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It's alimentary, my dear

Hot tip: When you’re pairing wine with a meal, think of it as an ingredient in the dish, not just an accompaniment. A wonderfully cooked home recipe can easily be enhanced by complementing its best features with a good bottle of wine. But what will go best with Grandpapa’s amazing slow-roasted beef stew, or Nana’s famous pecan pie? We’re here to give you some easy pairing options for all your home-cooked favourites.

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For starters: Pre-supper sippers


Setting the tone for the occasion is as important as the main course itself. Starting off with something light and easy like hors d’oeuvres or finger foods is a must for an evening of fine dining. Easy-breezy nibbles like seasoned deviled eggs or lightly salted popcorn should be paired with something equally light and fun: a lithe, crisp sparkling wine like Crémant or Cava won’t fill you up too much, and its delicate flavours and weight won’t overpower your easiest snacks. If you really want your guests shaking with antici… pation, break out the finest Champagne to pair with your best appetizers.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a versatile, light-hearted wine to get the evening started
TRY: Sparkling wine


Cheesy goodness: Best bets for pairing cheese with ease


Cheese has an enormous range of styles, flavour profiles and textures, making it as complex as wine. When pairing wine with cheese, contrasting flavours are just as important as congruent ones. Since cheese typically has intense flavours and textures, finding a wine that can counteract them will lead to a harmonious pairing where nothing feels muted. For example, rich, creamy cheeses like brie or Camembert need a crisp, high-acid white like Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the fattiness, while a sharp Manchego or aged Asiago will benefit from the peppery, fruity character of a young Spanish red.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a crisp white to contrast creamy cheeses and a fruity red to complement aged cheeses
TRY: Sauvignon Blanc or young Spanish reds


Fruits de mer: Surefire solutions for shellfish


The briny, salty flavour of shellfish will fare well with a high-acid white wine that shares these characteristics. Food loves acidity. Acidity brings a zesty, sour element to a dish that can make almost anything suddenly burst with flavour. Think of how much of a difference squeezing a lemon over grilled calamari can make. (Wine similarly loves acidity, but beware; a dish with higher acidity than the wine can make the wine seem flabby and bland.) When serving fruits de mer, pour a brisk, mineral-driven white like Albariño, Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine, or Chablis.
RULE OF THUMB: Choose a high-acid wine with briny notes
TRY: Albariño, Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine or Chablis


Lean greens: Versatile options for veggies


When pairing wine with veggies, the important aspect is to accentuate the earthiness of the ingredients. Bitterness in herbs and vegetables can intensify the astringency of tannins in a red wine, so it’s important to find a wine with low tannins and flavours that will mirror the earthy tones. If you like to oven-roast or char-grill your veggies, pour a lovely Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir alongside. With their medium body, light tannins, and earthy flavours, you’re guaranteed a down-to-earth match.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a low-tannin wine with herbaceous flavours
TRY: Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir


Rich poultry and fish: Help for higher-fat fish and fowl


Fish skin produces a lot of oil, and having a wine with the acidity to cut through it is essential in making a harmonious pairing, since oily foods can muffle the taste of wine. Also keep in mind that fish oil clashes with tannins, which is why you might find it difficult to enjoy a good Barolo with a grilled tuna steak. When pairing wine with a protein that has lots of fats such as salmon or duck, make sure the wine has enough acidity to cut through the richness and not taste muted. Think Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for white and a tangy Beaujolais for red.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a wine with acidity to cut through the food’s richness
TRY: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Beaujolais


Braises and roasts: Quick ideas for slow-cooked meats


A slow-cooked dinner like a roast, braise or stew should be accompanied by a wine that has also concentrated and matured over time. These dishes fare best with wines that can stand up to their rich flavours and textures while also accentuating the lightly sweet character imparted by slow cooking. A well-aged Malbec will feature spicy aromas and plush flavours of blueberries and dark chocolate. Amarone offers a similarly caramelized character, as it too requires a long time to produce. Grapes spend four months drying in vented shacks to enhance juice concentration and are then macerated for up to 50 days. Talk about a slow roast!

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a flavourful, full-bodied wine that stands up to the richness
TRY: Amarone or aged Malbec


Heavyweight bout: Recos for rich dishes with sumptuous sauces


A good rule for pairing wine with a dish is to have the wine match the weight of the meal; if one is lighter than the other, it will be overpowered and difficult to taste. Heavier meals like lobster with a side of garlic butter or roast turkey with homemade gravy have an abundance of weight and savoury elements that call for a wine with similar qualities. Your best wine bet is a full-bodied white that offers a noticeable texture on the palate. Try pairing with an oaky, buttery Chardonnay from California. If oak’s not your thing, the oily texture, nutty flavour, and floral aromas of a mature Australian Semillon make for an elegant pairing.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a full-bodied wine to match the texture and weight of the dish
TRY: Chardonnay or mature Semillon


Fire up the grill: Sizzling matches for steaks and chops


Grilled meats often have a lot of protein, which calls for wine with the backbone to stand toe-to-toe with it. A firm red won’t just accentuate the savouriness but will also help in the digestion process of a protein-dense meal. Tannins in wine bind to the hefty proteins found in meats like steak, lamb, or goat, causing them to aggregate and helping to dissolve them. The next time you plan on grilling a T-bone steak or a fine slab of rib-eye, give it the pairing it deserves, like a mature Brunello or Bordeaux. Pairing a bold red with your finest cut of meat isn’t bologna, it’s science!

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a firm, tannic red that will complement heavy proteins
TRY: Brunello or Bordeaux


High season: Hot pairings for spicy or savoury dishes


Herbs and spices can make or break a dish. Too little seasoning can make your meal uninteresting, and too much can overwhelm your taste buds. When pairing wine with a meal that’s well-seasoned like black-bean tacos or Thai basil beef, a wine should have an equal intensity of flavour. Reds from regions that balance fruity flavours with herbaceous and spicy tones, like Chilean Carmenère or Southern Rhône blends, make for excellent accompaniments. Keep in mind that intense, piquant spice can accentuate the bitterness in wine. Sweet flavours of ripe fruit and a bit of residual sugar can balance intense heat. Pair your spiciest jerk pork or chicken vindaloo with a kiss of sweetness, like an off-dry Vouvray, Pinot Gris, or Gewürztraminer.

RULE OF THUMB: For well-seasoned foods, choose a spicy red; for spicy foods, opt for wine with a hint of sweetness
TRY: Carmenère or GSM blends / Off-dry Vouvray, Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer


Sweet treats: Great go-tos for the grand finale


Something sweet at the end of dinner deserves something equally rich to match. A general rule for wine pairing is the wine should be sweeter than the dish, so it doesn’t get overpowered by the intense flavour. Since sugar coats the palate, a dish sweeter than the wine can make the wine seem flabby and muted. Sweet wines will have higher acidity to cut through the sugar, and the balance of syrupy flavours results in a luscious pairing. For jammy treats like cherry pie, try off-dry Pinot Gris or Riesling, while an opulent chocolate cake will pair beautifully with Icewine.

RULE OF THUMB: Choose a wine that’s sweeter than the dessert
TRY: Off-dry to medium-sweet Pinot Gris or Riesling, or Icewine for richer desserts

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