There’s nothing better than a quality glass of wine combined with a delicious meal. The two complement each other, taking the whole eating and drinking experience to a different level. Unless the combination is a total failure. For this very reason, it is necessary to learn what kind of wine goes with what kind of meal. To achieve this, there are two general rules to follow.
General rules of combining wine and food…
Red wine should always be combined with red meat.
White wine always goes with lighter meats, such as chicken or fish.
However, in the world of gastronomy, things are not as simple as described above. They tend to get a bit more complicated, given the fact that this world is full of options, flavors, combinations, recipes, and whatnot.
What you want to achieve with pairing these two is not just to emphasize the taste, but to enrich the whole gastronomic sensation.
There are no strict rules, so different dishes will offer a range of different opinions as well. Therefore, choosing a wine that will fit perfectly with your menu is not an easy thing and one could debate this topic indefinitely. But there are a couple of basic rules you should definitely follow.
And why do these rules exist? Well, because by combining incompatible flavors, you can very easily ruin a delicious dish, and even more easily ruin your favorite wine. For example, sweet foods should not be served with fatty foods because they can cause nausea, and sour wines with a sweet dessert will spoil the whole meal.
But before we start the list of delicious meals, here are some guidelines to help you choose the right compound effortlessly.
- Sour wines go well with sweet and fatty (heavy) foods, such as carbonara pasta or risotto. Read more about different types of rice you can combine.
- Fatty dishes are accompanied by sour and wines with high alcohol content, otherwise, the taste of the wine will be lukewarm.
- Wines rich in tannin go with sweet foods.
- Salty dishes should never be paired with sour wines.
- Red wines go with hard and mature cheeses, white sour wines go with creamy, soft, and fatty cheeses, and dessert wines go well with gorgonzola.
- White fish goes with softer wine.
- Rose and heavier white wines complement the taste of stewed, fried, or smoked fish.
And finally, here are some dishes that will taste perfect, with a good bottle of wine.
1. Roasted goose
Wild goose meat has an intense taste, so it can be accompanied by the same red wines. However, as with any poultry, one should be careful with tannins and choose wines that do not have them in large quantities. Roast goose, as a delicacy that is not served every day, deserves to be paired with the same wine, so high-quality red burgundy or ripe Bordeaux claret is considered the perfect choice. Such a meal is perfect for a holiday celebration.
2. Rabbit meat, in different combinations
When it comes to rabbit meat, there are several ways of preparation, so based on what you plan to prepare, you will choose a bottle of wine accordingly. If baked in a casserole a good choice would be red wine. A grilled rabbit requires red wines with a fruity flavor, but not pre-barricaded to avoid the effect of charcoal flavors. The softness and persistent fruity taste reminiscent of plums, roses, and merlot currants will blend into the distinctive taste of rabbit prepared in this way.
3. Salads like Caesars
Although many are more used to eating Caesar salad in the form of plain salad, there are other versions of it, that will complement a good glass of wine. It’s called roasted Caesar salad, and it will go fantastically with a sauvignon blanc.
4. Chocolate cake
Desserts such as chocolate cakes, especially combined with ice cream go perfectly in combination with special liqueur wines, semi-dry sparkling wines, and aromatic sweet wines, while dry desserts, those without chocolate, are well tolerated by older sparkling wines, white sweet and semi-sweet wines, and sherry, port or prosecco.
5. Seasonal fruit salad
For the summer season, it is always smart to make use of its greatest gift- fruits.
Desserts mostly go according to the choice of sweet, liqueur, and sparkling wines. When it comes to fruit, white jam, sparkling wine, and liqueur rose are the most natural choices. Sweet red old wine is best served with fruit.
6. Pasta with cheese
To have a complete Italian taste experience, choose a plate of pasta with an adequate cheese dressing. Big differences when it comes to the choice of wine are offered by combinations of cheese with pasta. Cheeses with soft pasta goes best with rosé and red young wine, while cheeses with hard pasta, grated or boiled, are most often served in combination with a red old robust wine.
7. Chicken curry
Believe it or not, a wine goes perfectly with a bowl of traditional Thai chicken curry. However, you need to pick the right one that will go with all the intense spices such as garlic and chili. Choose a bottle of white, low alcohol wine, such as Riesling, for example.
8. Pizza
Pizza is always a good idea because there isn’t a single person in the world who doesn’t love it, not to mention how many varieties it has. Our suggestion would be to go with a barbeque pizza. Combine it with a fruity wine, and you’re in for a treat.
9. Tiramisu
Finalize a perfect dinner evening with a glass of champagne and a slice of tiramisu. It will feel like a celebration evening.
10. Grilled salmon
We’ve mentioned how white wines, especially Gewürztraminer, go great with fish dishes. No better fish to choose than a salmon. Simply grill it and pop up the bottle.
You can check the Speedy Booze and find some of the best white wines that would perfectly fit this delicious dish.
Choose any of the dishes from the list, and follow the general guidelines we’ve mentioned in the first part of the article, and you’ll be hosting a perfect dinner evening.
