“ I remember the frustration I felt in a starred restaurant when I was pregnant ”, recalls Argentina’s Paz Levinson, head executive sommelier of the Pic group. “The others took advantage of the food and wine pairings, I was in the water with the impression of being punished. “ In the restaurant three macarons in Valence (Drôme), as in other establishments (Paris, London, Lausanne, Megève, Singapore) headed by chef Anne-Sophie Pic, the one who was crowned best sommelier in the Americas in 2015 is now attached “To provide a sublime experience, with or without alcohol”.
At Mirazur, served in a champagne glass, citron kefir, sweetened with a drop of almond syrup, invigorates the palate when it comes to appetizers.
Even if a voluminous wine list remains an essential asset for any French gastronomic restaurant, the almost virgin territories of associations between food and non-alcoholic drinks are proving to be fascinating to explore. Fruit of constant exchanges between the sommelier and the kitchen teams, these new horizons are explored by means of infusions, extractions, distillates, clarifications, syrups, exploiting fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, dairy products, for a creative range of beverages and “pairings” (a word used in cooking to speak of a taste accord) to make lovers of good bottles jealous. “This work allows even more precise associations because we control them from start to finish”, insists Paz Levinson.
A type of initiative that is beginning to attract other chefs – Alexandre Mazzia, in Marseille; Mauro Colagreco, in Menton; Reine Sammut, in Lourmarin; Laurent Petit, in Annecy; Florent Ladeyn, in Lille… To the delight of the growing number of abstinent customers (who refrain from drinking alcohol) for reasons of health, philosophy, religion, age, work or safety road.
Logically, this creativity without ethanol first developed in countries less deeply attached than France to a wine culture. Like the Danish René Redzepi, at Noma in Copenhagen, the new Scandinavian wave launched this trend ten years ago. “ It was while working at Maaemo, a gourmet restaurant in Oslo, seven to eight years ago, that I discovered these menus combining dishes with specially profiled concoctions for customers who do not drink alcohol or want to eat. try other experiments ”, recalls Thomas Lorival, responsible for five years with the sommellerie of Clos des sens, the three-star restaurant of chef Laurent Petit, in Annecy.
You have 73.83% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.