Get to know your food and wine pairings like a pro
Learn how to pair up wines and food, from dry rosé and cheesy dishes to malbec and sweet-spicy barbecue sauces.
Pinot Noir: Is great for dishes with earthy flavours
Pinot Noir is light-bodied but full of savoury depth and tends to go well with recipes made with ingredients like mushrooms and truffles taste great with reds like.
Chardonnay: For fatty fish or fish in a rich sauce
Chardonnays are delicious with fish like salmon or any kind of seafood in a lush sauce.
Champagne: Is perfect with anything salty
Most dry sparkling wines, such as brut Champagne and Spanish cava, actually have a faint touch of sweetness. That makes them extra-refreshing when served with salty foods.
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Cabernet Sauvignon: Is fabulous with juicy red meat
California Cabernet, Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blends are terrific with steaks or chops such as lamb chops with frizzled herbs. The firm tannins in these wines refresh the palate after each bite of meat.
Sauvignon Blanc: Goes with tart dressings and sauces
Tangy foods like scallops with grapefruit-onion salad won’t overwhelm zippy wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Vinho Verde from Portugal and Verdejo from Spain.
Dry Rosé: For rich, cheesy dishes
Some cheeses go better with white wine, some with red; yet almost all pair well with dry rosé, which has the acidity of white wine and the fruit character of red.
Pinot Grigio: Pairs with light fish dishes
Light seafood dishes seem to take on more flavour when matched with equally delicate white wines, such as Pinot Grigio or Arneis from Italy or Chablis from France.
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Malbec: Won’t be overshadowed by sweet-spicy barbecue sauces
Malbec, Shiraz and Côtes-du-Rhône are big and bold enough to drink with foods brushed with heavily spiced barbecue sauces.
Moscato d’Asti: Loves fruit desserts
Moderately sweet sparkling wines such as Moscato d’Asti, demi-sec Champagne and Asti Spumante help emphasize the fruit in the dessert, rather than the sugar.
Off-Dry Riesling: Pairs with sweet & spicy dishes
The slight sweetness of many Rieslings, Gewürztraminers and Vouvrays helps tame the heat of spicy Asian and Indian dishes.
Rosé Champagne: Great with dinner, not just hors-d’oeuvres
Rosé sparkling wines have the depth of flavour and richness to go with a wide range of main courses, like beef risotto.
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