Basic Food And Wine Pairing Tips

Consider the flavors: Food will have a bigger impact on the taste of a glass of wine than wine will have an impact on the taste of the food. Imagine a glass of orange juice after brushing your teeth! Pair wines with similar flavor intensity to those of the dish.
Match the weight: Pair lighter-bodied wines with light dishes (such as fish or salads) and full-bodied wines with more substantial dishes (such as beef or lamb).
Contrast or complement: Pair wines that either contrast with or complement the flavors of the dish. For example, a high-acid wine like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can cut through the richness of a fatty dish, while sweeter wines go well with desserts but can also complement a spicy dish.
Pair by region: Wines and dishes from the same region often have complementary flavors, and naturally work well together. For example, traditional Tuscan food works well with a Chianti, a red Burgundy wine (Pinot Noir) with a Beef Bourguignon, and so on.

A close up of a cheese and charcuterie board with stilton, pretzels, cold meats, pear and grapes.

Wine pairing guide

Now let's go into more detail and look at some food and wine pairings tips for certain flavor profiles and popular dishes. It can seem confusing when a dish contains several components, so the important thing to remember is to pair to the strongest flavor. An obvious example would be truffles, chili, or pickles, which have strong and very distinctive tastes.

Wine pairing for salty food

Salt is a flavor enhancer, so it is both a food and wine-friendly component (when used in the correct amount). Salt makes wine taste fruitier and softens the tannins, and the wine will taste even more refreshing. White wines are higher in acidity than red wines, but there is still a salty food and wine pairing to suit everyone. Smoked foods are often salty, like smoked salmon, and cheeses like parmesan.

What to serve:

Serve red acidic wines like Pinot Noir or Grenache with salty food. Or dry sparkling wine (for example Brut Champagne) or an acidic variety like Sauvignon Blanc, Verdicchio, Cortese, or Garganega.

Wine pairing for acidic foods

Acidic foods are another friend of wine; they can balance its acidity and make it taste more sweet and fruity. Wines with high acid levels can pair well with acidic foods, like BBQ black garlic chicken with feta melon salad, cutting through the dish and complementing its flavors.

What to serve:

Pair acidic foods with acidic wines like a Northern Italian white wine, for example, a Gavi, Pinot Grigio, or Soave. Alternatively, a refreshing glass of rose.

A bottle of rose wine on a table laid with fresh summer flowers.

Wine pairing for sweet food

Sweet food can make wine taste more acidic or dry, and sugary flavors can also overpower more delicate fruit flavors in wine. This can unbalance a wine, making it seem bitter or flat by comparison. The wine's sweetness can be enhanced or reduced by the sweetness of the food, so balance is important when pairing. As a general rule, serve a well-chilled dessert wine with desserts.

What to serve:

Sweet wines like Sauternes, Moscato, Tokaji Aszu, or ice wine pair well with desserts like rhubarb pistachio pavlova or baked pain au chocolate pudding. Alternatively, a fortified wine like a port or a sweet sherry.

Wine pairing for spicy food

Wine can be easily overwhelmed by spice and the big flavors of dishes like curry. Spice creates a burning sensation in the mouth, similar to alcohol, so for some (myself included), I prefer to counteract this and serve a low or medium-alcohol wine.

What to serve:

Serve an aromatic wine like a Gewürztraminer with a spicy dish like this spiced eggplant masala.

Wine pairing for fatty food

Fatty foods like cheese, certain meats, and cream-based dishes will coat the tongue and affect how a wine tastes. This reduces the effect of tannins in red wines, which can be a positive. But fat will coat the tongue and overpower a delicate or simple white wine. Fatty foods can also enhance wine's sweetness and reduce its acidity.

What to serve:

Creamy or buttery Chardonnays that have been through malolactic conversion will work well with cream-based sauces like this champagne cream sauce. Alternatively, Sauvignon Blanc or Northern Italian white wines are high in acid, so they can cut through fatty dishes and feel cleansing to drink alongside them. Serve tannic red wines with fatty red meat, like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo.

Image shows sliced lamb on a wooden chopping board. Find food and wine pairing tips to serve the right glass of wine with red meat.

Wine pairing for umami-rich foods

Umami-rich foods such as mushrooms, truffles, soy sauce, and aged cheeses can greatly affect the taste of a wine. Umami has a drying effect on wines and can make them taste more acidic, less fruity, and sometimes bitter.

What to serve:

Serve an off-dry wine with umami-rich foods like a Pinot Gris or Riesling from Alsace. A lower tannin Chianti would be a good red wine to serve with umami-rich food.

Wine pairing for seafood

Fish and seafood are generally (but not always!) served with white wine. Much will depend on the sauce that the fish is served with, for example, a salmon en croute with dill cream sauce will work better with one wine, whereas white fish in a lighter sauce would need a different pairing.

What to serve:

A Gavi or a Soave from Northern Italy or Côtes de Provence rosé goes well with lighter, white seafood dishes. Fatty fish or creamy sauces pair well with a creamy chardonnay. Tuna pairs beautifully with a lighter-bodied red wine like Pinot Noir from Burgundy.