Wine Pairing Faux Pas
• A delicate dish needs a delicate wine. A bold, tannic red wine will kill the subtlety of the dish.
• Acidic wines and creamy dishes won’t go well together.
• Tannic wine and tannic food won’t go well together. Artichoke or walnuts are tough for a tannic wine.
• Cloves and cinnamon don’t get well with a cabernet sauvignon.
| On the Menu | Pair with… |
| Red Meat | |
| BBQ steaks | Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Roast beef | Pinot noir, syrah, merlot, zinfandel, Rhone, Chianti, Bordeaux, New World wines… almost any reds work with roast beef! |
| Braised meat | The wine you use to prepare it. Red Burgundy is a good match for a beef bourguignon. |
| Seafood | |
| Fish | Whites like sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot grigio, or viognier. Seafood has a broad range of flavor and texture, so fish can be easily paired with many wines. The choice depends on the way the fish is cooked or the texture of the sauce. |
| Tuna or salmon | Pinot noir |
| Shellfish | Champagne. The salt from the sea and the minerality and freshness from the bubbles is perfect for the palate. |
| Sushi | Pinot noir or wines from regions like Chablis, Sancerre, Friuli, and Austria |
| Poultry | |
| Prepared in a cream sauce, fried, or roasted | Chardonnay |
| Turkey | Pinot noir or chardonnay |
| Duck, squab, or quail | Rich merlot, malbec from Argentina, nebbiol, or a wine from Rioja or Piedmont. Game birds have stronger and earthier aromas and flavors than chicken, so they require full-flavored wines |
| Vegetarian Dishes | |
| Cooked with garlic | Robust reds like syrah or cabernet sauvignon |
| Tomato Dish | Sangiovese goes with any tomatoes dish because it matches acid with acid. |
| Ethnic | |
| Mexican or Southwestern dishes |
Chablis or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Especially for dishes with corn or green chilies, stay with an acidic wine or fruity wine. |
| Indian | French rose or Gewürtstraminer |
| Dessert | |
| Apple or Apricot flavored dessert |
Sauternes and like wines. The wine should always be as sweet or even sweeter than the dessert. |
| Chocolate based dessert |
Robert Mondavi Moscato d’Oro, Asti Spumante from Italy, or Banyuls from France |
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