Aperitif: 6 Questions To Make A Success Of A Convivial Aperitif
The aperitif, a moment of conviviality par excellence, has become in recent years an art of living in its own right. Even if it is always possible to improvise an aperitif with ingredients from the cupboard, epicureans appreciate organizing real aperitif dinners where the appetizers are matched with the drinks. For all those who want to impress their guests, here is a practical guide on tableware, accessories and wine pairings for aperitifs.
1- Which tableware for the aperitif?
To organize a festive Aperitif in the rules of art, forget the basic glasses that you use every day!
The drinks you're going to serve will be better displayed if you purchase wine glasses, whiskey glasses and cocktail glasses from an online concept store dedicated to wines and spirits.
You can even find in this type of specialized online stores boxes dedicated to mixology.
Complete your tableware for the Aperitif with square or rectangular presentation plates and Nesting bowls in which you can serve assortments to pick from.
2- What accessories for the aperitif?
In addition to the tableware itself, wine and appetizer accessories are key to a successful aperitif.
Remember to equip yourself with boards to serve charcuterie or cheese and wooden or bamboo presentation trays.
If coasters and ice buckets are essential for the aperitif, other accessories, available at an online wine shop, are more specifically dedicated to the world of wine and oenology.
The essential accessories for the wine lover are the corkscrew, the wine cooler, the drip stop and of course the corks that allow to preserve a bottle after its opening...
What to pair with red wine ?
If you plan to serve a red wine for the aperitif, one of the most classic and convivial pairings is to offer your guests a charcuterie board.
Wooden Aperitif boards are easily found in online stores dedicated to the art of the table.
You will just have to garnish this board with regional products such as rosette of Lyon, mountain ham and a pork terrine for example.
For a vegetarian aperitif, you can also associate a Côtes de Provence with green tapenade toasts, a product that is generally unanimously appreciated among savory aperitifs.
What matches with rosé wine?
As soon as the warm weather arrives, it is common to serve a chilled rosé wine as an aperitif.
Although it is sometimes shunned by lovers of fine wines, rosé can also be enhanced by food and wine pairings for the aperitif .
This typical Provence wine pairs well with the sunny flavors of black or green tapenade, as well as with anchovy paste, eggplant caviar and sundried tomato spreads.
This fresh and fruity wine can also be served with seafood such as fish rillettes or shrimps with mayonnaise, provided you choose the driest rosés.
Have you ever thought of accompanying a rosé with verrines of fish soup for an original aperitif by the sea?
What to pair with white wine ?
If you want to honor marine flavors during your aperitif, you can bet on dry white wines.
Dry whites, regardless of their region of origin, go well with shellfish, fish rillettes and octopus. They can even be served with simple sardines in oil.
Also, if you plan to serve smoked fish such as salmon, trout or smoked eel, favor a mineral and very fresh white wine to counteract the fat and smokiness of your appetizers.
What matches with champagne?
If you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or host an 'all champagne' dinner party, here are the food and champagne pairings you need to know for a flawless aperitif.
When shopping for champagnes online, prefer natural or extra brut champagnes for the aperitif. This type of champagne will be perfect to awaken the taste buds of your guests as it is a bit lively and low in sugar.
Also note that the freshness of champagne is best paired with iodized foods. That's why we recommend that you plan an aperitif with shellfish or fish.
To accompany your bubbles, honor smoked salmon and fish rillettes or terrines.
