(Photo: Food and Wine)
So you think you know wine, but do you really know wine? You probably have a preference (red or white), but you’ll always land on rosé when the occasion calls for it, because Rick Ross said so. However, wine culture is so much more than swirling fermented grapes in a glass and awkwardly swishing at a wine tasting. It’s an art and a skill, one that has many people spending major coins on classes to become sommeliers. But you don’t need to do all of that to appreciate a good glass of vino. However, you may not realize that the food you’re pairing with one wine may taste much better than another. Yup, it’s true. And that goes way beyond “drink red wine with meat” or something. There are elements like Salt, Acid, Fat, Bitterness, Sweetness, plus Light and Heavy Textures that all factor into how you choose which wine goes with what. But you can go very deeply into the vortex of wines. We won’t do all of that, but are here for the baseline assist.
So since you’re busy, we’ve done the work of finding some basic pairings of wine with meals. The next time you’re at a restaurant, you can impress your entire table. But also the next time that special someone is cooking you a meal, you can show up with an appropriate bottle. Your sophistication levels will go through the roof. Trust us, and check out the selections.
Red Meats
Let’s get right to business. Red meats (you know, beef, etc.) pair well with Big Red and Medium Red Wines. These include Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet, Zinfandel, and others.
Cured/Smoked Meats
Like Red Meat, Cured and Smoked Meats pair with Big Reds and Medium Reds. However, they also pair with Dessert Wines like Ports and Sherry, along with Sweet Wines like Riesling and Moscato.
Cured/Smoked Meats
Like Red Meat, Cured and Smoked Meats pair with Big Reds and Medium Reds. However, they also pair with Dessert Wines like Ports and Sherry, along with Sweet Wines like Riesling and Moscato.
Poultry
Poultry and other White Meats pair with Medium Reds like Merlot, but also Light Reds like Pinot Noir. They also pair with Rich Whites like Chardonnay.
Seafood
Seafood (crab, lobster, etc.) pairs well with Light Reds like Pinot Noir and Grenache, as well as Rich Whites like Chardonnay.
Fish
Unlike seafood, fish has a different pairing. Fish pairs with Sparkling White Wines like Prosecco, Champagne, and Cava, but also Dry White Wines like Pinto Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.
Breads
Carbs, certain starches, all of these have a variety of wines to choose from. They pair with Dessert Wines, Light Reds, Medium Reds, Dry Whites, Sparkling Wines, Rich Whites, and Sweet Whites.
Vegetables
For your green veggies, Dry Whites and Sparkling Whites are the way to go. As for other vegetables, like root veggies, choose Rich Whites, Dry Whites, and Light Reds.
Cheeses
The types of wines that pair with cheeses depend heavily on the texture of the cheese. Soft cheeses pair with Dessert Wines, Sparkling Wines, and Sweet Wines. However, hard cheeses pair with Sparkling Whites, Medium Reds and Big Reds.
Dessert
Pairs with Dessert Wines (duh), but also Sweet Wines.
