Pair wine with food like a pro
An underrated skill for any wine enthusiast is being able to pair them with a specific dish. After all, wine is designed to be enjoyed with food, and while certain dishes might not ruin a wine, it keep it from reaching its full potential.
Here is a brief guide with some beginner tips for pairing your favourite wines with certain foods, as well as some helpful graphics to explain the best dishes to enjoy with the array of wines we have available.
If you want further information about any of our wines, don’t hesitate to get in touch - we’d be very happy to help!
The Basics - White or Red
Not all white wines or red wines are created equal. In fact, you will even find significant variation between one family of wine (Pinot Grigio, Merlot etc.) from another of its supposedly similar counterparts.
Having said that, there are some broad and general guidelines that you can use to decide on whether red or white is appropriate for a specific meal.
White Wine
In general, white wines are considered more “delicate” than red wines. They have more simplistic flavour profiles and should be served chilled for full effect. As a result, they can be paired with less flavourful foods without overpowering them and spoiling the meal.
When eating any of the following five dishes, make sure to pair them with a light and white wine:
- Poultry
- Cheese
- Salads
- Shellfish
- Fish
Red Wine
Red wines tend to have a deeper and richer flavour profile which means they can overpower some lighter dishes or more delicate meats. As a result, they should usually be paired with powerful flavours which won’t be lost amongst the complexity of red wine.
If you are eating any of the following foods or dishes, red wine is the safest bet:
- Pasta
- Lamb
- Beef
- Duck
- Barbecue
Our Wines
It’s important to remember that what we offered in this blog were general rules for people who might be uninitiated with complex flavour profiles. However, red wine isn’t just suitable for rich and meaty stews or steaks - it can be paired with more delicate dishes depending on their specific tapestry of flavour.
Here are six helpful graphics which show the three red wines and three white wines we have available, so you can find out exactly what to pair with each specific wine.
The culmination of four generations of craft and development between Rioja and Navarra in Spain, this wine has an intense cherry red colour with perfectly balanced flavours of ripe black and red fruits, spices, liquorice, and a distinct chocolate aroma 🇪🇸
An exciting and characterful wine from the South of France, this Malbec consists of grapes picked at optimum ripeness before undergoing a three-week maceration.
This is a smooth and succulent wine with balanced tannins and a taste of ripe plum, blackberries, and cherries 🇫🇷
Dry, tangy, and refreshing with a honeysuckle and apricot aroma, this Mont Rocher Viognier is lovingly created from small parcels of vines indigenous to Southern France 🇫🇷
This remarkable Romanian wine is created using a range of traditional and cutting-edge methods from vines with an average age of a decade.
With a fruity racy taste profile of passion fruit, tangerine and gooseberry, this wine has a medium body with a welcome zingy acidity 🇷🇴
With over 150 years of history and winemaking experience, the Biscardo Family create this Pinot Grigio with 10-15-year old vines.
With a delicate minerality, this is a light refreshing wine with floral aromas, a slight acidity, and notes of tropical fruit, melon, guava, and peach 🇮🇹