We have compiled, just for you, this guideline as a suggestion – but remember that your own palate has its own sense of what goes well with what. Hence, trust your own power to taste…eat and drink what you enjoy!
Check out…
[/av_textblock]
[av_toggle_container initial=’0′ mode=’accordion’ sort=”]
[av_toggle title=’Food & Wine Pairing’ tags=”]
|
Enjoying the right wine with the right food is a simple statement but difficult to define. There are well tried and tasted conventions that will allow you to match food with wine so that you will be able to get more out of your dining experience. We have compiled some suggestions but the right wine is the one that you enjoy drinking. |
|
| Food Type | Wine Type |
| Barbecue | Wines need to be both fruity and rich for the general foods. Rose and light style Grenache make good choices. Sauvignon Blancs with seafood. More powerful cuts of meat (sirloin) and richly flavored may be accompanied by fuller style wines of Grenache and Shiraz. |
| Chinese | Choose slightly sweet or off-dry wines. Frontignac, Riesling, Gew�rztraminer, Roses and Traminers are the best. With roasted birds like Peking Duck�Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and light Californian Zinfandel. |
| Indian | Choose full-bodied sparkling wines and fruit driven reds such as Merlot for sweet curries. Hot and spicy styles match well to slightly sweet and cold Riesling and Gew�rztraminer. |
| Japanese | Choose very cold, off-dry, fruity white wines. Any red or white sparkling wine in general. Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc go well with Sushi or Sashimi. |
| Mexican | Very cold, fruity, full-bodied Sauvignon Blancs and Roses. Chili heat will overpower the aromatic nature of Rieslings and Traminers. Pinot Noirs is a good choice and light Merlot. Cabernet is too tannic and robust. |
| Middle Eastern | Fruity wines, both red and white, work well. Choose the drier Roses and Rieslings. |
| Thai | Rose is a good choice. Rieslings, Gew�rztraminer and Frontignac can go well. Traminer is best suited to spiced dishes of floral nature. Dry whites and reds are generally not suited. |
| Vietnamese | Very cold, fruity, slightly sweet Roses and Traminers. Rieslings are probably too acidic. Chardonnay is a good all round choice. |
| Fried Foods | Sparkling wines with a firm acid finish are terrific. Any crisp, dry, fruity wine, white or red. The acid needs to be high to cut through the fats. |
| Vegetarian | Vegetarian such as bean dishes, enchilada suits light to medium red, Merlot and light styles whites, Chardonnay and dry Riesling for meals base on green vegetables. |
| Soup | Heavier style soups will suit a wine more. Fino or Amontillado sherry. |
| Salad | Avoid wine with a salad that has been dressed with a vinegar base. For other salads Champagne would be the safest choice. |
| Chicken/Rabbit | For roast chicken Pinot Noir or Merlot. |
| Duck | Mid weight Shiraz or Merlot with firm acid structure. |
| Beef | Full-bodied Shiraz for sirloin. Medium Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc or blends of these for fillet steak. Spicy garnished meats such as pepper or mustard deserve spicy style wines like Grenache and Peppery Shiraz. For roast beef, Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux), Pinot Noir (Burgundy) and the Syrah based red Rhone wines. Big style reds from Tuscany and the Piemonte in Italy .. Barolo, Brunello and Chianti. |
| Veal | Most Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc or even with a light red like Beaujolais from France or Dolcetto from Italy. |
| Pork | A versatile food that will work with full-bodied Shiraz or a crisp acidic Chardonnay. |
| Lamb | Medium to full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Roast lamb Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and medium to full bodied Shiraz. Tuscan reds and Italian Chianti. |
| Turkey | Roasted or cold sliced turkey is a great companion for Cabernet blends with Shiraz and Merlot. Medium to full bodied Shiraz will also suit or Riesling, Gew�rztraminer or Chenin Blanc for white wine lovers. |
| Venison | Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Zinfandel with a warm to hot alcohol finish. |
