“It is very difficult to eat poorly in France.” While certainly not impossible, I stand by that statement that I made a while ago. Sure, you can search out fast food joints or rather seedy looking restaurants, but by and large, the “average” restaurant in France puts out way better food than the “average” restaurant in the U.S.

It is easier, however, to drink poorly in the country, but with a bit of effort, most restaurants that put even the slightest interest in their wine list, no matter how small, will have a gem or two that will certainly add to the meal.

This Monday morning, as I set out a bit trepidatiously on my week-long bike trip across the southern part of central France, I have now had three dinners in a random assortment of restaurants. All three meals were good (or better) as were the three wines I chose.

2022 Sinople Chinon Blanc, Loire Valley, France: 44€ at Willette Restaurant in the 9e, Paris. My first “real” day in France after a half a day of jet lag. I was able to briefly reconnect with some friends but found myself solo for dinner after they went out of town and happened upon this tiny place in the 9e who had an open spot at the bar. Surprisingly, I was not all that hungry but I was thirsty and while the wine list was a bit limited, this Chinon immediately stood out. I am not entirely sure, but if I only had one night left on the planet, Chinon might be my choice of locale. But today is hopefully not my last day and I am in Paris. It was a stormy day in France’s capital and since I have been here countless times, I felt no need to “do” under the rain, so I spent most of the day trying to eradicate the remaining vestiges of jet lag. I emerged from my cocoon, set out to find a restaurant and eventually found this place and its welcoming, jovial atmosphere (the hotel had suggested another place which could best be described as an “Oh hell no”). I ordered salmon which the French always seem to cook to perfection and this Chenin Blanc. Perfect pairing. At least tonight. The yellow, near golden wine exploded from the glass with plenty of peach and pear, a scintilla of salinity, and the ability to transport me, if only briefly, to the cobbled streets of Chinon. Bright and tart on the palate with a vibrancy that tried (and mostly succeeded) to keep up with the vibe of the restaurant. I chatted with the bartender about the American West Coast and the plains of Texas (my rusty French eventually gave me away as a foreigner) and I watched the rather eclectic crowd file in. By nine o’clock the resto was full, my salmon was long since finished, but I still had a glass or two to go on my Chinon. And that was fine with me. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Koehly Riesling Vielle Vignes Lieu-dit Hahnberg, Alsace, France: Random Alsatian Restaurant in the 10e: 34€. I had just left a café where I had met and caught up with the CEO of a prominent producer in Carneros and realized I was hungry. But it was pushing 9:30 and even though I was in the heart of Paris, my choices would steadily diminish with each tick of the clock. Choices 1 and 2 were tourist traps but the third looked perfect. Until, that is, the maître d’hôtes told me it would be 5-10 minutes to prepare a table in the half empty dining room. He suggested I go outside and “walk around a bit”. Ok, sparky, you’ve got it. I slinked outside and saw an Alsatian restaurant across the street. Sure, it looked like a glorified cafeteria on the inside but they had a number of Alsatian wines by the glass and bottle. Giddy up. I am moderately familiar with Koehly from my time as a student in Alsace and so this Vielle Vignes from a lieu-dit (essentially a single vineyard) was a no-brainer. Yowza. Tons of citrus and pear fruit accompany the characteristic petrol on the nose with mineral and honeysuckle components. Whoa. The palate turned out to be magical with lodes of fruit, a racy acidity, and a well-above average finish. Whoa. Sure, the tarte flambée was average (I have had more than my fair share over the years) but the wine made up for it. And then some. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2020 Château de la Jaubertie Mirabelle, Bergerac, France: The only restaurant open in Souillac on a Sunday (well, there was another, but it looked, in a word, “OhHellNo”): 33€. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. It had been a long day. I did not get much sleep the night before, perhaps anxious about the trip, and the train ride down to Souillac was long (five hours), made all the longer that I had to share my first class train cabin with three women who seemed to have made a pact to wear extra perfume that day (all different, of course). I could not spread out my abnormally long legs, making any “meaningful sleep” impossible. Arriving in Souillac, I had to cart all my gear (including my huge bike bag) to the hotel, which was about a mile away. Ugh. The hotel, while no luxury spot, was adequate enough, I guess, but there was no time for a cat nap as I had to find a restaurant open on Sunday, which is no small feat outside of Paris. The only one I found was the same place I ate the only other time I had been in Souillac and I remembered it to be, well, adequate enough. I was one of the first to sit down as the restaurant slowly filled, but the waiter sure took his time to get around to me and my order. I was excited to see this wine on the list, though, as Bergerac is perhaps an under appreciated region in France, given its proximity to the Bordeaux behemoth. I tried not to notice or care but despite the fact that I was the third table to arrive, I was certainly the last to be served. No biggie. I had this bottle of wine, after all (which was preceded by a peach kir, naturally). Eventually, my magret de canard showed up perfectly cooked with a side of delectable fries and some rather unfortunate ratatouille. Medium color in the glass, but quite fruity and lively on the nose with bright red and black fruit and a perfumed, floral aspect that was quite compelling. Fruity as well on the palate, but much tarter than I had imagined, almost (but not quite) to the point of being under-ripe. The fruit and acidity played a bit of a tango all the way through, though, providing both tension and intrigue. Maybe not the “best” wine I have had from Bergerac, but it certainly hit the spot after a long day. Excellent. 90 Points.