The Ultimate Guide to Wine and Food Pairing

This guide is crafted by Matt Check, Head Winemaker and Co-Founder of Cellar Beast Winehouse. With extensive experience in winemaking and a reputation for producing award-winning wines, Matt specializes in creating memorable wine and food pairings. His expertise ensures this guide provides practical, trustworthy insights for wine enthusiasts of all levels.

Introduction

To all you wine-lovers out there, welcome to Cellar Beast’s first article in a series to educate readers on food and wine pairings. Planning a special night where you may be judged for your wine choices? Then, making sure that the glass of wine you pair with dinner is perfect is important. Anyone cooking for family or friends over the weekend – from an elaborate five-course feast to an ordinary Wednesday BBQ – must know how to elevate food with wine.

At whatever price point you can afford, I’ll advise you to choose something to make your meal utterly sublime. Who doesn’t enjoy the feel-good factor of a matching bottle of their favorite type? You could always opt for a Cellar Beast wine, like the Dark Angel, our Artist-series Cabernet Franc, the Midnight Archer, or the Grand Melange.

Take the blinders off and taste your food with your eyes wide open! Enjoy.

What is Wine and Food Pairing?

Wine and food pairing is the science, or the art, of serving particular foods with particular wines in order to bring out the best characteristics of each. For aficionados and wine snobs alike, good food and good wine should combine in a harmonious marriage. The perfect pairing not only elevates the two elements, the edible and the drinkable but also brings about the most crucial cumulative effect that food and wine can only achieve together. The acidity of the food tames the wine; the wine softens the food. Neither overwhelms the other. For a foundational understanding of wine pairing principles, see the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s guide on acidity, tannins, and sweetness in pairing.

Curious about common wine misconceptions? Let us guide you through the truth behind popular wine myths. Expand your wine knowledge and enjoy every sip with newfound confidence. Read the full story!

Importance of Wine and Food Pairing

Understanding wine and food pairing is crucial for several reasons:

Enhanced Dining Experiences

A suitable wine with the meal will imbue the food with additional flavor dimensions, with the right winemaking for an altogether better dining experience. A good wine can bring out the hidden accents of a dish, while the right pairing can amplify the flavors, too. It can add depth to the savory notes of a piece of steak; it can bring out a subtle sweetness in a dessert.

• Flavor Amplification: A well-matched wine will bring out the best in a dish. A high-acid wine with a dish rich in cream helps brighten and lift the dish, making each mouthful more enjoyable.
• Harmonious Experience: The right wine can be ‘sympathetic’ to the food, making the experience flow together. A poor wine selection can just as easily break up the flow and make everything feel disjointed.

Balance of Flavors in Wine and Food

A wine that’s a good match for the dish will bring it into balance by smoothing over its rough edges and integrating and blending its flavors. The components of wine—acidity, sweetness, tannins, and body—each play a part in how it balances a dish. We can examine each one in turn.

• Acidity: High-acid wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, counteract the richness of fatty foods and hit the palate with a bright, cleansing sensation. This is great for wines that go well with fried chicken or creamy risotto dishes.
• Sweetness: Sweet wines can be a foil to intensely pungent foods, like spicy fare or fatty seafood, by presenting a counterpoint to powerful flavors, like a Pinot Gris with spicy Thai food.
• Tannins: Tannic wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère are best with protein-rich foods such as steaks, which is partially because the tannins help to break down the food’s proteins and fats, boosting the flavor of the food and likewise softening the wine’s tannins.
• Body: The body of the wine should be similar to the weight of the food. Light-bodied wines, like Albariño, go better with lighter foods, such as salads and seafood, while fuller-bodied wines, like Syrah, go better with heavier foods, like beef stew.

Social and Emotional Benefits

• Great wine pairings impress your guests and make memorable socializing and celebrations easier. The process is educational and helps make dining itself a sophisticated event. How does pairing work? You always try to bring some of the wine’s aromas and flavors to the table, but you also want these two factors to complement each other.
• Impressing Guests: A good wine will impress your guests. When you open a bottle of wine that complements your food's taste profile, you can turn an ordinary meal into an extravagant feast and make your dinner party even more special.
• Conversation Starter: Wine pairings can be a great conversation starter. You can educate your guests by telling them why a particular wine and dish go well together, making the meal more interactive and fun.
• Creating Memories: When food and wine hold fond memories, it can lead to the desire to experience them again and again. In my own experience, I remember one particular vintage of a 2017 Cabernet Franc every time I stopped for my favorite takeout.

