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Classic Food and Wine Pairings
updated August 2010
Note: The principal aim in pairings is to match wine and food that share the same intensity. When in doubt, drink Champagne, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for their versatility and because they offer a harmonic balance of fruit and acid that make them work well with most foods. As with all pairings, our offerings are by necessity general. Cooking styles, sauces, and the like can easily alter the varietal of wine with any particular dish.
| Appetizer/Brunch/Courses | |
| Antipasti | Pinot Grigio |
| Artichokes | Vegetable to avoid (or eat separately) when pairing with wine. Makes wine taste acidic. |
| Asparagus | Vegetable to avoid (or eat separately) when pairing with wine. Gives wine a sour note. |
| Canapes | Champagne/Rosé Champagne/rosé sparkling wine |
| Caviar | Champagne/sparkling wine |
| Crab Salad | Chardonnay or Riesling |
| Cucumber Salad | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Egg Dishes | Champagne |
| Eggplant — Grilled and Tomato Salad | Merlot or Pinot Noir |
| Fava Beans (or Cannelli Bean course) | Chardonnay or Riesling |
| Figs with Prosciutto | Champagne or sparkling wine |
| Fish Pâté | Sancerre or any white Burgundy |
| Foie Gras | Champagne/sparkling wine or Gewürztraminer, Sauternes |
| Fruit course | Riesling |
| Greek Salad | Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Albarino (Spanish white) |
| Mushrooms (Fresh) | Champagne/sparkling wine |
| Nuts | Chilled Sherry |
| Olives | Chilled Sherry |
| Omelettes | Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Champagne |
| Oysters | Champagne, Chablis, and Pinot Gris |
| Pâté | Champagne/sparkling wine, Sauternes, Gewürztraminer |
| Prawns | Riesling |
| Prosciutto | Chardonnay |
| Quiche | Gewürztraminer, Riesling |
| Ragout | Chardonnay |
| Ratatouille and herbs | Zinfandel or Syrah |
| Salads | None. Beware of trying to pair with wine: vinegar and dressings do little for salads. |
| Salmon — Smoked | Champagne/sparkling wine, Riesling |
| Shellfish | Champagne/sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, White Burgundy/Chardonnay, Albarino (Spanish white wine) |
| Snails | Champagne/sparkling wines |
| Soups | None. Wine does nothing for soup. |
| Sushi | Champagne/sparkling wine |
| Tapas | Champagne/sparkling wine or chilled Manzanilla Sherry |
| Entrées and Cuisines | |
| Asian | Champagne/sparkling wine, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Riesling |
| Beef Dishes | Cabernet Sauvignon/red Bordeaux, Rhône, Syrah, Zinfandel |
| Beef Stew | Red Burgundy/Pinot Noir/Red Rioja, Barolo |
| Chicken — Fried | Barbera, Syrah, Zinfandel |
| Chicken — Grilled | Chablis, Champagne, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay |
| Chicken — Roasted | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, Viognier |
| Chicken Stew | Champagne/sparkling wine, or Pinot Noir/Burgundy with some crusty French bread |
| Chilean | Malbec |
| Coq au Vin | Red Burgundy/Pinot Noir/Red Rioja |
| Crab | Champagne/sparkling wine/Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Pinot Gris |
| Dover Sole | Chablis or any white Burgundy |
| Duck | Pinot Noir, Red Rhône, Red Rioja, Zinfandel |
| Duck — Peking or Szechuan | Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir |
| Fish Stews | Champagne/sparkling wine |
| Fish — Grilled | Champagne/sparkling wine, Chablis, Chardonnay |
| Fish — White | Chardonnay, Chablis |
| Fondue | Champagne or sparkling wine |
| Halibut | White Burgundy/Chardonnay or Pinot Noir |
| Ham | Viognier, Gewürztraminer |
| Hamburgers | Merlot |
| Indian | Chenin Blanc, Fume or Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino (Spanish white)
If hot, avoid wine and drink beer or water |
| Kangaroo | Grenache, Syrah |
| Lamb — Braised | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah |
| Lamb — Rack of lamb | Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Lamb — Roasted | Cabernet Sauvignon/red Bordeaux, Merlot, Syrah |
| Lamb Chop | Cabernet Sauvignon/red Bordeaux, Pinot Noir |
| Lamb Stew | Merlot, St. Emilion, or Pomerol |
| Lobster | Chardonnay or any white Burgundy, Champagne |
| Lobster — Poached | Champagne or Pinot Noir |
| Macaroni with blue cheese | Sauternes or Late Harvest Sauvignon |
| Meatballs and Pasta | Merlot |
| Meatloaf | Cabernet Sauvignon/red Bordeaux |
| Mexican |
Chenin Blanc, Fume or Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino (Spanish white) If hot, avoid wine, and drink beer or water |
| Monkfish | Riesling, Pinot Noir |
| Omelette | Champagne, Beaujolais or any light red Burgundy/Pinot Noir |
| Osso Buco | Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Zinfandel |
| Pasta with cheese | Chianti Classico |
| Pasta in cream | Chardonnay |
| Pasta with meat sauce or meatballs | Chianti Classico, Merlot, Amarone, Barolo |
| Pasta with pesto | Fume Blanc/sauvignon blanc |
| Pasta with salmon | Champagne/sparkling wine or Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir |
| Pasta with seafood | Champagne /sparkling wine or Pinot Grigio |
| Pasta with Tomato & Basil | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Pizza with fish and cheese topping | White wine, like Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc; otherwise beer, soda or water |
