Here are some suggested wine pairings that will go nicely with the Poulet Marengo. They are all emperor-like so I don’t think you can go wrong with whichever one you choose. Once again, I leave the vintage year to you, your pocketbook and your wine merchant. If you’re having angst over that let me know.
Mesdames et Messieurs, je vous propose:
Côtes du Rhône Villages – from the Rhône Valley region of France. If you like and appreciate your Côtes du Rhône as much as I do then try the “Village” designation which takes the wine up a step in quality from a traditional Côtes du Rhône. Not quite a Grand Cru but a great wine and one of my parents favorites when they were in Paris. Let me add, unless you are walking around with a nose so well developed (95 points) then a generic Côtes will work just as well. Having said that, I will await the lightning and thunder of the wine gods to come roaring from across the Rhône valley.
Zinfandel – from Sonoma Valley, California. Well yes I threw in a ringer because Zins have grown tremendously in popularity in the U.S. If you are a Zin lover and I’m sure many of you are, then you can find a very good bottle from the Russian River Valley or the Dry Creek Valley region. It will pair very nice with chicken.
White Burgundy – Mâcon Villages from Burgundy and made from the Chardonnay grape. An outstanding wine all around. If you are not comfortable with shopping around for a Mâcon Villages save yourself the energy and pick up a nice bottle of Chardonnay one that you know and feel comfortable with.
Sancerre – this is another all around favorite of mine and it comes from the Val de Loire region in eastern Loire where the wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc grape which gets its name from the French word sauvage (“wild”) and blanc (“white”) due to its early origins as an indigenous grape. Try it I really think you will like it. If you find Sancerre a bit pricey then check with your local merchant to see if he has a wine selection Vin de Pays du Val de Loire. It’s a catch-all designation that some of the larger growers and the local négociants use to produce fairly large scale wines from Sauvignon Blanc. It won’t be a true Sancerre but you will enjoy it for sure.