I Tried the French Red Wine Valgrand Premium Rouge

I tried Valgrand Premium Rouge, a French red wine. It is easy to drink and has an all-around flavor that seems to suit a wide range of dishes. In this article, I share how it went when I actually drank it, and what I thought.

Bottle of Valgrand Premium Rouge

Trying It Out

I set out the bottle and a glass and took my first sip.

Bottle and glass set out and ready

I poured it into the glass.

Red wine poured into the glass

Opened bottle next to the poured wine

My Impressions

The first thing I noticed was how easy it is to drink. It had an all-around flavor that seems to suit a wide range of dishes.

It goes well with both meat and fish, so I felt this is a bottle you can enjoy whatever is on the dinner table.

Close-up of the label and glass

Home-Style French Dishes to Pair With It

Because the wine seems to suit a wide range of dishes, I came up with some dishes that are easy to pair with it at home. Below are example recipes that seem to go well with this wine. All of them use ingredients that are easy to find at supermarkets in Tokyo, and you can make them easily at home. Quantities are approximate (2 servings).

Appetizer: Garlic-Sautéed Camembert and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 Camembert cheese
• 1 pack mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 10 g butter, a little salt and pepper
• Baguette, as needed

Directions

1. Cut the mushrooms in half and slice the garlic thinly.
2. Put the butter and garlic in a frying pan over low heat. When the aroma rises, add the mushrooms and sauté them, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with the Camembert, cut into pieces, and thinly sliced baguette.

Meat Dish: Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 chicken thigh (about 300 g)
• 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 100 ml heavy cream
• A little salt and pepper, 1 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cut the chicken thigh in half and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken skin side down over medium heat. When the skin is crisp, flip it, cover the pan, and cook through over low heat.
3. Wipe off the excess fat, add the cream and whole-grain mustard, and simmer briefly. Season with salt to make the sauce.

Fish Dish: Salmon Meunière with Browned Butter

Ingredients

• 2 fillets fresh salmon
• Flour, as needed
• 20 g butter
• 1/4 lemon, a little salt and pepper, parsley if you like

Directions

1. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Wipe off the moisture that comes out, then coat lightly with flour.
2. Melt half the butter in a frying pan and cook both sides of the salmon over medium heat until golden. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat the remaining butter until it turns brown, pour it over the salmon, squeeze the lemon over it, and sprinkle with parsley.

Who I Recommend It To

It is easy to drink, so I also recommend it to anyone who wants to try wine for the first time.