Food & Wine Pairings To Avoid

There are basic principles when pairing food and wine and the impact the two have on one another. 

Sweet or umami (savory) foods will make wine taste more drying, bitter and acidic. It will also make the wine taste less sweet and less fruity.

Salty & acidic foods will make wine taste less dry or reduce the bitterness in the wine, reduce the acidity and make the wine taste fruitier and have more body (how long the wine flavor lasts in your mouth).

One last thing to remember is that when pairing food and wine, pick things that you enjoy. Don’t just pair something together because you read it works well together, even if you don’t like it. However, researching food and wine pairings can help you become more adventurous and try new things, which we always recommend.

Chart For Food & Wine Pairings To Avoid

Pairing Wine With Light Foods

Big, bold and heavy wines will easily overpower a light dish instead of complementing the dish to bring out its delicate flavors. Instead pair a light-bodied wine with delicate dishes. The same can be said for heavy dishes and light wines. You won’t want the dish to overpower the wine either.

Pairing Wine With Acidic Foods

Tomato based pastas, dishes with lemon or lime based sauces and other acidic dishes need to be paired with wine that is also acidic. If the dish has more acidity than the wine, the wine will fall flat and not taste like it should during your meal. Beware, meals with too much acidity may cause an upset stomach. So eat/drink this combo in moderation. 

Pairing Wine With Spicy Foods

A wine that has high alcohol content will make spicy dishes seem even spicier. So unless you enjoy your mouth being on fire, choose a sweet wine with low alcohol content like an off-dry to sweet riesling to pair with spicy dishes like hot wings, Thai dishes and other spicy foods.

Pairing Wine With Salty Foods

Try to avoid drinking white wines that are oaky or low-acid, and also avoid red wines with a lot of tannins. Instead, pair high acidic red and white wines with salty food for the best pairing. A sparkling wine can also do great with salty food.

Pairing Wine With Fatty Foods

Pick a wine that is highly acidic or has high tannins to go with fatty foods, like a ribeye steak, pork belly or fried chicken. The acidity in the wine cuts through the fat in the dish and gives both a nice balance together. Try to avoid wines that are low in acidity or tannins, as the wine will easily get overpowered by the dish.

Pairing Wine With Fish

If the fish is oily, then do not choose a wine with high tannins. It brings out a weird metallic flavor in the fish and will not go together well. The high iron content in the fish will have a bad reaction to wines with a lot of tannins (only found in red wines).

If the fish is served raw, try not to choose a full-bodied creamy white wine. Instead choose a wine that is light, crisp, acidic and has some minerality to it. A full bodied oaked chardonnay or pinot grigio will overpower fish served raw.

Common Food & Wine Pairing Mistakes

• Caviar & Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fish & Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chocolate Cake & Champagne
• Roast Beef & Pinot Grigio
• Chicken & Syrah
• Goat Cheese & Chardonnay
• Vinegary Dishes & Pinot Noir

Have you ever experienced a poor wine and food pairing? Let us know in the comments below and we can add it to our list so other people know to avoid it as well!