How do you pair wine with food
John Thompson
Updated on April 10, 2026
The wine should be more acidic than the food.The wine should be sweeter than the food.The wine should have the same flavor intensity as the food.Red wines pair best with bold flavored meats (e.g. red meat).White wines pair best with light-intensity meats (e.g. fish or chicken).
How do you match wine with food?
- Keep food and wine at a similar weight. …
- Match flavour intensity and character. …
- Think about acidity. …
- Beware mixing salt and tannin. …
- Soften bitter tannins with richer, heavier food. …
- Serve a wine at least as sweet as the food being served. …
- Spicy foods need spicy wine. …
- Pair with the sauce.
What snacks pair with wine?
- Animal Crackers and Riesling. Classic and brilliant. …
- Popcorn and Chardonnay. …
- Toaster Pastries and Fizzy Rosé …
- Pistachios and Pinot Noir. …
- Corn Chips and Cabernet Sauvignon. …
- Mini Cupcakes and Moscato. …
- Fruit Snacks and Fizzy Sangria. …
- PB&J Sandwich and Fizzy Crisp White.
What wine goes with what food chart?
- White wines tend to pair better with lighter foods such as green veggies and fish.
- Keep clear of red wine and fish, for the most part, unless it’s a rich not-so-fishy fish.
- Sparkling wine pairs with a wide variety of foods because it acts as a palate cleanser.
Which food goes with red wine?
- Merlot: Match this wine with roasted chicken or turkey.
- Malbec: Serve alongside spiced vegetarian stews and tomato-heavy meat dishes.
- Cabernet Sauvignon: This fuller-bodied wine goes great with red meat and roasted/grilled lamb.
What goes well with wine besides cheese?
- Sweet pickles such as cornichon.
- Gluten free crackers.
- Gluten free snack mix.
- Walnuts, almonds, and candied nuts.
- Fresh fruit such as grapes, pomegranate, and apple slices.
- Dried figs, apricots, and oranges.
- Marinated olives.
- Dark chocolate and berries (all kinds)
What do you serve at a wine tasting?
Pick proteins — hummus, cheese, meat — and fresh produce, and avoid anything too sugary. Before you return to tasting, eat something neutral, like plain crackers or water biscuits. You won’t be able to taste champagne with hummus on your tongue.
What should you not eat with red wine?
- Artichokes. Artichokes mess with the taste of your wine. …
- Asparagus. It’s hard to find any wine that pairs well. …
- Blue cheese. It will overpower pretty much any wine. …
- Brussels sprouts. They’re too earthy and sulfurous for most wines. …
- Chocolate. …
- Eggs. …
- Kale. …
- Soy sauce.
Which cheese goes well with wine?
- Pinot Noir and Gruyere. …
- Champagne and Brie. …
- Moscato d’Asti and Gorgonzola. …
- Tempranillo and Idiazabal. …
- Sauvignon Blanc and Goat Cheese. …
- Cabernet Sauvignon and Aged Cheddar. …
- Provence Rosé and Havarti. …
- Riesling and Raclette.
- Charcuterie. You can’t throw a party without wine’s best friend! …
- Bruschetta. This easy, minimal-bake bruschetta is the perfect summertime snack. …
- Crudité platter. …
- Chips and Salsa/Pico de Gallo/Guacamole. …
- Hummus. …
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip. …
- Caprese Salad. …
- Roll Ups.
What goes with wine before dinner?
- Smoky Three Cheese Fondue. …
- Baked Brie With Figs & Walnuts. …
- Roasted Fruit & Cheese Plate. …
- Popcorn With Sesame Glazed Pistachios. …
- Buttered Parmesan Crostini. …
- Shrimp Scampi Dip. …
- Homemade Cheese Straws. …
- Baked Ham & Cheese Roll-Ups.
How do you host a wine and cheese tasting?
- Bless, rather than impress. …
- Select a maximum of 6 types of cheese. …
- How much cheese to buy? …
- Ask guests to bring their favorite wine or non-wine beverage to share (no matter what it is). …
- Set the table with three glasses per person. …
- Don’t try to be a wine expert if you’re not.
What wine goes well with chocolate?
