The Best Escargot Pairing
I’m a huge fan of teachers in general, but my nine-year-old’s teacher got him to try escargot, so she now resides in a new eschalon of awesomeness in my book. He came home one night talking about something that Ms. Sarah had tried, thinking she wouldn’t like it, but did actually like it. It was called escargot, and he was interested in it. I immediately snatched up the opportunity to get my kid to try a new thing and called my French friend Julie to hatch a plan. Indeed I’d called the right person! Within two days, we were gathered in my kitchen, cooking escargot and popping the corks on the Damien Hugot Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc and the 2017 Auxey-Duresses “Les Clous” from Jacques Bavard—each stunning and perfectly suited to our meal.
Julie procured the escargot, and I was in charge of the wines. I started us off with Damien Hugot Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne $34.99. First of all, hats off to Gary Westby’s Champagne program. Grower-producer, Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs for $34.99? I had to try it. And it definitely delivered. This is an extremely elegant wine that balances fine acid with sweet, ripe green apple fruit, and a generous depth and creamy texture. Its sophistication absolutely belies its price tag, and I’m picking up some more for holiday parties!
While we sipped on this lovely aperitif, I learned that escargot is a breeze to make. The key ingredient is actually a tool: a cassolette, or, less ceremoniously in English, an escargot dish. Once you have that, you can purchase canned escargot on Amazon, prepare a shallot-garlic-herb butter, and simply roast in the oven at 375. In the meantime, my son prepared homemade pasta for the main and pastries for the dessert. Proud mama!
When it was time to sit down to dinner, I opened a bottle of 2017 Jacques Bavard Auxey-Duresses 'Les Clous' Blanc $29.99. The wines of Jacques Bavard are my absolute go-to for daily Burgundy drinking, and I highly recommend checking them out while we have them in stock (I’m not the only fan out there, and they often go fast). His wines walk the perfect tightrope of breadth and raciness. There’s a bright, high-toned acid, but balanced with body and soul. The Auxey-Duresses was full of savory character—earth and turmeric and deep orchard fruit. And coming from a great white Burgundy vintage, the acid was uplifting and on point. It went really well with the umami bomb of the escargot! Burgundy Buyer Alex Pross is always trumpeting the wines from Auxey, a-still-under-the-radar region that lies near Meursault, south of Cote d’Or, and I think he’s right on about value for your money. Plus, we directly import Bavard wines, so our price is phenomenal.
The true test: would the children like the escargot…? The verdict? Yes! An absolute hit! At least with the third graders present. My five year old would not even let it pass his lips, but that was to be expected. I’m still calling this a complete and utter success—from wine pairings to adventurous kids, it was an all around lovely evening.
- Kate Soto, Digital Content Specialist