Wine with Food

Matching wine with food may sound a complicated job given the overwhelming choices, but its not as bad as it seems. Following a few guidelines can help you narrow the choice considerably, however the best way to find out is to try a wine with a dish.
Below we have summarised what wines you might be looking for to go with different dishes.

Aperitifs

Since you don't want to fill people up before a big meal, something light and drinkable makes a good choice. Probably a dry white wine, or a sparkling wine are best.

Ideas

Dry Riesling, Cava, Champagne, Rosé

Starters

For a starter, light and drinkable is still on the right lines. People don't want to be full before the main course! Consider combining with an apertif, for example people may not drink much with soup.

Ideas

Soup: Chardonnay
Pâté: Strong dry white for a milder Pâté, but perhaps a fruity Pinot or Beaujolais with a rich meaty Pâté.
Salad: Sauvignon Blanc
Shellfish: Dry White, perhaps a Chablis

Fish

Usually a white wine, since fish can make a red wine taste metallic or tinny. However, as a general rule for fish in sauce, have a white wine for white or creamy sauce, and a red wine for a red coloured sauce.

Ideas

White Wine: Unoaked Chardonnay or Pinot Gris
Red WIne: Beaujolais or Pinot Noir

Pasta

Similar to fish, as a general rule for pasta in sauce, have a white wine for white or creamy sauce, and a red wine for a red coloured sauce.

Ideas

White Wine: Unoaked Chardonnay or Pinot Gris
Red Wine: Italian red wine, perhaps a Chianti

White Meat

Mainly white wines or light reds go best with white meat.

Ideas

Roasted White Meat: Unoaked Chardonnay or Pinot Gris
White Meat with sauce: An aromatic wine probably works best, for example Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling

Red Meat

Its best to use a red wine, white wines are rarely strong enough to match the red meat

Ideas

Lamb: Cabernet Sauvignon
Beef: Bordeaux, Shiraz
Game: Rioja, Barolo, Burgundy

Spicy Food

Strong spicy dishes can easily overpower wine, for these beer might be a better option! However, for mild, and lighter spicy dishes a slightly sweet wine usually works best.

Ideas

Riesling or Gewürztraminer

Cheese

Wine and cheese is often considered a match made in heaven, but choose your wine to match the strength of the cheese to make such a heavenly match.

Ideas

Creamy Cheese: Dry White, perhaps a chablis, or a light red
Hard Cheese: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Bordeaux or Châteauneuf Du Pape
Blue Cheese: Port, Sauternes

Dessert

For a dessert a sweet wine is required, specific dessert wines are made by wine producers to match desserts.

Ideas

A Dessert Wine, perhaps Sauternes.

After Dinner

After dinner you need a drink that can top the richness of dinner and dessert. Here is where Port and Sherry comes into its own!

Ideas

Port, Sherry, and for the overly sober try a Digestif (a liqueur)

Return to the Wine Guide Contents
Serving a Wine | How to taste a Wine | Tasting Types | Describing a Wine | Wine with Food | Storing a Wine | Aging Wine |
Wine Faults