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Maybe you know which wine you like best - and which food you like. But finding the right combination of food and wine can be a challenge. "Food pairing" is the technical term here, and we'll explain the most important facts to you.
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Reading time approx. 3 min
A widely accepted rule is that it is best to drink red wine with meat and white wine with fish. If you stick to this, you won't go wrong - but it can also be different: especially in modern cuisine, a rosé with fish is also popular, and a grilled steak with white wine, for example with a Pinot Noir. As with many guidelines, the following applies here: you can stick to them, but you can also experiment to find out what else you like.
The perfect wine
We recommend Chardonnay with fish dishes.
We recommend Merlot with meat dishes.
Here you can keep in mind the phrase "birds of a feather flock together". If you are serving down-to-earth food, it can be a down-to-earth, rather simple wine. If a fine three-course meal is on the table, the wine should also be a slightly better tipple. Otherwise you risk a conflict in taste. The lightness and heaviness of the drink and the food are similar: If you have planned a light dish - such as a salad or grilled vegetables - then a light wine goes well with it (see picture to see which wine goes with which). Otherwise the drink will quickly overpower the taste of the food. It works the other way around too: With a heavy roast, a very light wine will quickly be lost.
The perfect wine
We recommend Riesling with light dishes.
We recommend Cabernet Sauvignon for heavy dishes.
If you unpack the chili peppers when cooking, you should serve the right wine to go with the spicy food. Wines that contain a certain amount of residual sweetness are good - for example a semi-dry Riesling. These go well together and the wine reduces the spiciness somewhat. You should be careful with wines that contain a lot of alcohol: if you drink them with very spicy dishes, both the spiciness and the alcohol will be even stronger.
The perfect wine
We recommend the Riesling.
The drink can be even sweeter when dessert is ready. In fact, experts recommend that the wine should be a little sweeter than the food, otherwise the wine will quickly lose its flavor. Particularly sweet wines that go well with many desserts such as chocolate mousse or creme brulée are port, sherry or Madeira.
The perfect wine
We recommend the Tinta Negra Mole.
If you are planning a fatty and rather heavy meal, a complex wine goes well with it. Acidic drinks and those with strong tannins are a good choice. To put it simply: if the food leaves a film of fat in your mouth, acid and tannins can remedy this.
For example, red wines that have a high tannic acid content are a good choice. Wines with tannins are often not to everyone's taste, but the fat in the food makes the wine taste smoother - so the wine and the food benefit from each other.
The perfect wine
We recommend the St. Laurent.
It's not just about the grapes on the cheese platter: many hearty dishes contain fruit, for example roast beef with apple compote, steak with figs or even starters with fruity chutney. All of these can be combined well with fruity wines, in this case Muscat or Riesling with residual sweetness would be a good tip. Rosé is a suitable choice for berries and fresh fruit, and a sweet wine also goes well with it.
Example wines:
Are you lacking ideas about which wines to buy? Here are a few examples:
Sparkling wine, Cava, Prosecco, Champagne
Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti
The perfect wine
We recommend the Muscat.
If, despite these simple rules, you are still unsure about the perfect food pairing for your next evening with friends, there are some wines that are considered all-rounders and go well with almost any dish. Rieslings and Silvaners, for example, are pretty easy to combine. They contain a fresh acidity that goes well with many foods and doesn't seem too heavy.
Sweet wine – also with sweet dishes
Otherwise...
... just try it out – you can only learn something new if you try out the different tastes and combinations yourself. And if you want to get to know the world of wine before you try pairing, then a tasting can be a good choice for you: the first step from beginner to wine professional.
You have already read 5 of 12 articles on the topic of wine. Now take a look at the next article to complete your connoisseur knowledge!
Or go to Wine Course Part II to get an overview of all topics!