Core Principles of Wine Pairing

Matching Acidity, Sweetness, Tannins, and Body

The interplay of a wine’s core characteristics—acidity, sweetness, tannins, and body—is crucial to creating successful pairings. Each element interacts with food differently, providing balance and enhancing flavors. Matching these qualities with the dish can make the difference between a pairing that feels flat and one that sings.

• High-Acidity Wines
• • Examples: Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Pinot Grigio
  • Pair with:
  • • Rich, fatty dishes like fried chicken or creamy pasta
    • Buttery seafood such as lobster or scallops
• Sweet Wines
• • Examples: Sauternes, Riesling
  • Pair with:
  • • Spicy dishes like Thai curry or spicy foods like Szechuan stir-fries
    • Salty cheeses like blue cheese
• Tannic Wines
• • Examples: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
  • Pair with:
  • • Protein-rich dishes like grilled steak or roasted lamb
    • Charcuterie or aged cheeses
• Body Matching

The body of the wine should be similar in weight to that of the food. A light-bodied wine goes with a lighter dish, while a full-bodied one blends well with heavier, denser foods … A juicy steak, for instance, will benefit from a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.

• • Light-Bodied Wines: Pinot Gris (the French version of Pinot Grigio) and Beaujolais are perfect for salads and light seafood dishes.
  • Medium-bodied wines (Merlot, Chardonnay): Ideal for roast chicken or pork tenderloin
  • Full-bodied wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah): Perfect for hearty, dense dishes like braised lamb

Complementary vs. Contrasting Flavors

Pairing wine and food is an exciting blend of art and science. It often relies on the balance between complementary and contrasting flavors. Complementary pairings emphasize similarities, enhancing a sense of harmony between wine and food. Contrasting pairings, on the other hand, use opposing qualities to create dynamic and memorable experiences.

• Complementary Pairings
• • Match similar flavors to harmonize food and wine:
  • • Goat cheese salad with the vibrant acidity of Sauvignon Blanc
    • Smoky Syrah with char-grilled steak
• Contrasting Pairings
• • Balance opposing elements for dynamic pairings:
  • • High-acidity wines cutting through rich, buttery sauces (e.g., Chardonnay with creamy pasta)
    • Sweet wines like Sauternes tame the heat of spicy dishes or enhance salty cheeses
• Textural Pairings
• • Use wine texture to enhance the meal:
  • • Crisp wines refresh the palate after fatty dishes
    • Tannic wines complement the chewiness of red meats

Experimenting with these pairing styles unlocks new flavor possibilities, elevating both the wine and the food.

Understanding Flavor Profiles

Successful pairings are rooted in an understanding of wine flavor profiles. Every wine’s unique balance of sweetness, acidity, tannins, and body contributes to how it interacts with food. By paying attention to these characteristics, you can craft combinations that highlight the best qualities of both wine and cuisine.

• Key Flavor Elements in Wine
• • Sweetness: Balances salty or spicy dishes (e.g., Riesling with Thai curry)
  • Acidity: Enhances and brightens rich, fatty flavors (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc with creamy goat cheese)
  • Tannins: Adds structure and pairs well with protein (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon with steak)
  • Body: Should align with the dish's weight for harmony
• Body Types and Pairings
• • Light-bodied wines (Pinot Gris, Beaujolais): Suitable for salads, seafood, or light appetizers
  • Medium-Bodied Wines: Merlot or Chardonnay will be fine with slightly richer food, such as roast chicken or pork tenderloin.
  • Full-Bodied Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah pair nicely with dense dishes such as grilled steak or lamb.

Understanding these principles can help you create pairings that satisfy and surprise, adding depth and enjoyment to every meal.

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Wine Pairing by Food Type

Meat Pairings

Best Wines for Red Meat (e.g., Steak, Lamb)

The strong flavors of red meats are best complemented by robust red wines that can cut through the meat’s pungency. According to the American Wine Society, tannins interact with fats and proteins in unique ways, making them well-suited for hearty foods like steak. A more in-depth guide to wine and meat pairings is available in our recent blog post.

