Pairing Food and Wine
The art of pairing wine with food is one which when understood, even at a basic level, opens up a whole new world of culinary enjoyment.
There are many things to consider when choosing the best wine to go with food, for example; type of food, occasion, personal preference and budget.
In our comprehensive guide we talk you through how to pair wines with the key food types, including the essential house rules for each food category, as well as the best red, white and sparkling wines to try, and our recommended classic food and wine pairings. Warning – this will whet your appetite and wet your whistle at the same time!
Why is food and wine pairing important?
Food and wine pairing matters because when done right, wine can complement and enhance the enjoyment of food.
Your wine and food pairing should focus on the most dominant aspect of a dish, particularly when cooking with wine. This could be a spicy seasoning, creamy sauce or simply the element of the dish which packs the most flavour.
There are two types of pairing:
- Complementary pairing – Where contrasting flavours are chosen to complement each other. For example, saltly Roquefort cheese with a sweet dessert wine.
- Congruent pairing – Where similar flavours are chosen to enhance one another. For example, the earthy flavours of mushrooms with the earthy flavours of a Pinot Noir.
Top tips for pairing wine with food
Here are some of the main things to bear in mind when pairing food with the main types of wine.
- Red wines – Red wines tend to be more bitter so they can be paired with dishes that incorporate bold strong flavours, or those that are high in fat. For example, a bold Malbec with steak.
- White wines – Dry white wines with high acidity are better with lighter dishes. For example, a Pinot Grigio with delicate white fish.
- Rosé wines – Rosé wines balance the acidity of white wine with fruity red notes. The best wine pairings will focus on how dry or sweet the rosé is, for example, a dry Provence style rosé with a goats cheese salad.
- Sweeter wines – Wine should be sweeter than the food, so sweeter wines are often successfully paired with desserts. For example a classic Sauternes with Christmas pudding.
- Sparkling wines –Sparkling wines cleanse the palate so will match successfully with a vast array of foods. Many have an element of sweetness which is why sparkling wines pair well with salty foods like fish and chips and fried chicken.
Which foods should not be paired with wine?
We think that all foods can be paired with wine! Having said that there are a few foods that are a little more tricky to find a perfect match for.
Some spicy foods can be difficult as strong spicy flavours can overpower many wines. To avoid the alcohol burn it’s best to opt for lower alcohol, light white wines such as Riesling or Gewurtztraminer.
Heavy or overly sweet foods can also be a little tricky. For example, the bitterness of dark chocolate is particularly difficult, but can be matched well with a sweet vintage port.
Explore Virgin Wines
At Virgin Wines we have a vast array of wines available to enjoy with or without food! Many of our wine descriptions will have individual pairing recommendations so look out for these while you shop our wines.
Below we have links to the main food groups where we go into a lot more detail and make some more specific recommendations.
