Food and wine pairings

Frogs in Riesling, cheese, and Malaga... Pairing wines and dishes has been the very soul of the "Gastronomic Meal of the French" for two centuries, inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 on the list of intangible cultural heritage. Wine has been consumed in Gaul since Antiquity, but the glass of wine did not always have its place at the table. Far from being a random or impulsive impulse, matching drinking with eating is a subtle art that gradually emerged in France between the 18th and 19th centuries, in the Court milieu, and then in the restaurants of Paris. The transition from "French-style" service to "Russian-style" service allowed for this. This work delves into the global history of these food-wine pairings - in which France holds a special place - from the Pharaohs to modern "bistronomy", including Brillat-Savarin's Physiology of Taste and Chinese or American rituals. The authors (historians, geographers, museum curators, writers, gastronomy and wine professionals, gourmets) detail the evolutions and ruptures of this art. They immerse us in this captivating symphony, punctuated by innovations and sometimes radical inventions in culinary sphere, some of which at the expense of seeking harmony with wines. A tasty blend of sources, analyses, and essays to understand the genesis and evolutions of a rapidly developing art. Geographer and historian of gastronomy and wine, Jean-Robert Pitte is a member of the Institute and the Academy of Wine of France. He is also the president of the Society of Geography and the French Mission of Heritage and Food Cultures, which prepared the UNESCO inscription of the "Gastronomic Meal of the French" on the World Heritage List. He is the honorary president of École Ferrières.