Whether to prepare a dish for a potluck gathering or to host your entire family at home, we sometimes find ourselves in need of a little inspiration. To rekindle the culinary flame and add diversity to the menu, turn to world cuisine and its thousand and one flavours. At the heart of this taste adventure for pairings? California wines, which pair wonderfully with a myriad of dishes. This sought-after region benefits from an equation that makes them very versatile: a New World style combined with grape varieties from the Old Continent and a viniculture filled with modernity and curiosity. Check out these 12 California wines and their pairings to prove our point.

Chardonnay and butter chicken

Partially aged in French oak barrels, this Chardonnay cuvée offers aromas of lemon curd, apple, toasted oak and baking spices. The finish is long and persistent with notes of fresh pear and pineapple.

Indian butter chicken

Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Cabernet and roast turkey

The very first vintage created by the estate, it was the wine that started the adventure by establishing the framework and rigour in the development of their range of products. This wine is a great success with customers thanks to its charm, supple tannins and versatility at the table.

The perfect roast turkey

Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10 to 12 servings

Cabernet and chimichurri

The Francis Ford Coppola website explains well that the “Director's Cut represents our winemaker's vision of varietal wines, which express the true character of the appellation." The generous palate of this cuvée offers flavours of juicy blackberry, black cherry, allspice, star anise and coconut.

Beef tenderloin with chimichurri sauce

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 10 to 12 minutes
Servings 4

Cabernet and beef bourguignon

This is a Cabernet that is both rich and elegant with notes of black fruits, coconut, pastry and tobacco. The full-bodied palate offers beautiful roundness and supple tannins as well as flavours of very ripe fruit, namely plum and black cherry.

Beef blade roast, bourguignon-style

Preparation 45 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4 to 6

Merlot/Zin and duck

With its labels made from 100% recycled brown paper and its lightweight glass bottles reducing fuel consumption, The Dreaming Tree not only gives back through its eco-responsibility but also through the uniqueness and quality of its wines. Combining Merlot with Zinfandel, this red is generous and aromatic.

Peking-style duck

Preparation 30 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Servings 4

Zin and beef Wellington

Mostly made up of zinfandel, this fleshy and seductive red offers a bouquet of jammy berries, notes of leather, oak and spices. The palate is round and layered with flavours of dark fruit, blackcurrant and toffee in a long finish with a hint of spice.

Beef Wellington

Preparation 30 to 40 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Servings 8

Cabernet and five-spice pork

Organically grown and produced by an estate certified B Corp, this Cabernet cuvée is complemented with Petite Sirah and a hint of Malbec. The generous and rich palate offers notes of black cherry and cassis, as well as subtle notes of leather, tobacco and pencil shavings.

Five-spice pulled pork

Preparation 25 minutes
Cooking time about 5 hours
Servings 12 servings

Syrah and moussaka

Syrah is a favourite grape variety of producers Michael and David Phillips who planted among the first vines in California in 1982. The Sixth Sense vintage offers aromas of berries, plum and cigar box. On the palate, full-bodied flavours of ripe raspberry, black licorice and licorice precede a long finish.

Moussaka

Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Servings 6

Chardonnay and risotto

Opening on notes of butter croissant, pear, vanilla and golden apple, this enveloping Chardonnay is expressive, yet without any heaviness. Located in Healdsburg, Chalk Hill knows how to take advantage of the cool conditions reigning over the Sonoma Coast to craft whites of great elegance.

Milanese risotto

Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Pinot Noir and couscous

Known for the quality of its Burgundy-style Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, La Crema estate produces from the best terroirs by capitalising on the coolest climates. Located close to the Pacific Ocean and its beneficial breezes, those located in Monterey reveal a Pinot Noir with lovely acidity and presenting aromas of vanilla and pastry (from the élevage) joined by plum and cassis.

Vegetable couscous

Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes environ
Servings 4 to 6

Chardonnay and bobotie

Building on the success of their Pinot Noir on our market, Imagery does it again with a Chardonnay to which Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Muscat are added to complete the picture. Featuring an ample mouthfeel, it offers frank flavours of pear, apple and lime, all complemented by milky notes. An elegant and fresh white to please all palates.

Bobotie (South African meat pie)

Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes
Servings 4 to 6

Grenache/cinsault and jambalaya

Icon of Californian viticulture, Randall Grahm is like his cuvées: authentic and colourful. A lover of Rhône varieties, which earned him the nickname "Rhône Ranger", he once again upset the established order by modifying the blend of his legendary Flying Cigar. With Grenache still dominating, Cinsault gaining ground and Mourvèdre disappearing, the result gains in suppleness and accessibility with beautiful accents of cherries in brandy, red and black fruits, all complemented by spicy notes.

Jambalaya

Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes
Servings 6 to 8

Choosing greener red and white wines

California has an array of offerings that are as enjoyable and varied as its landscapes. Still, the vast majority of California wines have something in common: they are red, white or in between and green. With over 80% of its wines certified sustainable, the state is at the forefront of wine legislation to ensure environmental protection. The Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) program, which was established in 2010, recognizes the rigorous efforts invested by local growers to protect their ecosystems and produce wines of exceptional quality.

In partnership with California wines.