I worked in a wine shop for a while years ago. Occasional drinkers would always come in wanting French wine, but after trying Argentine malbecs or even American reds like those produced by Dave Phinney or say, K Syrah, would always prefer those over the few French wines they had tried.
Granted, this is all anecdotal, and I have had some great French wines (love that they are biodynamic as well for the most part), but to my eyes the wine market is really broadening. French wines just may not hold the mystique they once did.
Most new world wines like the ones you mentioned taste amazing as isolated sipping wines, but sometimes compete with food rather than complement it.
Most European wines shine when consumed with food, but they often do less well as sipping wines.
Note that these are broad-stroke comments, there are always exceptions, blah blah blah. That said, any skilled sommelier can serve you the archetypes as examples.
You're exactly right. I meant to add that to my comment. Euro wines do usually tend to really stand out with food, and really do pair well with it as you said. Good point.
Granted, this is all anecdotal, and I have had some great French wines (love that they are biodynamic as well for the most part), but to my eyes the wine market is really broadening. French wines just may not hold the mystique they once did.