Food & Occasion

What pairs well with Crémant de Loire? In Saumur, pork comes first. Rillauds—slow-cooked pieces of pork belly seasoned simply with salt and pepper—are enjoyed warm with an Anjou red, but cold they go well with white wine or rosé, and just as well with a Brut, whose acidity and bubbles cut right through the richness.

Fouées are small round breads baked in a wood-fired oven, puffing up in mere seconds, crisp outside and soft within. They're typically filled with rillettes, fresh goat cheese or snail butter. A Saumur brut, with its freshness, slices cleanly through any of these fillings.

Gouline d'Anjou, a hearty pie filled with rillauds and mushrooms, arrives at the table gratinéed. Mushrooms have a long tradition in the region, since the old quarry galleries are also used for growing champignons.

From the river comes the classic dish of pike-perch with beurre blanc, a warm butter sauce made with shallots and vinegar. The acidity in Crémant de Loire cuts through the sauce, and its apple notes complement the delicate fish beautifully.

For dessert, there's Crémet d'Anjou, an airy cream made from whipped cream and beaten egg whites, typically served with a glass of semi-dry Crémant de Loire that balances the dessert's sweetness with its own acidity.

The houses open their cellars to visitors, and those who descend can enjoy a glass right where the bottle once rested. For an aperitif, rillettes on toasted white bread and a few pieces of fresh goat cheese are all you need. Well chilled and sipped slowly, it's the simplest way to bring the whole region to your table.