food is merely a fuel for the body. Food and wine being important parts of life are some of the biggest pleasures to be enjoyed. This is definitely one of the things I picked up from my second stay in France.

Dominique was also the one who told me (when I said that there are decent wines for 3 euros) that these cheap wines that I used to buy are acceptable, not good but acceptable. I never saw him buying those wines.

My taste education rocketed. I realised that there is a difference between cheap and not so cheap wine. France is unarguably a very good place to get wine experience when on a budget and one does not need to buy 1.5 euro bottles to save money. I started buying wines with a thought that spending on bad wines is a waste of money. Of course I still ended up sometimes with unpleasant surprises but then I also knew what to avoid in the future. Thanks to my friends I also got a taste of over-my-budget wines and those that I would never know to buy. For the most part I only knew about Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes. I had heard something of Sauvignon Blanc and had tried some Rieslings. Unfortunately, I did not record the wines I tried with Caroline, Christian and Dominique. For sure I know that my experience was way wider than those grapes. Not long time ago while reading some wine books, I recognized Vouvray region. We drank wines from there many times in Chambray-les Tours, meaning that I was familiar with Chenin Blanc long before I know anything about this grape.

I might have been more educated about food and wine combinations and understood that I actually also like white wine (as long as it’s dry or in some cases semi-sweet) but my go to was still a 2 euro glass of decent tasting Merlot in my favourite bar Jokers in Angers. Barmen there were always more generous than their managers would expect. Once when I ordered another “un Merlot”, the barman came back with a glass of water (a hint that I had had enough?). I was staring at it and said that I did not order water. He had heard “un verre d’eau”. By the pronunciation, I can see the confusion. To apologize, he filled my glass about a centimetre over the measuring line on the glass and I got the water as well. And the night continued…