We asked French wine and spirits importers to recommend drinks for Bastille Day 2021. From champagnes to Absinthe and a few others in between, read on to find out what they recommend.
Airoldi Fine Wines
Daniel Airoldi from Airoldi Fine Wines give us his drinks recommendation for Bastille Day 2021.
What wine do you recommend to celebrate Bastille Day 2021 and why?
Being from the Bordeaux region, for special occasions I always look for a good wine from the Medoc!
The St-Julien de Château Teynac 2016 is a wine with plenty of power but also elegance and finesse.
What would you serve with this wine?
Entrecote grilled on vine shoots with a Bordelaise sauce and marrow.
Mind Spirits & Co
Mikael Gillard suggests Génépi l’ancienne to drink for Bastille Day 2021.
Génépi L’Ancienne has been made in Chambéry for over a hundred years, according to the recipe of Philibert Routin.
Génépi, an alpine plant with a unique taste
Génépi liqueur is obtained from the best known aromatic plant of the Alps, the génépi, belonging to the sagebrush family and growing in the Alps. Commonly called “Génépi”, this liqueur has become, with the development of tourism and winter sports, emblematic of the French Alps.
An exclusive maceration and distillation process
Created in 1893, Génépi l’Ancienne is the fruit of the Distillery’s century-old know-how. A careful selection of the genépi sprigs, as well as a perfect control of the distillation and maceration times, allow the intense and subtle flavours of the plant to be exalted, without bitterness.
Popsy & JJ
SPECIAL OFFER: Receive a 20% discount on Popsy & JJ’s French wines when you use the code VIVELAFRANCE until Sunday 18th July at midnight.
We asked Popsy and JJ to recommend a wine for Bastille Day.
In celebration of Bastille Day why not have a prestigious artisan Champagne?
The Charles Mignon Premium Reserve Brut Champagne NV.
This is a super prestigious Champagne that has been given top honours among the upper most echelon of Champagne Houses! It is also a truly artisan house, now overseen by the current generation of the Mignon family, Guillaume and Manon, who as kids ran through the vineyards and played hide and seek in the cellars. That’s if you can find it! It is very limited and is available exclusively in Australia via Popsy & JJ.
So, what’s in the bottle? Immediately on pouring it you notice the incredibly fine bead which leads to a luxuriously creamy mouth feel. On the nose is apple, pear and a hint of stone fruit. On the palate is another blast of pear, some citrus notes and a trace of brioche. The acid leads to a fantastic burst but is kept in check by the perfect balance of sweetness and fine bead.
It is a super finessey style only the finest Champagne Houses seem to be able to muster. Nothing in your face about this. We tasted dozens and dozens of Champagnes and although we wanted to bring you back a couple, the Charles Mignon was just such a standout that it was all we needed! Don’t miss out on this rare glimpse into the artisan, historic world of French Champagne.
What would you serve with this wine?
There is nothing in this world like freshly shucked oysters and Champagne! If you can get your hands on some Tetsuya dressing it will make the oysters pop!!
Single Vineyards Sellers
Annie Gasparre from Single Vineyards Sellers gives us her recommendation of drinks for Bastille Day 2021.
Which wine do you recommend to celebrate Bastille Day and why?
Jacquart Mosaique Brut NV as it is a celebration and nothing is better than champagne!
What would you serve with this wine?
Oysters
Spirits of France
Manu from Cerbao and Spirits of France recommends Absinthe as a drink for Bastille Day 2021.
The 14th July is the French national day since the storming of the Bastille in 1789. The liberation of this prison is a symbol of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. These values have become the motto of the French Republic. To honour this event which led to the writing of the Declaration of Human Rights, I suggest you choose a spirit that speaks to you, from a region you are close to. For me, it will be an Absinthe, a spirit that represents the joy and art of living a la française!
I am particularly fond of the Emile Pernot selection. 
What would you serve with this drink for Bastille Day 2021?
An Absinthe needs nothing more than a little water (5 to 1 ratio) and good company!
It is drunk as an aperitif, before dinner.
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What will you drink to celebrate Bastille Day 2021?
To discover Bastille Day events around Australia, read this article.
