Tips for Wine and Food Pairing


Our first tip is to enjoy the wine you are serving, if you do not like the wine you may not have an enjoyable experience .The trick is to have your wine and food complement each other.

Below you will find a helpful guide to pairing wines with food. By all means this is not a set of rules feel free to experiment with the wine and food flavors you enjoy to find the perfect combinations.

Red Varietal Appetizers Main Course Dessert
Cabernet Sauvignon Carpacio, pungent (stinky) cheeses Beef, duck, lamb, lentils Dark and bittersweet chocolate
Merlot Antipasto, aged cheeses Veal, sausage, salmon, tuna, eggplant Raspberry, cherry or other dark berry desserts
Zinfandel Seared Ahi tuna, spicy chicken or beef satay Barbeque, tomato sauce, spicy sausage, duck and beef Dark berry desserts, carrot cake
Pinot Noir Creamy cheeses, pate's, roasted vegetables Veal, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, lamb Berry tart, flourless chocolate cake, crème brulee
Syrah Bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, tampenade Ham, lamb, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, barbeque Cherry pie, chocolate mousse

White Varietal

Appetizers

Main Course

Dessert

Chardonnay
Scallops, crudite, hummus, mild cheeses Chicken, cream based sauces, pork and seafood
Cheesecake, poached light fruit

Sauvignon Blanc

Oysters, crab cakes, wild mushroom and goat cheese bruschetta

Sea bass, lobster langoustines, chicken, shrimp

Sorbet, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie

Pinot Noir

ceviche, ahi tuna tartare, antipasto

Risotto, grilled chicken, lobster, white sauces, crab

Petit fours, apple tart

Riesling

Calamari, steamed clams, creamy cheeses

Roasted chicken, grilled pork, baked ham

Light cakes, cream based pie, baked apples

Some Inspirational Websites for your Taste Buds

Food Network

Food & Wine Magazine

AllRecipes.com