Five French wines to celebrate Bastille Day

To celebrate Bastille Day (known in France as La Fête Nationale) on July 14, it’s obligatory to drink French wine, non? You can never go wrong with a bottle of Champagne, but somehow rouge or blanc makes more sense — for the red and white in the tricolor flag.

Head to the closest wine store to pick up a bottle of Beaujolais cru or gnarly Côtes-du-Rhône, or maybe a grassy Sancerre.

If you want to be more deliberate about your picks, here are half a dozen French wines guaranteed to put you in the spirit of La Marseillaise.

PHOTOS: 5 French wines for Bastille Day

You might want to cook something French, too, maybe a classic Provençal daube (beef braised in red wine), a potato gratin, or a fruit tarte. At the very least, lay in some French cheese and a baguette.

French or no, celebrate the storming of the Bastille in 1789, and the start of the French Revolution — a dozen some years after our own.

2011 Jean Foillard Morgon “Côte de Py” Cru Beaujolais (Beaujolais)

I could drink a bottle of this Jean Foillard’s Morgon “Côte du Py” every week with the greatest of pleasure. Soft and unctuous and tasting of prunes and dried cherries, this is a beautiful cru Beaujolais made with painstaking care. The organically farmed vines from the famed “Côte du Py” range from 10 all the way up to 90 years of age. Very serious Gamay.

Available at DomaineLA in Los Angeles (323) 932-0280; www.domainela.com; Du Vin Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood (310) 855-1161, www.du-vin.com; John and Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood (310) 657-3080, www.johnandpetes.com; K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454 and (800) 76WINEX, www.winex.com; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com. From $32 to $39.

2009 Jean-Claude Lapalu Beaujolais Brouilly “Cuvée Vieilles Vignes” (Beaujolais)

A striking Beaujolais cru from Jean-Claude Lapalu, a young vintner who is a proponent of natural wines. All Gamay, his 2009 old-vines Brouilly is earthy and minerally, suffused with the taste of black cherries. I even get a whiff of kirsch on the nose. It has a beautiful, fine-spun texture and soft tannins.

Available at BestWinesOnline (888) 817-8880; www.bestwinesonline.com; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa (949) 650-8463, www.hitimewine.net; Moe’s Fine Wines in Brentwood (310) 826-4444; www.moesfinewines.com; the Wine Club in Santa Ana (714) 835-6485, www.thewineclub.com; and Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454 and (800) 769-4639, www.winex.com; From $20 to $25.

2010 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc (Alsace)

Scented with flowers and peaches, this Pinot Blanc from top-of-the-class Alsace producer Zind-Humbrecht is crisp and refreshing, yet shows a thrilling complexity. Versatile with food, it can go from a tarte flambé or seafood salad to poached salmon or grilled Santa Barbara spot prawns. And it has a special affinity for Asian and fusion cuisines and the crazy quilt of flavors that make up California cuisine.

Available at BestWinesOnline (888) 817-8880; www.bestwinesonline.com; K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Wine Club in Santa Ana (714) 835-6485, www.thewineclub.com; Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454 and (800) 769-4639, www.winex.com. From $20 to $22.

2009 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône (Rhone valley)

Year after year, Guigal makes fabulous single vineyard Côte-Rôtie coveted by wine lovers the world over. But the shrewd northern Rhone winemaker also turns out an excellent and reliable Côtes du Rhône that’s always a good buy -- and easy to find. Half Syrah, with the rest made up of Grenache and 10% Mourvedre, this sturdy red doesn’t lack for flavor — currants, blackberries, wild herbs, exotic spices, black pepper. Meant to be drunk young and priced to be a party wine.

Available at Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park (818) 341-1234, www.dukeofbourbon.com; Fine Wine House in Pasadena (877) 981-6555; www.finewinehouse.com; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa (949) 650-8463, www.hitimewine.net; K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles (310) 475-0606, www.wallywine.com; Wine Club in Santa Ana (714) 835-6485, www.thewineclub.com; Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454 and (800) 769-4639, www.winex.com; Woodland Hills Wine Company in Woodland Hills (818) 222-1111 and (800) 678-9463; https://www.whwc.com, and more. From $8 to $16.

2011 Huet “Le Mont” Vouvray Sec (Loire Valley)

A very pretty Vouvray sec from renowned Vouvray producer Domaine Huët. This Chenin Blanc from Huët’s “Le Mont” vineyard makes an ideal summer wine with its stony minerality and taste of exotic fruit, citrus and lemongrass. Keep drinking and you’ll find even more flavors in this lively white.

Available at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach (310) 374-3454, www.manhattanfinewines.com; Wine Club in Santa Ana (714) 835-6485, www.thewineclub.com; Wine Exchange in Orange (714) 974-1454 and (800) 769-4639, www.winex.com; Woodland Hills Wine Company in Woodland Hills (818) 222-1111 and (800) 678-9463; www.whwc.com. From $29 to $32.

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