• Best Wine with Steak: A good steak is an intense flavor, and a wine of matching intensity is needed. We look to our Reserve Syrah – a valley floor-sourced Syrah from the Meek Vineyard in Yakima Valley, WA. This Syrah provides the meaty tannic density needed to pair with the robust profile of a great steak dinner. At the same time, the valley floor fruit retains the acidity necessary to cut through the fat content of rich cuts of steak. Considering Syrah contains a powerful meaty quality itself, it makes it the perfect stage to welcome a perfect piece of steak to their palate.
• • Tasting Notes: The aroma presents more and more with each inhale. You can’t help but notice the blackberry, black fruits, and blueberry compote, which are immediately met with rich fire-seared meat aromas. The dynamic palate presents assertive youthful tannin perfectly balanced by the gorgeous acidic structure as you taste blackberry, roasted coffee bean, cocoa powder, blueberry, and smokey meatiness, all framed by a sophisticated finish.
  • How It Happens: The tannins and acidity combine in Syrah to slice through all that delicious fatty steak, while its big flavors and bitter-savory taste complement the steak’s meaty sensations.
• Lamb: Lamb is yet another red meat that combines perfectly with a bold red wine. The briny, gamey flavors of lamb require a wine of equal intensity. Our Dark Angel, a Carmenère-Petit Verdot blend by Matt Check, has garnered multiple double golds and won Best in Class with a 97-point rating at the Sunset International Wine Competition. A rich, Carmenère-style blend with black raspberry charred poblano and a dash of white pepper, Dark Angel is the ideal pairing to counter a Dijon and herb-crusted rack of lamb’s briny, gamey flavors.
• • Tasting Notes: Aromatically, this wine showcases smoky hatch chilis, grilled poblano peppers, wet white pepper, quill ink, violets at peak performance, sage butter, fresh sautéed peppers, and seared game meat. On the palate, this wine pushes forward with well-rounded blackberry, oiled leather, a hint of crushed black pepper, and rich soil in the heat of a summer day.
  • What Makes It Work: The fruit and spice in Dark Angel balances the gaminess of the lamb and the tannins marry well with the richness of lamb. Other red wines with rich fruit flavors and moderate tannins, such as our Merlot or Syrah, also make great pairings with lamb.

White Meat Favorites (e.g., Chicken, Turkey)

Chicken: White meats are adaptable and tend to go towards reds as much as whites, depending on how they’re prepared. Let’s take a closer look at which wines go with chicken and turkey.

• Chardonnay is somewhat buttery with flavors of apple and pear, together with a soft oak finish. Chardonnay pairs well with cream-based sauces – the acidic nature of Chardonnay cuts through the richness of cream. Since chicken is relatively mild in flavor, the creamy texture of Chardonnay helps to enhance it, especially if the chicken is also cooked in cream sauces or roasted to take on a deeper flavor.  
• • Tasting Notes: Apple, pear, oak  
  • How It Works: Buttery-textured, low-acid Chardonnay softens mild-tasting chicken, ensuring that each mouthful is pleasant.  
• Sauvignon Blanc: If you’re making a chicken salad or some grilled chicken with herbs, our Sauvignon Blanc – with its more neutral quality – gives it the minerality, volume, body, and the fresh, light profile.  
• • Tasting Notes: Citrus, green apple, herbs  
  • Here’s why: Richer and more aromatic than un-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc shows up well against the light, fresh flavors in these chicken dishes.

Turkey: A good wine to drink with Turkey is especially important, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas and other special days such as Wedding Anniversaries.

• Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir is a light-bodied red wine that pairs wonderfully with turkey because it is a lighter wine in body and tannin level. Our Pinot Noir Reserve features flavors of red berries, earth, and spice to let the fresh and fruity flavors shine through and complement the inherent richness of turkey. The balanced acidity helps cut through the fat of the bird and adds a crispness to the meal.
• • Tasting Notes: Red berries, earth, spice
  • Why It Works: Pinot Noir's light body and hint of acidity enhance the flavors of the bird without overpowering them, while earthy notes echo the stuffing and other flavors.
• Gewürztraminer: For white drinkers, a rich, vibrant white, such as Gewürztraminer, is the one to seek out. This aromatic wine with notes of lychee, rose petals, and jasmine tea works well with turkey, especially if you are serving some sweeter sides, such as sweet potatoes or cranberry sauce.  
• • Tasting Notes: Lychee, rose petals, spice
  • Why It Works: Zippy and lip-smacking Gewürztraminer delivers a slight fruit forwardness that stands up to the saltiness and sugar of a bird dinner.

