by Annette Naif
It can be a little overwhelming figuring out what wines to pair with your food. Here are some tips on how to pick the best wine with your favorite dish.
Beef
Simple Roasted Grilled Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Red Boudreaux
Shiraz
Zinfandel
In a sauce Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz
Zinfandel
Braised In red wine (match with the same red wine)
Osso Bucco – Amorone
Brunelle di Montalicione
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Peppery spice – red Zinfandel
Acidic Sauce Match acid with acid
Chianti
Eastern (China, India, Japan) Off-dry Gewürztraminer or Riesling
(Chinese or Indian)
Veal Rich savory manner good with Barolo,
Brenello di Montalicino, Bordeaux, Cabernet, Merlot or event a Cotes du Rhone
Poultry
Chicken in a cream sauce Chardonnay or full White Burgundy
Chicken – Fried Lean Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay (may not be as refreshing)
Chicken – Roast Chardonnay or White Burgundy
If you like red, try Riaja, Pinot Noir or Red
Burgundy
Chicken (Tomato, Spicy, Smokey & Spicy – Cabernet
Smokey) Sauvignon
Tomato – Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino or Rioja
Spicy – Gewürztraminer or dry-off Riesling
Duck or Game Bird Medium-bodied, flavorful Pinot Noir
Red Burgundy
Rioja (good with squab or quail)
Eastern (China, India, Off-dry Gewürztraminer or Riesling
Japan) (Chinese or Indian)
Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc (Japan)
Fish
Full Flavor or Rich Sauce Flavor fish with rich butter sauce – Chardonnay
Mild Flavor or Lemon Sauce Sauvignon Blanc
Salmon Red – Pinot Noir or Burgundy
White – Pinot Gris or Chardonnay
Caviar Dry Champagne
Crustacean
Crab Dry Riesling
Lobster Chardonnay
Corton-Charlemagne
Brut Champagne or other Brut Sparkling Wine
Vouvroy is good as well
Oysters Sauvignon Blanc
Chablis
Champagne
Shrimp Light acidic manner Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
Substantial Sauce – Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay
Cocktail Sauce – off-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer
Scallops Clean, rich Chardonnay
Pasta
Red Tomato Based Chianti
Sangiovese
Zinfandel
Dolcetto
Lasagna Barolo
Barbaresco
Riserva
Chianti
Montepluciano d’Abruzzo
Rossi di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Other Italian Reds
Cream Sauce Sauvignon Blanc
Light Italian Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
With Light Fish Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc
Dessert
Apple Based Desserts Sauternes
Chocolate Brachetto D’Acqui
Asti Spumanti, Muscat
Moscato d’Asti
Port
Cheese Port (Stilton Cheese)
Sauternes (Blue Cheese)
Amarone (Parmegiano Reggiano)
Keep in mind that foods go well with wines where they initiated from so if you are having French food a French acid wine would go best. Additionally, wines and hot spices do not go well together; wine survives better on the palate with a little sweetness.
At the end of the day if you are unsure about what wine to pair with your favorite dish the best rule of thumb is to drink what you like!
Food and Wine Pairing. (2007). Retrieved July 15, 2012 from www.foodandwinepairing.org.