The perfect pairing with… mushrooms

What are the mushroom’s organoleptic properties?

Beginning with the palate, most recognisable are its humus, wet undergrowth, earthy, animal, walnut and vegetal flavours. On the nose, its aromas will easily conjure up olfactory memories, the scent of forest walks as a child, picking mushrooms on meadows and in woodlands. In terms of texture, it all depends on the variety and how it is cooked: ceps can be melt-in-the-mouth or fatty while girolles can be crunchy or meaty.

How to pair a wine with a mushroom

Tertiary aromas and flavours–vegetal, wet earth and leather that we find in certain mature wines–make the perfect accompaniment when serving dishes containing mushrooms. In fact, over the course of ageing, some red wines tend to develop notes of damp leaves, humus and undergrowth, while white wines are more likely to evolve towards wax, walnut or even truffle aromas. Wine and mushrooms may seem worlds apart but they have more in common than you’d think!

A number of factors determine whether a wine and a mushroom will make a good match: the variety, taste and mouth feel of each, but also the other ingredients such as cream, butter, cheese, sauce and fresh herbs in the dish.

How about, for example, serving a cep carpaccio with our white Hermitage Laurus 2015 for its sweet honey and acacia flower notes as well as its creamy, round palate. The perfect foil to the crunchy, vegetal flavours of raw cep. On the other hand, for a runny cep omelette oozing a combination of earthy and oily flavours, a red Crozes Hermitage Laurus 2015 with melted tannins will do just the trick.

Our pairing suggestions with horns of plenty

A hare or rabbit stew with horns of plenty is the perfectly rich and hearty dish to herald the beautiful autumnal season! Comfort food at its finest, serve it with a pleasantly nutty side of spelt. Complex and rich on the nose, our Châteauneuf du Pape Laurus 2013 evolving into animal and undergrowth notes will mingle wonderfully with the mushroom flavours. Its round palate will blend equally well with its creamy sauce.

Our pairing suggestions with ceps

A true classic: cep risotto with cream and parmesan. Roasted hazelnuts and rocket leaves are the ideal garnish on the velvety rice. A white Côtes du Rhône Laurus 2016, well balanced and wonderfully persistent, brings the point of freshness this dish needs while preserving its suave quality.

We also recommend trying out our favourite recipe from Cuisine et vins de France magazine. A cep and foie gras fricassee served with a white Condrieu Laurus 2015. The buttery and white fruit notes along with the wine’s full-bodied and round texture are the ideal contrast to the vegetal and animal flavours in this dish.

Our pairing suggestions with girolles

How does a Côtes du Rhône Villages Laurus 2014 and a Bigorre pork filet mignon accompanied with a girolle and shallot fricassee sound? A match bursting with refined flavours! The softly melted tannins in the wine strike the perfect balance with the pleasingly harmonious flavours in this dish.

Another recommendation is chicken stuffed with mushroom butter (girolles, ceps, porcini) from Cuisine et Vins de France, which suggests choosing a mature wine with melted tannins. Our Gigondas Hommage à Gabriel Meffre 2013 makes the perfect accompaniment as the other half to this luxury pairing.

Surf & turf with a difference

A plate of scallops – or skin-seared white fish – served with pan-fried girolles has all the meaty richness of a classic surf and turf pairing. A white Condrieu Laurus 2015 makes the right choice for its mineral quality, creamy yellow fruit aromas and floral elegance.

Still have questions about which wines to pair with your mushroom dishes? Our sommelier will be delighted to meet you at our wine merchant’s location and point you in the right direction!