| Pizza with meat topping | Red wine, Zinfandel; otherwise, beer, soda or water |
| Pork | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, red Rhônes, Syrah, Zinfandel, Riesling, Beaujolais |
| Pork Chop | Riesling |
| Pot Roast | Barolo |
| Quail and Pheasant | Red Burgundy or Syrah |
| Rabbit | Cabernet Sauvignon/red Bordeaux, Red Rhone, Pinot Noir, Merlot |
| Red Snapper | California Red blend/Meritage |
| Risotto | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, Amarone |
| Risotto with truffles | Italian reds, like Barbaresco or Barolo |
| Salmon | White Burgundy, Pinot Noir/Red Burgundy, Pinot Gris |
| Sausage — Bratwurst | Sancerre, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc |
| Scallops | Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris |
| Sea Bass | Chardonnay/Chablis |
| Shrimp Curry | Sauvignon Blanc or Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc |
| Soufflés | Champagne or sparkling wine |
| Spicy Foods | Riesling — this wine loves any pork, especially grilled pork chops |
| Squab | Pinot Noir |
| Steak au Poivre | Red Zinfandel, Rhone, or Syrah |
| Thai | Chenin Blanc, Albarino (Spanish white), Riesling, Fume, Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling wine, Viognier |
| Tuna — Grilled | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, Rioja |
| Trout | Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Soave, Albarino |
| Trout — Smoked | Riesling, Gewürztraminer |
| Tuna Dishes | Chablis, Champagne/sparkling wine, or Sauvignon Blanc |
| Turkey — Roasted | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, red Zinfandel, Shiraz |
| Veal | Pinot Noir/red Burgundy, Chardonnay |
| Vegetarian | Chardonnay or Champagne, Sparkling wine |
| Venison | Syrah/French Red Rhône |
| Cheeses | |
| Note: Contrary to conventional thought, white wine actually pairs better with most cheeses than red. Cheese coats the palate with fat. Dry red wines are not equipped to penetrate the fat, and as a result are neutralized — perhaps overpowered — by cheese. An exception to this is red Port wine, which is sweet and marries wonderfully with Stilton and other blue cheeses. Dry white wines, on the other hand, have more acidity than dry reds and are better able to cut through the fat and co-exist quite nicely with cheese. Nonetheless, people still like to have cheese with red wine, so we supply suggestions for both. | |
| Cheeses with Red Wine | |
| Brie | Burgundy or Pinot Noir |
| Époisses | Burgundy or Pinot Noir; Barolo; Barbaresco; Super Tuscan; Chianti |
| Cheddar, Gouda, or Gruyère | Bordeaux/Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; Zinfandel |
| Époisses or Parmigianino | Barolo or Barbaresco |
| Gouda | Chianti Classico; Merlot; Zinfandel |
| Parmigianino | Chianti Classico; Super Tuscan |
| Blue Cheese (Roquefort or Stilton) |
Port |
| Triple Crème (Brillat-Savarin or Explorateur) | Burgundy/Pinot Noir |
| Cheese with White Wine | |
| Blue Cheese/Roquefort | Sherry (dry) |
| Brie | Champagne, White Burgundy/Chardonnay |
| Camembert | Champagne |
| Cheddar | Riesling |
| Cheddar, Soft | Champagne |
| Feta | White Burgundy/Chardonnay |
| Fontina Val d’Aosta | Burgundy, Pouilly-Fuissé, Chardonnay, Riesling (versatile with both reds and whites) |
| Goat Cheese | Champagne |
| Gorgonzola | Sherry (dry) |
| Gouda | Champagne |
| Gruyère | Burgundy/Chardonnay, Riesling |
| Munster | Gewürztraminer, Riesling |
| Triple Crème | Champagne, White Burgundy, Sancerre |
| Cheese Tips
Serve cheese at room temperature and remove it from the refrigerator about 90 minutes or more before serving. Serve a chewy whole grain bread or crusty French bread with cheese. Hold the crackers because they do little to enhance cheese or wine. |
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Fruit and Cheese Pairings Pears crave Parmigianino. A glass of Chablis will marry well. If you insist on a red wine, try Barbaresco or young red Burgundy/Pinot Noir. Apples and Cheddar are a natural. A glass of Chardonnay is excellent. If you insist on red wine, try a glass of young Burgundy/Pinot Noir. Fresh Figs crave Brie. Include some prosciutto and a glass of Champagne for a lovely combination. Grapes are always a sure accompaniment with Cheddar, Brie, Triple Crèmes, or Fontina Val d’Aosta. Add some crusty bread and Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. If you insist on red, then use Cheddar with some Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. |
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| Desserts | |
| Apple Dumplings | Late Harvest Chardonnay or Riesling |
| Cakes with Jam or Raspberry | Late Harvest Riesling or Chardonnay |
| Dark Chocolate | Red wine, like Port, works well; Champagne often also used |
| Dark Chocolate Truffles | Red Blend/Meritage or Cabernet Sauvignon or Port |
| Figs (fresh) | Champagne, preferably Rosé Champagne |
| Ice Cream and Meringues | Champagne/sparkling wine |
| Lemon Soufflé | Champagne |
| Pear Tart | Champagne |
| Plum Desserts | Late Harvest Riesling or Chardonnay |
| Rich tarts, crepes, pecan pie | Sauternes, Late-Harvest Riesling, Madeira |
Have any additional questions about wine, vintages or food pairings?
Get a personalized response from QRW by email.
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Phone: 781-729-7132 Fax: 781-721-0572
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