@smakoladka Thanks to Olga Kudriavtseva / Unsplash

What wine to drink with strawberries?

The month of April begins and, with it, the first French strawberries. Always pressed, the Plougastel strawberry occupies the pole position on the stalls of the primeurs, followed by the selva, then the gariguette of the south of France and the mara des bois. All of these varieties – there are more than 600 – have different flavors. They are also more or less sweet and their level of acidity fluctuates according to their maturity. But here, an harmonious pairing depends above all on how they are prepared. A chilled strawberry soup, for example, requires a tender and light wine with red fruit flavors. This type of dessert where we play on the sugar side of the fruit calls for a delicate and sweet wine, capable of competing with the flavors of strawberry and syrup while rounding out the astringency brought by the grains of the fruit.

So which vineyard to turn to?

To a Bugey-Cerdon to begin with. The Renardat-Fache estate, in Mérignat, in the Ain, is a remarkable product. Blending Gamay and Poulsard, this natural sparkling wine with pretty flavors of red fruits (Morello cherry) matches wonderfully with strawberry soup. The fine effervescence and low degree give it a remarkable freshness that balances the sweetness. Also try a well made Cabernet d’Anjou. This Ligurian appellation famous for its soft rosés (10g of residual sugar per liter minimum) was famous in the mid-20th century. It has become overused but fortunately, some winemakers still deliver very beautiful expressions. Like the Cabernet d’Anjou of the Vincent Ogereau vineyard or that of the Guyon family, Gamay wines, young and fruity, without tannins, are also an enchantment with a chilled strawberry soup.

La Revue du vin de France April 2025