- WHITE CHOCOLATE. pairs well with Riesling, Moscato d’Asti, Sweeter Rosè …
- MILK CHOCOLATE. pairs well with Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gewurtztraminer. …
- DARK CHOCOLATE. pairs well with Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. …
- HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE. pairs well with Brachetto d’Acqui.
What fruits go with red wine?
FruitWineLight Red WinesMadeiraApples, Figs, GrapesMerlotBlackberries, melon, cherriesMuscat
Is it OK to drink red wine with chicken?
Select a wine that is equally simple to avoid overwhelming the food. A simple roasted chicken, for example, pairs equally well with a full-flavored red, a medium-bodied rosé, or a dry white. Also, an oaked Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir will be great.
What should you not mix with wine?
- Chocolate. Why It Doesn’t Work. …
- Brussel Sprouts. Why It Doesn’t Work. …
- Asparagus. Why It Doesn’t Work. …
- Blue Cheese. Why It Doesn’t Work. …
- Sushi. Why It Doesn’t Work. …
- Soy Sauce. Why It Doesn’t Work.
Can I eat cheese with red wine?
Red wines play well with bold, hearty, and aged cheeses like cheddar or gouda. … If you’d like to pair more delicate cheeses like baby swiss or even a light creamy blue, pick a light to medium-bodied red wine like a Beaujolais or pinot noir.
How do I host a wine tasting at home?
- Keep it Intimate. As with any event, having too large a group can make it hard to stay focused. …
- Keep it Themed. …
- Set the Table. …
- Set Each Place. …
- Everyone Contributes. …
- Blind Tasting is Best Tasting. …
- Notes and Discussion. …
- Finish With a Meal.
When should you drink wine before or after a meal?
3. Don’t drink before you eat. Drinking wine before you eat has shown to increase appetite when consumed 30 minutes before eating, so save your wine for your meal. If you love to cook and drink at the same time, try splitting your glass of wine into 2 servings of 3 ounces each.
What is a good dinner wine?
Online wine sellers are quick to recommend Cabernet Sauvignon as the best red wine for dinner parties since its light-to-medium body is a definitive crowd-pleaser. Merlot, which is a medium red, will do well with both red and white meat, especially chicken.
How do you make a wine tasting fun?
- Decide on a Wine Tasting Theme for the Party. To start, come up with a theme for the party. …
- Choose Your Guest List. …
- Invite Your Guests. …
- Plan Your Food and Drink. …
- Plan Activities. …
- Gather What You Need for the Wine Tasting Party. …
- Prepare for the Party. …
- Enjoy the Party.
What is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie is a display of cured meats. It has gained popularity in recent times and now includes meats, cheeses, and accompaniments that pair well with meats and cheeses such as fruit, olives, nuts, spreads, etc). When people think of charcuterie boards, they are essentially referring to a cheese board.
What dessert goes well with wine?
- Strawberry Shortcake. Add sparkling fireworks to this creamy classic. …
- Peach Cobbler. Rich fruit and a welcome burst of acidity. …
- White Chocolate. Balance subtle sweetness with decadently fruity notes. …
- Lemon Bars. …
- Carrot Cake. …
- Chocolate Mousse. …
- Apple Pie.
What wine goes with cheesecake?
Plain Cheesecake Go with a sweet Riesling, or a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc.
What wine goes with brownies?
We suggest sticking to dry and dark wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot when picking a wine to go with brownies. Dry red wines will help accentuate the chocolate flavors of the brownies and stand up to their sweetness.
Is it OK to eat fruits with wine?
In summer we can find ripe strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, currants and pomegranates. These fruits of intense red shades combine perfectly with wines of similar tones. We can pair them with rosés and young, fruity, red wines.
What wine goes well with vegetables?
Pair dark, leafy greens like spinach or chard with light reds such as Gamay; greens make full-bodied reds too astringent. Match mushrooms, lentils, miso and other earthy ingredients with an earthy red like Pinot Noir. Tannins intensify heat, so for dishes with hot chiles, pour soft, fruity reds like Zinfandel.
What fruit can you put in wine?
The list of home wine making fruits you can use to create these wines is endless. Strawberries, plums, watermelons, peaches, blackberries, gooseberries, boysenberries, grapefruits, pears, pineapples, persimmons are all very suitable for fruit home wine making, but this list is far from complete.