How to throw a very French dinner party

So, you want to throw your friends a French dinner party? Oui, oui. We don’t blame you. In fact, pop us on the guest list si vous plaît. Okay, it’s out of our system. Seriously though, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who enjoys a dinner party as much as we do, and the fact that we’re going all in on the French theme? That’s what we call a bonus.

There’s a fair bit of planning that goes into a dinner party, but don’t let that overwhelm you. All you need to get started is a list (and maybe a little help from a type-A friend if you happen to skew more B). As we’re leaning into the French theme, we thought we’d call in an expert to handle the drinks. Allow us to introduce you to winemaker Jean-Claude Mas, a master of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (born and raised!). If you haven’t heard of him, it’s likely you’ve tasted one of his wines – do brands like Arrogant Frog or Paul Mas or Astélia ring a bell? From the drinks list and menu right through to how to decorate, here’s how to throw a DD-approved French dinner party.

Now that the menu has been locked down, let’s get onto the drinks list. The theme is obviously French. And if we’re getting specific, it’s the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which you’ll find in the south-east of France. The Languedoc is the country’s largest and oldest wine region, but perhaps most important to note is the total quality, bang-for-buck wine it produces.

We love a drink on arrival and, let’s be honest, you’ll probably be running around putting the final touches on dinner as your guests start to knock on the door. Hand them a glass of Arrogant Frog Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a dry savvy b that has notes of lychee, grapefruit, gooseberry and passionfruit with a hint of smoke that goes hand-in-hand with brie, gruyère and baguettes.

If you’re looking to throw a cocktail into the mix, we have a couple of wine-based options that will work a treat. Kick off with the New York Sour – it’s like the Whiskey Sour, but with a dramatic red wine float (FYI the key to pulling off the perfect float is to pour your wine over the back of a spoon). You’ll need bourbon, lemon juice, sugar syrup, bitters and a red – we’d go with Jean-Claude’s Arrogant Frog Pinot Noir. It's a dry red with lots of fruit – think flavours of strawberry, black cherry and vanilla (which are all a perfect match for bourbon).

After a group cocktail to save on time? It’s the White Mandarin Sangria for us. Pull out that punch bowl and grab a bottle of Paul Mas Chardonnay – you want your white wine to be a rich, quality chardy, or a chenin blanc can work well here, too. From there you’ll need limoncello, a few mandies, some sage, thyme and a bottle of soda water. Serve it in mix-and-match tea cups.

Here at Dan’s Daily, we don’t do anything by halves, so if this was our French dinner party, we’d go hard on the decorations – in a very French, very sophisticated way. Lighting: dim – light enough that you can see your mates’ faces and the food, but still moody. You’ll need candles, quite a few. For the candles that will be peppered around the room, stick them in empty wine bottles for a romantic feel, and for the table, dot the candles down the centre in silver holders that you’ve thrifted. Speaking of thrifted silverware, see if you can get your hands on silver trays for serving. We’re going for antique chic. The candles have given you a table runner effect, so now we need to fill it in – single flower stems in mismatched glass (crystal, jars – whatever you can find), and you’ll want multiple butter dishes piled high with butter, and then fill in the gaps with French cheeses like camembert, brie, comté and a good blue. If you happen to locate some olive vine, weave it down the middle. Otherwise, bunches of grapes sitting at different heights will work, too. We told you we’d go hard.

Ready to try Jean-Claude Mas wines? The range is available at Dan Murphy’s now.