| White Fish | Full-bodied reds should be avoided such as Cabernet Sauvignon that can present an unpleasant metallic tangy taste. Fish in tomato or herb based sauces will accompany a medium weight red (Shiraz). Smokey and oaked flavors will compliment, Fume Blanc or Oaked Chardonnay. Alsace Pinot Gris or Italian Pinot Grigio. |
| Salmon/Tuna | Delicate Chardonnay and dry Riesling. Pinot Noir will also suit. Tuna will also sit well with medium bodied Merlot and Shiraz. |
| Lobster | Dry Riesling and Chenin Blanc for a cold salad with dressing. For a hot dish Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Marsanne. |
| Prawns | Any crisp dry white styles, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, dry Riesling, Semillon. |
| Oysters | Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and fine Champagne. |
| Scallops | Chardonnay and medium-dry Riesling. |
| Mussels | Cabernet Sauvignon, Aged Semillon. |
| Pasta | Sangiovese and Barbera are Italian varieties and supply varietal fruits, crisp acid finish, deep color and low tannin. Cheese Cheddar’s – Cabernet Sauvignon and fuller style Merlots, barrel fermented Chardonnay and Semillon. Swiss, Gruyere – Pinot Noir Blue |
| Cheese | Sauterne, Tawny Port and Dessert wines are traditional but will also work with very dry (Fino) Sherries. Creamy cheese, Camembert and Brie – Very dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Malolactic Chardonnay for those developed buttery notes. Champagne also works well. |
| Dessert | Good dessert wines such as Botrytis wines are best sipped and should be served by themselves as a dessert. Mousses and cr�me brulee are well matched to Sauterne. Muscat and sweet Riesling for fruit tarts, fruitcakes and nuts based pies like pecan. Blue cheese and nuts (walnuts) with Tawny Port. |
| Fruit | Aromatic wines for those strong fruit flavors Riesling, Traminer, Frontignac. |
|
Often, you like a particular type of wine but you’re not sure what food might go well with the wine�we have some suggestions just for you. But remember, your palate is your judge�enjoy what you like! |
|
| Wine Type | Food Type |
| Blanc de Noir | Aperitif, with lunch, deserts |
| Dry but more fruity than Brut. | |
| Made from Red grapes only. | |
| Blanc de Blancs | Caviar, Anytime |
| Delicate dry wine made from white grapes only. | |
| Brut | Aperitifs and first courses, fruits and nuts. Fuller bodied variations go |
| Dry | well with any fish and chicken. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Lamb, pork, beer, duck, cheese |
| Medium to full-bodied | |
| Chardonnay | Poultry and game birds, veal and pork, rabbit fish and pasta |
| Medium to full-bodied dry | preparations which feature cream and/or butter, mushrooms. |
| Chenin Blanc | Braised Chicken, sushi and other Oriental dishes, poultry, pork. |
| Light to medium bodied, | |
| off dry to semi-sweet. | |
| Grenache | Fillet steak with tomato based sauce, sweet seafood, chicken and red Medium to full bodied dry red meat. |
| Merlot | Lamb, beef, pork, duck, game meat, cheese, stews, piazza, heart pastas. |
| Medium to full-bodied | |
| Pinot Noir | Duck, lamb, turkey, beef, game bird, beef, rabbit, semi-soft cheese. |
| Medium to light-bodied, dry, little tannin leaves silky texture. | |
| Rose | Best with smoked foods, quiche, pork and ham, Mexican and Thai food. |
| Vary greatly in the level | Can be served with all food. |
| of residual sugar (sweetness). | |
| Riesling | Appetizers, crabmeat and finger foods, pork, salads. |
| Light to medium bodied, | |
| semi-sweet to off-dry. | |
| Semillon | Grilled fish, foods with creamy sauces such as pasta. |
| Medium bodied dry white. | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | First courses, seafood, ethnic dishes – pasta, curries, salsas, spicy |
| Light-medium bodied dry | sausages, vegetable dishes, luncheon salads, olive oil based dishes, |
| tomato sauces, goat cheese. | |
| Shiraz | Rich spicy meals. Beef fillet with tomato based sauce. Veal, kangaroo, |
| Medium to full-bodied | roast duck. Sparkling Shiraz goes well with pastries and puddings. |
| Traminer | Spicy cuisine such as Chinese, Mexican and Indian, mild sausages, fruit salad. |
| Light to medium body, | |
| usually semi-sweet, | |
| occasionally off-dry. | |
| Verdelho | Grilled fish, fruit platters and Italian pastas with cream based sauce. |
| Medium bodied dry white. | |