BUTTER & WINE
Butter & Wine
Two of life’s greatest pleasures.
My love for butter brings back soul-touching memories from childhood—the taste of morning toast slathered in butter, marking the first stirrings of personal taste. As a preteen, a simple toaster, a knife, and a foil-wrapped stick of butter symbolized independence. Could my lifelong love affair with food have started with butter? Perhaps…
Now, my world is surrounded by wine—bottles from growers whose work I deeply respect. As I daydream of meals shared with friends, I can’t help but think of the care and soul poured into these wines, each one capturing the essence of its region and culture.
Years ago, another wine enthusiast shared a core-shifting perspective with me about food and wine pairings: “Does the region where the wine comes from mostly cook with butter or olive oil?” That simple thought gave new clarity to a concept many find complex. Is the region butter-focused or oil-focused? This guiding principle made pairing wines so much simpler. Working as a sommelier, I was struck that such an essential idea had never been taught to me. Generally speaking, butter reigns in northern Europe, while oil dominates the south. Following these cultural ingredients and dishes often reveals the soul of a region.
So, here’s a small secret to the "arcane magic" world of wine pairings: southern wines often complement oil-based dishes, while northern wines align more naturally with buttery creations.
Of course, this is a generalization with many delightful exceptions, but it provides a helpful baseline.
There's no shortage of folklore around chefs' passion for butter. In French kitchens, they say, “What are the three secrets to French cooking? Butter, butter, and more butter.” Anthony Bourdain once famously said, “I like butter. I like a lot of butter.” A few spoonfuls can elevate a dish from average to extraordinary. Consider beurre monté—a simple, elegant sauce made by emulsifying butter into hot water, praised by Thomas Keller as a “workhorse sauce” and a staple across European kitchens.
Many regions and wines pair beautifully with butter, whether you’re enjoying whites or reds. The most obvious choice for a white is Chardonnay—not the overtly buttery Chardonnays popular in the early 2000s, but the complex, mineral-driven, bright, and tense Chardonnays of Burgundy. You could explore the celebrated wines of Côte de Beaune, or seek value in Rully or even Chablis. Then there are whites like Friulano from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Gruner Veltliner from Austria’s Kamptal, Chenin Blanc from the Loire, Arneis from Piedmont, or Alsatian Riesling—a perfect partner for winter vegetables and sausage, slow-cooked in butter, vinegar, and mustard.
Red wines may seem unexpected when paired with butter, but they can be incredible. I fondly recall reading an article by Kermit Lynch, an icon of French wine, where he wrote about a simple fried egg with beurre rouge—red wine butter sauce—paired with a Gamay from Morgon. Within hours, I found myself recreating the dish, glass of wine in hand, savoring a perfect moment of food and wine harmony.
Working at Pigall’s with Jean-Robert de Cavel, I watched the magic of pairing red wine with fish. Often, if a guest ordered red wine with fish, Jean-Robert would tweak the sauce—a red wine reduction finished with butter—transforming the pairing. These moments made me realize the power of this simple approach.
For red wines that shine alongside butter-laden dishes, think of Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Germany, Nebbiolo from Piedmont, or Syrah from the Northern Rhône. The Rhône is particularly fascinating, with olive oil reigning in the south but butter finding its place in the north, as seen in the legendary bouchon restaurants of Lyon. Cabernet Franc from the Loire is also brilliant with butter-cooked mushrooms and herbs.
Whether it’s Butter & Wine or Food & Wine, this journey is all about curiosity and enjoyment. It’s not aerospace engineering; it’s food and wine. So, let’s take a deep breath and revel in simple pleasures—perhaps a few spoonfuls of butter tossed into pasta, a compound butter melting over steak, or, for an autumnal treat, a touch of truffle. Gather with loved ones, share the moment, and raise a glass to life’s little luxuries.
words by, Kevin Hart
WINES TO PAIR WITH BUTTER
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