Enjoying the right wine with each meal harmonious with the season, is not only the way to put together a perfect dining experience with the perfect wines, but also the way to get the most out of every season of the year. Below you can find suggestions for seasonal wine pairings for any occasion, with recommendations from Cellar Beast Winehouse, where you will not find any sweet wines. For a more comprehensive wine pairing guide, catch up on our previous blog post.
Spring Pairings
Finally, as the cold recedes, spring brings new, lighter fare and wines that celebrate the new season’s crops.
Light and Fresh Whites
For spring, there are numerous crisp, aromatic whites to choose from. The elegantly acidic wine styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc complement the freshness of seasonal produce and lighter foods. They are the perfect pairing for all manner of salads, spring vegetables and spring herbs.
- Pairing Tip: A Chardonnay goes well with a fresh herb salad or some grilled asparagus as a congruent pairing to the green, zesty notes of the season. See Our Wines
Rosé for Spring Picnics
No wonder rosé is such a natural accompaniment to spring picnics. Hillside grapes tend to ripen earlier than the ones grown in flatter lands. They also have a sweetness to them, which can make for a fruit-driven rosé wine with a delightful touch of floral notes. These wines offer a versatile complementary pairing of wine with food on the picnic table, working well with everything from sandwiches to soft cheeses and lending well to personal preferences.
- Pairing Tip: A bottle of Rosé is a classic pairing with charcuterie and cheeses, fresh fruits, and a great time outside with friends.
Pairing with Seasonal Vegetables and Seafood
Spring offers seafood, as well as peas, ramps, artichokes and other vibrant greens, and crisp, refreshing whites such as Gewürztraminer lift and amplify these. Wine with seafood pairings need to heighten lighter wines' subtle but delicious flavor profile without crowding them out.
- Pairing Tip: Pair this with a seafood dish like grilled shrimp, tuna steak, white fish, raw oysters, or seared scallop dish with a crisp white wine such as Cellar Beast Gewürztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc.
Summer Pairings
Summer is for light white wines, low in alcohol, easy to drink in hot weather, often paired with grilled foods and fresh vegetables.
Chilled Whites and Rosés
With summer temperatures on the rise, light-bodied wines like chilled whites and Rosés are the best choices to match the heat and your taste buds, particularly those with good acidity, such as Pinot Gris (the French style of Pinot Grigio) or Chardonnay.
- Pairing Tip: A good dry Pinot Gris, with plentiful citrus notes, can be a perfect match to the food you might have been eating in the Ligurian sunshine – a lighter dish like caprese salad, white meat grilled chicken – while you’re waiting for the rain to subside.
Sparkling Wines for Celebrations
When we make a toast at a Fourth of July barbecue or during a summer wedding, our sparkling wines – Brut and Rosé Sparkling like Blanc de Noir – signify our exciting acidity and effervescence make them the perfect beverage for a celebratory toast. And because they’re low in alcohol, they’re the perfect partner for summer appetizers and mild flavors of delicate dishes, whether they hot or cold.
- Pairing Tip: Our Blanc de Noir pairs especially well with delicate flavors like smoked salmon canapés, fatty fish, fresh oysters and salty foods. Sparkling wine with fish, like white fish, and especially an oily fish or a delicate fish, is sure to be a hit.
Pairing with Grilled Foods and Salads
Grilled foods rule the summer palate and a boldly flavored but refreshing finish is a welcome wine choice for pairing with these dishes. Zinfandel's notes of dark fruit and fruity flavor are a natural match for grilled meats, cuts of steak, smoky flavors, spicy dishes, and even sweet foods in a desert course, while lighter whites such as Sauvignon Blanc match with summer salads.
- Pairing Tip: Pair Old Vine Zinfandel with bold flavors like grilled lamb or spicy foods like barbecue ribs, flank steak, or smoked bisque for a nice interplay of smoke and fruit. Spicy foods can be pairing with a sweeter wine which compliments the spice better than a bitter wine.
Fall Pairings
Fall is the season of the year when we turn to heavier foods so full-bodied wines not only enhance the flavors of the season but complement them as well by matching the perfect food with wine.
Rich Reds for Cooler Weather
Full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah will help to warm you up when the temperature starts to fall, and these tannic wines pair perfectly with any roast meat or rich sauce with their flavor intensity.
- Pairing Tip: Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are congruent pairings for short ribs, roasted lamb or a fatty steak, complimenting with black fruit notes. Browse Our Wines for premium red wine selections.
Whites with Hearty Dishes
A red glass of wine rules in fall but fuller whites such as Chardonnay can compete with heartier fare as well, including roasted vegetables and pumpkin dishes.
- Pairing Tip: Wine combinations like a full-bodied white wine like Chardonnay with butternut squash risotto or roasted root vegetables for a delightful fall pairing.
Pairing with Harvest Foods
Squashes, mushrooms and root vegetables are some of the gifts of fall. Medium-bodied red wines that have some earthiness, such as Pinot Noir or Merlot, are a great pairing.
- Pairing Tip: Merlot is the perfect wine for a savory mushroom and wild rice dish with a leaner steak for a satisfying autumn pairing.
Winter Pairings
Winter meals are comforting, calorie-filled and often lavish, as befits the season, but they call for bold, strong, spicy wines that can stand up to the bold flavors of hearty dishes and big holiday meals.
Bold Reds for Cozy Nights
Full-bodied reds like Syrah or Zinfandel, on the other hand, are good winter wines because of their ability to heat the body with their weight and depth, and their affinity for heavy winter foods.
- Pairing Tip: Pungent Syrah (oleaginous, olive tapenade-like, roasted meats, smoky) is a classic match with roasted beef tenderloin or with winter stews that offer similar comforts and rich flavors.
Whites with Winter Comfort Foods
Don’t turn your nose up at whites in winter, either; richer whites such as Chardonnay with buttery flavor can pair well with creamier soups or risottos, or roast chicken dishes.
- Pairing Tip: When pairing wine with food, note how the food affects the wine you taste. In this case, the rich Chardonnay is a good match for the creaminess of potato soup, a creamy sauce Alfredo dish, or chicken pot pie, and the wine’s acidity cleanses the palate following fatty foods and rich dishes.
Pairing with Holiday Meals
The holidays are a time for culinary indulgence – but there are so many different dishes to pair with wine that it can easily become overwhelming. If you’re having turkey or ham for the holiday meal, look for a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc, lighter on oak barrel notes to preserve natural flavors, that has enough structure to go with the flavor intensity of the meat but at the same time is flexible enough to handle the other flavorful dishes.
- Pairing Tip: Pair Pinot Noir with turkey or ham at your holiday feast for a balanced and elegant pairing. Check out Our Wines for suggestions.
Join the Cellar Beast Wine Club
Exclusive Seasonal Pairing Events
Our Wine Club members have access to members-only seasonal events, such as guided pairings and harvest celebrations, curated by our Cellar Beast team.
Member Benefits and How to Join
Membership offers our members special discounts on wine purchases, access to rare wines that are not made available to the general public, invitations to special events, and seasonal food pairing suggestions for Wine Club members.
- Call to Action: Wine Club members get invites to special seasonal celebrations for our wide range of wines. To try our favorite wines, become a member of our Wine Club, shop our wines, or book our guided tasting to find wine pairing tips.
Lift the veil on seasonal wine pairings and more with our wines and culinary offerings. Join our Wine Club, see what’s happening in the cellar or check out our seasonal menu in our Wine List, or create your own Events.
