“Pairing wine and food is an art, not a science.”

As you start your journey into drinking wine, it will become apparent really fast that pairing food and wine is necessary in order to truly get the full experience of a wine and to complement a meal the best way possible. In general, we recommend drink and eat what you like. However, if you take some easy steps when choosing which food or wine to consume, your experience will be enhanced like no other.

Pairing Food & Wine Basics

Our goal is to help others learn how to enjoy wine the best way possible. A critical part of enjoying wine to the fullest is to pair it with the food you are eating to enhance both the food and the wine. Here are a list of things to consider when pairing wine with your food (or visa versa).
    1. Red wines tend to pair best with meats with strong flavors, usually red meats.
    1. White wines tend to pair best with lighter flavored meals and meat, like chicken & seafood.
    1. Try to pair the wine with the sauce on the meat, rather than the meat on dishes where there is a lot of sauce (like pasta)
    1. Meals with high acidity (like tomato based pasta sauce) should be paired with wines with high acidity.
    1. Fatty foods pair best with bitter wines (like a ribeye and a cabernet)
    1. Sweet wines go well with sweet food (like dessert wines)
    1. There are two ways to pair wine and food, congruent (wine & dish share flavors) and complementary (do not share flavors).
Congruent – this is typically a red wine that is paired with a dish. The flavors in the wine and the food are both elevated this way. But remember that the food should never overpower the wine, otherwise the wine will just taste bland and very underwhelming. Complementary – these combinations of wine and food share no flavors, but they do complement each other. A good example of this is a sweet wine paired with a spicy dish. The sweetness will tone down the spiciness and the flavors in both the wine and the dish will be enhanced.

Pair By Wine Type

Pair By Food Type

Pair By Region

Pairing Wine With Ribeyes & Prime Rib

Pairing Wine With Cigars

Pairing Wine With Chocolate

Food & Wine Pairings To Avoid

There are some pairings that do not go well together and can actually make the food and the wine taste worse. In these scenarios you would be better off to just drink water or a different drink with the meal, and then enjoy the glass of wine after the meal. Unless you can find a wine that does go well with your meal. Learn more about which pairings don’t go well together above.
Pairing Wine With Gouda
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Gouda, originating in the Netherlands, is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. It is a semi-hard cheese with a texture that is dense and springy, but can become crumbly with age. Gouda is soft yellow in color … Read More

Pairing Wine With Egg Rolls
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Who doesn’t love an indulgence in fried egg rolls or spring rolls? Especially, when you get to pair it with some excellent wines. When the main course is full of punchy flavors with spices and sauteed onions and peppers, you’ll … Read More

Pairing Wine With Chicken Parmesan
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Chicken parmesan has its roots in Italian cuisine, but has been adopted wholeheartedly by the United States. It’s essentially a variation of eggplant parmesan, but with chicken breasts covered in breadcrumbs and a delicious coating of grated parmesan. It’s also … Read More

Pairing Wine With Brownies
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Brownies are one of our favorite dessert dishes to exist. Who doesn’t love some type of chocolate, right ?! And along with every other dessert to exist, there is yet another aphrodisiac companion to go with it in a glass … Read More

Pairing Wine With Barramundi
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Barramundi is one of the most underrated white fish out there. Being an incredibly sustainable fish, it’s not only good on the palate but good on the soul. It can be prepared in almost any type of cooking style and … Read More

Pairing Wine With Applie Pie
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“There is simply nothing more American than Apple Pie!” The funniest part of this phrase is how long Apple Pie has been around and how many different cultures had it before American cuisine. This beloved dessert is one of those … Read More

Pairing Wine With Deviled Eggs
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Deviled eggs are a hit at any gathering. The rich, creamy egg yolk mixed with mayo, salt and pepper, white vinegar, mustard, and paprika creates the perfect culinary treat of salt, fat, acid, and heat. Of course, today, there are … Read More

Pairing Wine With Rabbit
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Rabbit meat is once again gaining popularity as a delicacy. As mild and lean meat, it gets most of its flavors depending on how it is prepared, the sauce that it is served with, and so on. Some very good … Read More

Pairing Wine With Lobster Ravioli
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What’s not to love in lobster ravioli? One of the hottest items in any Italian restaurant, there is no shortage of French and Italian classic wines that can go with it. With a main course like lobster, you’ll want a … Read More

Pairing Wine With Catfish
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What about a fried fresh catch like catfish? You can pair this fish with several wines and especially some sparkling options. Who doesn’t like fried fish and cava on a hot summer day! We’d recommend a Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, … Read More

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