Recipes with Wine Pairings from the Napa Valley (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a wine pairing menu? ›

Match Weight

Matching a food's weight with a wine's weight is the most fundamental part of pairing food and wine. The idea is that a heavy food will overshadow a light wine, and vice versa. In general, one side of the pairing should not completely dominate the other. That is what most people tend to prefer.

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). Bitter wines (e.g. red wines) are best balanced with fat. It is better to match the wine with the sauce than with the meat.

Contrasting Wine Pairings

Also called a complementary pairing, a contrasting pairing is when one flavor cuts through and balances out the richness of the other. Mac and cheese can work great with Chardonnay for an overall creamy, rich experience, but mac and cheese can also go great with a sharper Pinot Grigio.

White wine pairings include white meat, white fish, and pasta. Red wines are best suited to red meats and desserts. Rosé wine pairings include seafood. Sparkling wines should be paired with shellfish, fruits, and cheeses.

The general rule of thumb is to serve a wine at least as sweet or sweeter than the food being served. Sweet foods make dry wines seem over-acidic and tart. Sweet wines with a good level of acidity, such as Sauternes, are a perfect match for rich foods like pâté.

Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and even the beloved kale all have high levels of organosulfur compounds, AKA straight up sulfur. The same vegetables that can give you serious, uh, gas can also make wine taste awful.

In addition, there are a few good tips that all good wine connoisseurs understand when pairing their wine and food: Your wine should be more acidic than your food. Your wine should be sweeter than your food. Red or bitter wines and bold, fatty meats pair best.

White wine can be paired with spicy dishes, since its sugar can balance out the spice. It can also be paired with salty dishes, since the salt can decrease the sweetness of the wine to bring out its fruity aromas and taste. A glass of Dindori Reserve Chardonnay would pair perfectly with salty popcorn or fried dishes.

What is the most difficult food to pair with wine? ›

Wine and beer

This combination is dangerous because both beer and wine contain sulfites that will react with each other in your stomach. The result? A headache or an upset stomach, and you better avoid that. Try to stick to only one option and never ever drink wine and beer at one night.

🍷 Simple is best: Don't fret over the nuances of wine and food pairings. Instead, focus on overarching elements like sweetness, heat, or richness — and remember that opposites often attract. For instance, a zesty sparkling wine with crispy fried chicken or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with creamy pasta.

Matching the power of the wine and the food is crucial. A heavy, flavourful dish can overwhelm a light-bodied wine, while a full-bodied grape overpowers a delicate dish. Pair a spicy dish with a sweeter wine to balance the heat. Similarly, a rich, full-bodied wine may pair well with a heavy, meaty dish.