Everything You Need to Know About Maréchal Foch Wine (Food Pairings & More)
Maréchal Foch wines range from a light red comparable to Beaujoulais to fuller wines with deep, dark colours and unique character.
If you’ve never tried this full-bodied flavour, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Maréchal Foch wines.
Introduction to Maréchal Foch Wine
Maréchal Foch is a hybrid French red wine grape that produces various wines. Its origins date back to France in 1910 when Eugene Kuhlmann crossed a Native American Vitis and Gold Riesling to create the original “Kulmann 188-2”. This variety made its way over to North America in 1946 and was renamed Maréchal Foch, honouring the prominent French General of the First World War, Marshall Ferdinand Foch.
Today, you’ll find Maréchal Foch grapes across southern Ontario and Quebec, Nova Scotia, and
BC’s Okanagan Valley. Those in the U.S. will find it most notably in Oregon and Minnesota.
Characterisics of Maréchal Foch Wine
Maréchal Foch is similar to Baco Noir, as it benefits from growing in cooler temperatures and is remarkable at surviving even the harshest growing conditions. It’s also disease resistant and avoids the “musty” or “foxy” aroma in many American hybrids. Instead, Maréchal Foch has jammy, dark-fruit flavours associated with black fruits, like blackberry and black cherry and earthy characters, like spice, smoke, and a lingering vanilla undertone.
Maréchal Foch Tasting Notes
Wines crafted from Maréchal Foch grapes are usually full-bodied and often aged with oak. The grape produces a deep purple-toned red wine with strong acidity and smooth, mild dry tannins for a juicy, well-rounded finish. This wine opens with rich aromas of tobacco, cherry, and hints of coffee. Sometimes you may find aromas of mocha, bitter chocolate, or toasted wheat. Flavours depend on variety, as darker types can have a more robust, wilder flavour.
Best Food Pairings for Maréchal Foch
Due to its acidity, Maréchal Foch is a food-friendly wine that pairs well with many meals:
- Steak with sautéed mushrooms
- Grilled salmon
- Roasted beef
- Lamb
- Duck
- Moderate curries
- Traditional pasta dishes
- Strong cheeses like blue cheese
- Sausage and mushroom pizza
- Chocolate desserts, like mousse or brownies
Decant your Maréchal Foch for at least an hour before serving to enhance your tasting experience.
A Suggested Recipe and Preparations for Pairing with Maréchal Foch
Try this delicious
Maréchal Foch Lamb Recipe for a taste your guests are sure to love:
- Cover centre-cut lamb loins with steak seasoning
- Dredge them in a mixture of cream, flour, and egg, then bread them in Panko crumbs
- Sear lamb loins until crusted brown
- Place them in a glass dish with 1 clove of diced garlic and a ¼ onion
- Cover and oven bake at 325°F for 20 minutes
Cheese Sauce:
- Saute a clove of garlic with ⅛ of an onion
- Add blue cheese and whipping cream, and stir until thick
- Put lamb loins on heated plates and add the cheese sauce
Drizzle:
- Take ¼ cup of Larch Hills Winery’s decadent Maréchal Foch and add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Heat until you have a syrupy consistency.
- Drizzle the Maréchal Foch sauce over top of the lamb loins and crumble a little blue cheese to taste
Pair your entrée with carrots or green beans, white potatoes, and an oil and vinegar salad complemented with diced red onion.
Best Occasions to Serve Maréchal Foch Wine
Whether gathering with friends to celebrate a special occasion or settling in for an intimate meal, Maréchal Foch wine pairs well with a wide selection of flavours and tastes. Medium-bodied with rich cherry flavours, our Maréchal Foch is mild on the palate with light tannins, pairing well with flavorful dishes or extravagantly self-indulgent on its own.
