So much has been written on the subject of pairing wine with food, that I am not sure what I can add. But I’ll try anyway.
The pairing game is often complicated by factors other than the food and the wine itself, such as whether you’re ordering wine at a restaurant or drinking at home, or whether your choosing a glass of wine to go with your meal or selecting a bottle for the whole table. Whatever the situation I suggest you start with one simple rule:
Drink What You Like
If you like red wine and are your having fish then drink red wine with fish! It’s okay, the world is not going to stop spinning on its axis if you break the traditional rules of wine & food pairing. And if the waiter looks down his nose at your wine choice, you can adjust his tip accordingly!
With that one simple rule on top, here are some general guidelines that might help.
- “Big” food pairs well with “Big” wine – When you’re digging into a big, juicy burger made from natural grass fed beef, char-broiled to perfection and topped with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, the last thing you want to do is wash it down with a “thin” wine. A meal like this is well complimented with a hearty Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon or a stout Dry Creek Zin.
- A Carneros Pinot Noir is just what you need to go with the fresh organic salad you’ve prepared. The delicate greens get along nicely with the smoothness of the wine and complicated flavors play well with arugula’s spicy character. If your salad is a meal with shrimp or grilled chicken then the pinot’s overall structure is a nice compliment.
- What to do with pasta? – It depends! Let the character of the sauce inform your wine choice. Red sauce, red wine. A fruity merlot with soft, round corners goes well with a meaty red sauce, though the wine is not so heavy as to overwhelm the pasta. For a cream based sauce, you might consider a white wine. The crispness of the wine compliments the creamy texture of the sauce. Or you could have a pinot with your cream sauce with little in-congruence.
These guidelines certainly aren’t the last word on pairing food and wine, but they can help you sort out what wine to have with what food based on the character of each. But don’t forget the number one rule to drink what you like!
P.S. a note about sausage. Don’t drink wine with sausage! Franks, Brats, Kielbasa, and Polish links they all really just go better with beer.
P.P.S sparkling wine (aka bubbly) goes with everything!