Wine pairings: white wine for mussels
Mussels , everyone salivates over this dish originating in Belgium and which has become increasingly popular in the North of France. For some time, it has become the emblematic menu of Lille. It is found everywhere in France, whether in brasseries, pizzerias or Beijingers. Simple to cook and prepare, it is one of the first recognized fast foods in the French culinary tradition. To savor this delicious delicacy, it is best to accompany it with a good white wine . But which would be the most appropriate? We tell you everything in this article.
Which white wine for mussels?
The mussels are traditionally served on fries , garnished with cream, lemon, mushrooms, and curry. To perfect their cooking, cook for another 5 minutes over low heat. These are seafood that go perfectly with a lager . Although this pairing is ideal, they can pair very well with dry, young and lively white wines . These are actually not very sweet wines, 3 to 4 years old and endowed with a perfect taste acidity .
Obviously, we will avoid tannic red wines , which would create a certain bitterness to encroach on the iodized taste of the mussels. Mussels and red wine are therefore an agreement to be avoided. It is preferable to choose a simple wine with good effervescence to balance with the dish. Opt for example for the appellations of the Loire such as Sancerre , Touraine blanc , Pouilly fumé , Quincy and Rully . A Chablis with a fresh nose and a mineral mouthfeel is another possibility to accompany your mussel casseroles.
For more acidic or even nervous wines, choose a Muscadet or a large plant de pays, which will provide the freshness necessary to enhance the taste of your dish. Entre-deux-Mers could also lend itself to the game.
Mussels and rosé wines
If white wines go very well with mussels, it is clear that rosé wines, due to their lightness and their non-woody flavor, are excellent with this dish. For example, set your sights on a Coteau du Giennois , a Bordeaux rosé or a rosé from Provence . Whatever the type of mussels, rosé wine will balance very well with the menu, especially in summer.
Wine and different types of molds
However, the wine chosen will depend on the type of cooking. Faced with mussels in chicken sauce , mussels in Basquaise sauce , mussel soup , mussels marinières , mussels in curry, we will choose a specific wine.
If this dish is concocted with a little more curry, opt for a fairly powerful rosé wine with or tangy mouthfeel. For this, your best allies will be, among others, the Côtes du Rhône Village , Corbières and Bandol .
Wine and mussels with chicken sauce
If you have chosen to cook the mussels in chicken sauce, made with garlic cloves, fresh cream, onion and parsley, you should opt for a dry, light white wine with a lively and mineral mouthfeel. A white Touraine or a small Chablis is ideal to accompany this menu.
Wine and mussels with white wine and lemon sauce
Made with shallots, garlic cloves, bouquet garni and dry white wine, the mussels with white wine and lemon sauce are accompanied by light and mineral dry white wines . The white wines of Muscadet, Muscadet Sèvre and Maine combine perfectly with the acidity of this dish.
Wine and mussels with basquaise sauce
Basquaise sauce lover, opt for a light white wine and a nervous mouth. A large plant from the Nantes region or a white Irouléguy will be ideal to accompany your seafood with Basque sauce.
Wine and mussels
Mussels marinières are cooked in 4 main stages. The first is to clean the mussels and gently nest them in cold water. Second, put the mussels in a saucepan, add butter, shallots cut into small pieces and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Then, ice with white wine and season with pepper. The magic trick is to cook the mussels over high heat with a lid. Also, sauté the onions before adding the mussels. This will allow you to have melt-in-your-mouth mussels. Once the mussels have been shelled, remove them from the heat and serve them in a dish, adding the cooking juices.
Mussels marinières can be balanced very well with dry white wines with a nervous mouth. This is the case, for example, of the large Nantes country plants, the Muscadet . Dry sparkling wines such as Crémant d'Alsace or Vouvray can be served very well on marinière mussels.
A few names associated with mussels
- Between two seas
Located between the Dordogne and the Garonne, in the small villages and hilly landscapes, the Entre-deux-mers offers very nice surprises in terms of white, rosé and red wine. The dry white wines from this vineyard are ideal for serving mussels, due to their effervescence which would balance very well with the simplicity of the dish.
- Pouilly smoke
The Sauvignon Blanc vines of the Pouilly Fumé appellation flourish very well on the right bank of the Loire, opposite Sancerre . The estate produces typical, mineral and smoky wines that will go well with the sweetness of the marinière mussels.
To perfectly combine your dish, you can also opt for appellations such as Beaujolais , the gros plant du pays Nantais or a Mâcon . Quincy , Rully and Sancerre are also delicious to accompany your mussels.
However, if you need a wine to accompany your sweet tooth, opt for the organic wines lovingly selected by the Oé team. The wines are made from organic grapes which benefit from AB and vegan certifications.
