Athens has recently experienced a one-week-long culinary party: a vibrant, cross-cultural series of events titled Merci Chef, which returned triumphantly for its second year. Coordinated by the French Embassy in Greece and the French Institute, this colorful and mouthwatering tribute to French gastronomy drew together nine decorated chefs from France alongside twenty notable Greek and French chefs based here. This year’s edition, ambitious and expansive, offered culinary presentations, tasting events revolving around Greek and French products, and round table discussions addressed at professionals and ordinary food lovers alike.
One event stood out vividly: “The Perfect Match,” an inspired tasting of exceptional breads paired with outstanding wines at Athens’ Academias Hotel. The event was orchestrated by Jean Marie Hoffman, chef at the French Embassy in Greece and the force behind the Merci Chef concept, who in his welcome, informed us that this was a truly progressive initiative and the first time anything like this had been attempted in Greece.
Sommelier Christos Theodoropoulos, renowned Head Sommelier at Athens’ acclaimed Herve restaurant and a contributor to Travel.gr/en teamed up with the expert French baker (with three Michelin stars) Gauthier Denis, celebrated instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and a distinguished member of France’s 2022 Boulangerie World Cup team, and Phaedra Mavroeidi, the visionary and innovative baker behind Line Athens, widely recognized for her inspired reinterpretations of classic Greek baking traditions.
Τhe Inspiration
Intrigued, I pulled Christos aside to gain a deeper insight on what us attendees were about to travel our taste buds to. I started by asking whether it was a complex task for him to create wine pairings for bread. “Not really,” he smiled, adding, “I love traveling, exploring gastronomy, and obviously, tasting wines, and have dedicated years to these interests. I’ve explored vineyards widely across Greece, at the same time sampling everything from luxurious gourmet meals to street-food and always considering what wines to pair with all varieties of food. So pairing flavors isn’t difficult for me, it’s an adventure, and I approached this event excited, ready to dive into something new.”
Christos explained how he and the two chefs collaborated closely to create a standout tasting experience. “I discussed the initial idea with Phaedra, whose breads at Line Athens I’ve long admired, and soon we were thrilled to be joined by Gauthier, whose knowledge and reputation are exceptional. We spent many hours ahead of the event, refining every detail.”
With support from Trinity Wines, a leading name among Greek wine distributors, the evening presented an intelligent, intuitive and delightfully inventive exchange: three Greek wines paired with three French breads by Gauthier, and three French wines matched to three breads by Phaedra.
Pairings Divine
1.
The ‘Perfect Match’ experience began with a lively champagne, Pierre Gimonnet’s Oenophile 2018. This was paired beautifully with Phaedra’s crusty, slow-fermented sourdough, perfect for dipping in robust early-harvest olive oil with tomato jus, to mimic the delicious sauce left at the end of a Greek salad in which we love to dunk bread in a ritual called ‘papara’.
2.
Next, a bright Greek sparkling wine, Brut Cuvée Spéciale 2022 from Domaine Karanika, accompanied Gauthier’s melt-in-your-mouth brioche, flavored with wakame seaweed, evoking memories of sunny coastal days.
3.
Then came Pheadra’s indulgent bone-marrow focaccia, served with a silky taramosalata, matched with the crisp Chablis 2023 from Christian Moreau, offering lively notes of green apple and citrus.
4.
The mineral-rich Santorini ’34’ Assyrtiko from Artemis Karamolegos, born from century-old vineyards and oak-aged for one year, met its perfect match in Gauthier’s brioche with generous amounts of shrimp-head butter and earthy buckwheat.
5.
A brioche Phaedra cleverly sprinkled with shrimp powder (made sustainably from leftover bisque shells) was topped with shrimp tartare, preserved bergamot, and delicate chives. Château d’Esclans’ 2022 Rosé from Provence, aged gracefully for ten months, offered juicy grapefruit notes and a creamy hint of caramel, complementing the seafood-topped bread perfectly.
6.
Next, Gauthier’s airy brioche with Comté cheese harmonized elegantly with the lively Greek rosé Psithiros, a delicate meeting between Grenache rouge and Crete’s native Kotsifali grapes, offering fresh red fruit aromas.
7.
Closing the savory sequence, a luxurious Sauternes from Château Suduiraut (2016 vintage)—a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle—paired smoothly with aromatic caramelized ‘bread pudding’, reminiscent of comforting rizogalo (ambrosia pudding).
8.
Finally, sweetness sealed the evening with the rare “Works & Days” Savvatiano by Domaine Muses from Thebes. Produced in fewer than a thousand bottles, its honey and mango jam notes and balanced acidity resonated perfectly alongside a zesty lemon tart, leaving everyone delightfully uplifted.
The overall experience was perfectly balanced on all levels – not too much or too little of anything; perfect harmony between the breads and wines, a formal but warmly friendly ambiance, and educational insights without confining the freedom of enjoyment.
Expert Tips
Wrapping up this memorable evening, I asked Christos for expert advice on perfecting wine pairings. He shared enthusiastically: “Aromas are sensory memories. They are subjective yet universally human. When we sense strawberry aromas, for example, it doesn’t mean there’s actual strawberry; rather, it’s a flavor-memory connection. Understanding pairings means interpreting the dish itself. Say, the food is a grilled oily fish, you’ll need to deconstruct its flavors and consider what tastes complement or balance it within the wine – the acidity, minerality, fruitiness, dryness, sweetness, and the aromas.”
He added, “The secret is tasting continuously. You have to keep sampling and exploring, from simple, affordable wines to premium bottles crafted by various producers. That’s how you genuinely grasp each grape’s true character.”
Christos also shared insights from his recent extensive journey across France’s legendary wine regions like Beaujolais, Burgundy, Chablis, and Champagne. “Just three months ago, I was exploring these regions for days, driving nearly two thousand kilometers daily, meeting dedicated winemakers, tasting their wines, and absorbing local culinary traditions. I was profoundly touched by the philosophy I saw them so effortlessly practice: ‘Simplicity brings perfection.’ Even those producing exceptional, rare, and very expensive wines are humble people deeply connected with nature and the art of winemaking. Their sincerity translates directly into each glass.”
