Sébastien Lafitte, from Château Les Graves du Champ des Chails, loves his wines – and his food ! He gave us some advice on the subject.

In 2005, Sébastien Lafitte took over the family wine estate in the heart of the village of St Aubin de Blaye in the north of the appellation, working the 50-acre vineyard on his own with his partner. The 30-year-old winegrower is proud of his versatility, not only in the vines and the winery but also in the kitchen. Sébastien likes to enjoy his white or red Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wines with food typical of the region. Depending on his fancy and the wine he has chosen, Sébastien loves to come up with refined, balanced and intelligent food and wine pairings.

Red wines

Château Les Graves du Champ des Chails red wines tend to be supple and fruity and “just slightly tannic”, adds Sébastien Lafitte. He generally recommends drinking them with red meat: “The balance and the flavours linger long on the palate with Bordeaux-style rib steak (shallot and red wine sauce), for example”, he says. For more tannic Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux reds, game is a better choice.

With cheese, he prefers an older Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wine. “Cheese is better with a wine which has had a few years in the bottle, which is mature and nicely open, and cask-matured for that slightly oaky taste”, he says. But Sébastien Lafitte likes Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux red wines best with roast beef: “If it’s cooked right and seasoned right, there’s nothing better”, he smiles. He accompanies his beef with mushrooms, green beans and crisp chips (French fries), serving it with a Madeira sauce or a local speciality, sauce de pire, made with pig’s liver.

White wines

“Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux white wines are fruity and dry and go very well with seafood such as fish or oysters”, says gourmet winemaker Sébastien Lafitte. He particularly likes Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux white wines with a seafood platter. “You get a great balance and that’s when the aromas of these white wines express themselves best”, he adds. They are also very good on their own as an aperitif.

If, like Sébastien, you want to find the best food pairing for your favourite Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux wine, go to our recipe pages !

You can also find his wines at our online store!