Matching Food with Wine
Chinese
Choose sweet or off-dry wines. Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Rosés are the best. Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and light Californian Zinfandel go well with roasted birds like Peking Duck.
Our suggestions:
Beringer Gewürztraminer, Beringer White Zinfandel, Estancia Pinot Noir
Indian
Choose full-bodied sparkling and fruit driven reds such as Merlot for sweet curries. Hot and spicy styles match well to slightly sweet and cold Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
Our suggestions:
Bollinger Gande Anee and Bollinger Special Cuvee
Middle Eastern
Fruity wines, both red and white, work well. Choose the drier Rosés and Rieslings.
Our suggestions:
Westend Richland Chardonnay, Beringer Gamay Beaujolais
Barbecue
Wines need to be both fruity and rich for the general foods Rosé 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 wines of Grenache and Shiraz.
Our suggestions:
Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz
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.
Our suggestions:
Montego Estate Sparkling Brut – Grapus
Soup
Heavier style soups will suit a wine more. Fino or Amontillado sherry.
Our suggestions:
Blandy’s Rainwater Madeira
Salad
Avoid wine with a salad that has been dressed with a vinegar base.
For other salads Champagne would be the safest choice.
Our suggestions:
Montaudon Brut Reserve Premiere
Vegetarian
Vegetarian such as bean dishes, enchiladas suit light to medium . red, Merlot and light style whites, Chardonnays and dry Riesling
for meals base on green vegetables.
Our Suggestions:
Lorch Riesling DC
Lobster
Chenin Blanc and dry Riesling for a cold salad with dressing. For a hot dish Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Marsanne.
Our Suggesttions:
Simonsig Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillion
White Fish
Smokey and oaked flavours will complement, Fumé Blanc and Oaked Chardonnay. Alsace Pinot Gris or Italian Pinot Grigio. 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 weighted red (shiraz).
Our suggestions:
Montes Alpha Chardonnay, Tommasi Pinot Grigio La Rosse
Salmon and Tuna
Delicate Chardonnay and dry Riesling. Pinot Noir will also suit.
Tuna will also sit well with medium bodied Merlot and Shiraz.
Our suggestions:
Estancia Pinot Noir, Valdivieso Chardonnay, Meridian Chardonnay
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,
Gewürztraminer or Chenin Blanc for white wine lovers.
Our suggestions:
Martinez Finca Antigua Syrah
Pork
A versatile food that will work with bold full-bodied Shiraz or a crisp acidic
Chardonnay.
Our suggestions:
Mad Fish Shiraz or Chardonnay.
Lamb
Medium to full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Roast lamb Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and medium to full bodied Shiraz. Tuscan reds and Italy Chianti.
Our suggestions:
Tommasi Vino rosso Toscano Rompicolo
Beef
Full bodied Shiraz for sirloin. Fillet steak and medium weighted Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc or blends of these. Spicy garnished meats such as pepper or mustard deserve spicy style wines like Grenache and Peppery Shiraz. 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.
Our suggestions:
Franciscan Magnificat Meritage, Treana 2003
Veal
Most Chardonnays and Pinot Blanc or even with a light red like . . Beaujolais from France or Dolcetto from Italy.
Our suggestions:
Bouchard & Fils Beaujolais-Villages
Duck
Mid weight Shiraz or Merlot with firm acid structure.
Our suggestions:
Chateau St. Jean Merlot
Cheeses
Cheddars - Cabernet Sauvignon and fuller style Merlots,
barrel fermented Chardonnay and Semillon.
Our suggestions:
Valdivieso Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
Swiss,Gruyere - Pinot Noir.
Our Suggestions:
Duck Pond Pinot Noir
Blue cheese - Sauterne, Tawny Port and Dessert wines are traditional but will also work with very dry (Fino) Sherries.
Our suggestions:
Graham’s 20 year old Tawny port
Creamy cheeses, Camembert and Brie - Very dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Malolactic Chardonnay for those developed buttery notes. Champagne also works well.
Our suggestions:
Nobilo Icon Sauvignon
Dessert
Good dessert wines such a Botrytis wines are best sipped and should be served by themselves as a dessert. Mousses and crème brûlée are well matched to Sauterne. Muscat and sweet Riesling for fruit tarts, fruit cakes and nut based pies like pecan. Blue cheese and nuts (walnuts) with Tawny Port.
Our suggestions: 3 Bridges Golden Mist
Matching Wine with Food
When matching wine with food it is good to stick with what you enjoy drinking. When in doubt a good rule to follow is “like with like”:
• Sweet wine with sweet food
• Sour foods with acidic wines
• Bitter with bitter
• Salty food with acidic wines
• Red wine with red meat
• White wine with white meat
There are exceptions to every rule, including this one. People are broadening their horizons and the types of food they consume are becoming more exotic, so there may be many different flavors in one meal. It is also difficult to tell which wines retain bitterness and which are acidic. This knowledge could only be gained through experience and improvement of the palate. Till then, we have listed some types of food that go with different types of wine.
Wine type: Chardonnay
Description: Medium to full-bodied, dry.
Food: Poultry and game birds, veal and pork, rabbit, fish and pasta preparations which feature cream and/or butter, mushrooms.
Wine type: Sauvignon Blanc
Description: Light-medium bodied, dry.
Food: First courses, seafood, ethnic dishes—pastas, curries, salsas, spicy sausages, vegetable dishes, luncheon salads, olive-oil based dishes, tomato sauces, goat cheese.
Wine type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Description: Medium to full-bodied, tannic and dry.
Food: Beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats, cheeses.
Wine type: Merlot
Description: Medium to full-bodied, less tannic than Cabernet, dry.
Food: Beef, lamb, pork, duck, game meats, cheeses, stews, pizza, heart pastas.
Wine type: Shiraz
Description: Rich spicy Medium to full bodied.
Food: Beef fillet with tomato based sauce meals. Veal, kangaroo, roast duck. Sparkling shiraz goes well with pastries and puddings.
Wine type: Pinot Noir
Description: Medium to light-bodied, dry, little tannin leaves silky texture.
Food: Lamb, duck, turkey, game birds, beef, rabbit, semi-soft cheeses.
Wine type: Rosé
Description: Vary greatly in the level of residual sugar (sweetness).
Food: Best with smoked foods, quiche, pork and ham, Mexican and Thai food.
Can be served with all food.
Wine type: Brut
Description: Dry
Food: Aperitifs and first courses, fruits and nuts.
Fuller bodied variations go well with any fish and chicken. |