Seafood Pairings

Fish Pairing Tips

Fish calls for white wines with balanced flavors that don’t overwhelm its delicacy and mild flavors. For a seafood pairing, we’re looking for a wine with fish to highlight the fish’s lighter notes and give the meal freshness, whether it is a meaty fish like a tuna steak or a white fish. Read more about seafood pairings.

• Best Wine with Grilled or Roasted Fish: The Cellar Beast Cabernet Franc Rosé is the best option. Its nicely balanced nectarine, white peaches, and crisp bite make it a wonderful pairing for grilled or roasted fish, adding structure to its more subtle flavors.
• • Tasting Notes: White peaches, nectarines, creamy mid-palate and crisp finish
  • Why It Works: The acidity and fruitiness of the rosé offset the fish’s flavors and make the dish more delicious.
• Salmon: Go for a light red like Grenache or a more full-bodied white like Chardonnay.
• • Grenache: With its rich, red berry and earthy flavors, a lighter-bodied red complements the richness of salmon by adding a touch of complexity.
  • • Tasting Notes: Red berries, herbaceous earthiness
    • Why It Works: Grenache’s light tannins and acidity complement the fat of the salmon without overwhelming it
  • Chardonnay: Our richer style of white wine, such as stainless steel and neutral oak-age Chardonnay, which is buttery in texture, with pear and apple flavors, is a good choice to match well with the fattiness of the salmon.
  • • Tasting Notes: Apple, pear, creamy and nutty finish
    • Why It Works: Chardonnay’s fleshy personality and balanced acidity plays off the flavors of salmon.

Shellfish Matches for Every Occasion

Shellfish styles such as shrimp, lobster, and oysters call for bright, high-acid white wines that will accentuate the dishes’ slight sweetness and saltiness. Learn more about seafood wine pairing in this blog post.

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• Shrimp and Lobster: A glass of Sauvignon Blanc or our Rosé Blend to go with a medley of shellfish are meant for each other.
• • Sauvignon Blanc: With zippy citrus flavors and crisp mineral-driven acidity, Sauvignon Blanc counteracts the meatiness of shrimp or lobster and increases sweetness. Alternatively, a Chenin Blanc would fill this position nicely.
  • • Tasting Notes: gooseberry, green apple, unctuous minerality
    • Why It Works: The brisk acidity cuts through the shellfish's richness, and the citrus's brightness complements their sweetness.
  • Rosé Blend: From a blend of grape varietals sourced from the Yakima Valley of Washington, this Rosé is the perfect wine to complement all types of shellfish.
  • • Tasting Notes: Mixed berries, floral hints, balanced acidity
    • Why It Works: The citric acidity of rosé wines and their red-berry fruitiness structured the sweetness of the shellfish, which were served cold.
• Oysters: For oysters, especially raw oysters, a dry Blanc de Noir or a mineral-driven Chardonnay in stainless and neutral oak creates a perfect match with their saline profile.
• • Blanc de Noir: Méthode Champenoise-style sparkling wine, dry, made from the dark skinned Pinot Noir grape to complement oysters delicately and not overpower their brininess.
  • • Tasting Notes: Fresh and vibrant “Champagne style” wine exuding bright fruit aromatics of fresh-picked white raspberries, muddled strawberries, and a touch of creamy vanilla flavors. On the palate, this wine continues its campaign of youthful fruit character with more first-of-harvest strawberries and raspberries fruit expression with a slight creamy softness in the mid-palate complimenting the supple fruit notes.
    • Why It Works: The Blanc de Noir is acidic and effervescent. Its bubbles cut through the oysters and refresh the palate, and there’s much to admire in the way the briny, minerally flavors of the oysters, like those of other salty foods, pair with and engage with the wine.    
  • Chardonnay: Mineral-Driven Chardonnay aged in stainless steel and neutral oak. This is a clean, mineral-driven style of Chardonnay with great oyster-pairing capabilities.
  • • Tasting Notes: Green apple, lemon, flint
    • Why It Works: The cool minerality and bright citrusy acidity of the Chardonnay match well with the briny, fresh taste of oysters.

