My Paris Wine Experience

 This summer, I was lucky enough to live in Paris alone for a little over a month. It was definitely a unique experience for me, and I wouldn't have gotten through it by myself without my extra special companions, books, food, and (most importantly,) wine. Now that I am back in Blacksburg and taking a wine course, I thought it would be interesting to revisit and discuss some of my favorite wines and pairings with my new basic knowledge that I got from the intro this week. 

 

Pinot Grigio & small bites

                                                                  Chardonnay paired with pesto linguine

                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                    Cotes de Provence (Rose)

One of the most memorable wines from my trip was at Le Relais De L'Entrecôte, a restaurant famous for serving exclusively steak frites with a starter salad. The only thing the servers ask you when you come to the table is how you would like your steak cooked (medium, obviously) and what you would like to drink with it. I opted for a half-bottle of 2017 Chateaux Victoria Bordeaux. This was a classic, savory red wine that paired perfectly with the tender steak and since it was a lighter red, it cut the richness and saltiness of the sauce perfectly. The half-bottle portion was just enough since I was dining alone. This whole dinner was really memorable for me because this restaurant was around 40 minutes away and it was my first major excursion alone without anyone showing me around! I managed to direct myself home in a foreign city after 1/2 bottle of wine and 1% phone battery so I consider this night to be overall a major success.

Another wine that I really enjoyed was at a dinner party at my host's apartment. A guest brought a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, a popular champagne. It's actually one of the largest Champagne houses, based in Reims. This champagne is definitely on the pricier side, so definitely not something I'd buy on my own but I really enjoyed it with appetizers! I'm glad I had the opportunity to try this delicious sparkling wine! It was incredibly light, bubbly, and refreshing. I remember that the flavor had hints of apple to me as well. This champagne was a wonderful start to the night! 

Towards the end of my trip, two of my close friends from home happened to be in Paris at the same time as me so we had an amazing lunch at Le Train Bleu, located inside Gare de Lyon in the 12th arrondissement. This legendary restaurant is intricately decorated with gold paneling and beautiful French paintings. We made a lunch reservation ahead of time, as it is nearly impossible to walk in and get a table. We wanted to have a simple white wine with our lunch so we chose this 2021 Cotes de Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc. It was light, fruity, and crisp. The service was excellent, we never had an empty glass because our server would periodically grab the bottle from the ice bucket and refill our glasses for us. We had an assortment of dishes that we all shared, all classic French dishes. This was a wonderful experience that I really recommend!