We’ve all been there, the day of our dinner party arrives, and suddenly panic hits in. The casserole has, in what seems like seconds, become charcoal, the kids have decided now is the time to dump all of their Lego across the floor and to top it off two extra guests have somehow made their way onto the guest list. Making you tense just reading this? Never fear, as we have a time-tested way of making any dinner party amazing... a bottle of fabulous French wine! Our wine expert, Daniel Elswood, is here to share his suggestions of the best French wines for five different occasions to upscale your wine drinking and impress your guests.
1. Celebration Time
Is it a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, or just the end of a long week? No matter what you’re celebrating, there’s no better way to do it with bubbles, and there’s no better way to do bubbles than with a delicious French Champagne. Daniel would suggest going for a Dom Perignon, a Roederer Cristal or a Charles Heidsieck to really start the party, with good vintages including 1996, 2002 and 2004.
2. Garden Party Chic
Although a great dry white wine is great in all sorts of occasions, there’s nothing better than a nice, refreshing glass with the sun warming your back. Although they are often overlooked when it comes to excitement, there are some wonderfully rousing names in this category. Keep an eye out for names such as Premier Cru or Grand Cru white burgundy. The best dry whites come from single vineyards in burgundy villages such as Puligny or Chassagne, and the showstopper of these is a Montrachet, the most famous Grand Cru. Every week we hold a Burgundy Crus auction in which you can find some of these wonderful wines.
3. Relaxing With a Glass of Red
Who doesn’t love sitting around with friends and sipping on a good, flavourful red? But if you want to up your style whilst doing it, how about serving a bottle of a genuine ‘First Growth Bordeaux’? Names such as Lafite, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux and Haut-Brion will make any wine aficionado’s ears prick up. Years including 1999, 2001 and 2006 have a great maturity, so look out for those in our wine auctions.
4. Satisfying a Sweet Tooth
France again is far ahead of their competitors when it comes to sweet wines, particularly from the regions of Sauternes and Barsac. The absolute crème de la crème, and one of the best wines in the world is Château d'Yquem. A half bottle will satisfy 6 of the pickiest guests, and accompanies perfectly desserts or certain blue cheeses. Every month we hold a d'Yquem auction which includes an array of vintages from 1900 to 2011.
5. Finishing the Night
There is no better way to end a meal than to offer up a mature bottle of luscious vintage port. Some people class port as ‘out of fashion’, but a good port is pure style and will never not be a treat. Some of the best years include 1963, 1966 and 1970, and popular names such as Taylor’s, Graham or Warre won’t disappoint. With port, serving is an artform in itself, so decant carefully, serve with a good slab of Stilton and always pass the decanter to the left!
Now is the time to upscale your wine collection by taking part in our weekly Wine auctions. Throw a party, host a gathering or use the holidays as your excuse and you never know, it may become a tradition!