Vegetarian Pairings

Wine for Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables often have earthy and smoky flavors and elements that marry well with both white and red wines. The main objective is to find a wine that matches up to these powerful flavors. You can learn more about vegan wine pairings in this post.

• Best Wine with Grilled Vegetables: Grilled vegetables go best with a medium-bodied red wine, such as a Merlot (or perhaps the Merlot-based Grand Mélange), or with a full-bodied white, such as Chardonnay Reserve.
• • Merlot: Its soft tannins and dark fruit flavors complement the smoky, earthy notes of the grilled vegetables.
  • • Tasting Notes: Black cherry, plum, chocolate
    • Why It Works: Merlot’s fruit forwardness and velvety texture pair perfectly with grilled vegetables kissed with smoke.
  • Chardonnay Reserve: a rich Chardonnay Reserve, which has enough new French oak to create vanilla and caramel characters but not too much as to overwhelm the other notes, is a good match for grilled vegetables.
  • • Tasting Notes: Built for balance and nuance, this wine exhibits stone fruit and truffle notes throughout, along with a kiss of the finest new French oak.
    • Why It Works: Chardonnay's full mouthfeel and subtle oakiness complement grilled vegetables' charred aromas and flavors by smoothing them out slightly – but just enough.

Pairing Salads with Fresh Wine

Salads are best partnered with other fresh and vibrant wines. The aim here is to match the lightness and zest with another similar wine without overwhelming or being overwhelmed.

• Green Salads: Crisp, acidic Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Franc Rosé with green salads.
• • Sauvignon Blanc: With high acidity and typically bright, sharp citrus notes, it’s the perfect companion for a green salad. Mind you, the kind of green salad with some vinaigrette dressing to make it pop.
  • • Tasting Notes: Citrus, green apple, herbaceous
    • Why It Works: The acid and citrus flavors perk up every crunchy element of the salad, making every bite a bit more refreshing.
  • Cabernet Franc Rosé: this rosé is an expression of red fruit and fresh fruit flavors with a fruity, crisp finish – pair with your green salad.
  • • Tasting Notes: Strawberry, raspberry, floral hints
    • Why It Works: The rosé’s fresh acidity and lightness complement the summery bounciness of the salad, not competing with the salad’s flavors but enhancing them.
• Fruit Salads: Try a lightly sweet Riesling or a dry Rosé with fruit salads.
• • Riesling: A slightly sweet Riesling with peach and apricot aromas can be combined with the natural sugars of fruit salads.
  • • Tasting Notes: Peach, apricot, honey
    • Why It Works: The sweetness of the Riesling accents the fruit, adding a super-refreshing counterpoint to the whole.
  • Dry Rosé: The rosé’s acidity and berry flavors make it an excellent choice to accompany fruit salads.
  • • Tasting Notes: Red berries, citrus, floral hints
    • Why It Works: The sprightliness, acidity, and a touch of fruitiness in the Rosé are just enough to balance the sweetness of the fruit.

Pasta Pairings

Pasta recipes are a good canvas for working with wine, as each sauce and component invites a different match. Cellar Beast Winehouse offers hand-poured wines to elevate your pasta. Here is how to pair their dishes with pasta recipes. To learn more, check out our Wine and Pasta Pairing.

Tomato-Based Sauces

For acidity and full-flavor tomato sauces like marinara or arrabbiata, you’ll want medium-bodied red wines to go with the sauce and round it out.

• Pairing Suggestion: 2022 Jeune Bête – An iconic French-style red blend with bright fruit and balanced acidity, this would be a great partner for spaghetti marinara or penne arrabbiata.

Creamy and Herb-Based Sauces

Rich, creamier sauces such as Alfredo or Carbonara require a well-acidified wine to rip away at the sauce and give it an edge.

• Pairing Suggestion: 2022 Chardonnay Reserve—Complex and acidic with ample body, this Chardonnay will give texture to creamy dishes like fettuccine Alfredo or linguine Carbonara.

