There’s only one real rule of thumb for pairing meals and wine: you need to constantly have wine with your food! Wine improves a meal like no other refreshment, and the taste of wine is often altered by what you eat.
Although you should not be afraid to attempt any wine you like with your favorite meal, there are some combos that work far better compared to others. The major idea to bear in mind is that the weight of the wine ought to match the weight of the meal. Light dishes go much better with light wines, and also massive meals are better paired with heavier wines. Also, consider the sauce and accompaniments when choosing your wines.
Listed here are a couple of starting factors for coupling meals and wine. As always, do not be afraid to try something various.
Cheese
Light wines with light cheeses and also larger wines with stronger cheeses.
- Soft Cheeses– These include cream cheese style spreads, Brie, Gouda, Havarti or Swiss– try champagne or an aromatic white such as gewurztraminer or Riesling. Crispness in the white wine will play well off the butterfat.
- Hard cheeses– Asiago, Parmesan, Cheddars and Manchego are a few examples. If you prefer white, choose a heavier wine such as chardonnay, but these wines are terrific with more complex reds including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti and Rioja.
- Blue Cheeses– The classic accompaniment is a dessert wine such as sauternes or a port.
Picnic Foods
Lighter reds such as Beaujolais, a young pinot noir, or a young Spanish red (noted by the term “Crianza”) are the perfect companions to outing charge. For whites, look to Riesling, Gewarztraminer or any one of the Italian whites (pinot grigio, soave and orvietto).
Seafood
Crisp whites and light reds are the call here. For suits made in paradise, attempt a Spanish Albarino with scallops, Chardonnay with lobster, or pinot noir with salmon.
Chicken
The key to combine wine with chicken is to match the sauce or spice to the wine. Lighter preparations favor lighter whites and reds such as pinot grigio, sauvignon Blanc, Beaujolais or pinot noir; larger dishes, on the other hand, match much better with Chardonnay, Rhone reds as well as Spanish reds
Turkey
Best choices are Gewarztraminer as well as zinfandel.