Herb- and Olive Oil-Based pasta, such as aglio e olio or pesto, made with herbs, olive oil, and garlic, goes well with wines with herbs and cool acidity.

• Pairing Suggestion: 2022 Sauvignon Blanc – A crisp, citrus-rich wine to pair with fresh herbs and olive oil on pasta such as spaghetti aglio e olio or basil pesto pasta.

A fiery pasta such as arrabbiata sauce or chili flakes demands wines that balance the heat but don’t overwhelm the palate.

• Pairing Suggestion: 2022 Cabernet Franc Rosé – Rich with red berries and acidity, this rosé cuts through the heat and amplifies the flavors of the spicy pasta.

Wine Pairing with Cheese

Matching Wines with Soft Cheeses

For soft and creamy cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, the same principle applies. You need a wine that cuts through that luscious texture because its richness can block or inhibit flavor perception. The wine you choose should not overpower the cheese but instead balance it, adding brightness and liveliness that completes the whole package. Learn more about wine and cheese pairing in our recent blog post.

• Best Wine with Soft Cheese: A sparkling wine such as Champagne or a light, fruity red such as Gamay works well.
• • Champagne: The effervescence and high acidity of a glass of bubbly cut through the richness of soft cheese while adding a clean note and refreshing contrast to your mouth.
  • • Tasting Notes: Citrus, green apple, brioche
    • Why It Works: The bubbles and acidic character of Champagne cut through the fat of Brie and Camembert to make the bite lighter and brighter.
  • Gamay: Bright, voluptuous, fruity red wine. Try a light red such as a Gamay, which is low in softer tannins and easy drinking, with bright berry flavors that won’t overwhelm the delicate flavors of soft cheeses.
  • • Tasting Notes: Strawberry, raspberry, floral notes
    • Why It Works: The flavors of fruitiness and light body in Gamay soften the tangy characteristics of creamy soft cheeses, and that’s what makes it work.

Pairing with Hard Cheeses

The hardness and savory flavors of Cheddar and Parmesan need a wine of good weight to balance them. The intensity of hard cheeses demands a wine of equal weight to support these food components. Read more about advanced wine and cheese pairing here.

• Best Wine with Hard Cheese: Best Wine/Pairing for Any Cheese You can never go wrong with a full red such as our Midnight Archer or a more robust white such as Viognier with hard cheeses.
• • Midnight Archer: A rich red, this is a left-bank Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot with dark fruits and a good level of tannin, the acidity needed to cut through the hard cheeses and satisfy its intensity.
  • • Tasting Notes: The aroma presents more and more with each inhale. You can’t help but notice the blackberry, blueberry compote, rye seeds, green pepper skin, and s’mores on the campfire aromas. The dynamic palate presents assertive, youthful tannin perfectly balanced by the gorgeous, bright acid structure as you taste raspberries, roasted coffee beans, cocoa powder, blueberry, and java cigars, all framed by a sophisticated finish.
    • Why It Works: The rich Cheddar and Parmesan—grainy and savory, with lots of umami—balance the bold flavors and tannins of Midnight Archer, adding depth to the cheese’s profile.
  • Viognier: A full-bodied white like Viognier, rich and aromatic – a good match for hard cheeses, whose full-on flavor accompanies the wine’s texture and fruitiness.
  • • Tasting Notes: Apricot, peach, waxy floral notes
    • Why It Works: Viognier’s full body and aromatic intensity complement and balance the salty, savory cheese.

Wine and Dessert Pairings

Chocolate and Rich Deserts

Rich, sweet wines most successfully accompany chocolate desserts. Again, the overwhelming power of chocolate’s flavor has to be countered by a wine with equal heft and sweetness, so the flavors of sweet foods and sweet wines interlock and balance each other into a congruent pairing.

• Best Wine with Chocolate: Port, a dessert wine such as Sauternes, or a bold red Zinfandel is the classic match for chocolate-sweet desserts.
• • Port: Few libations can rival chocolate's rich, sweet, and decadent character. In fact, its intense flavors of dark berries, subtle caramel notes, and aromatic spice can cut through and accentuate the dark cocoa flavors in desserts.
  • • Tasting Notes: Dark berries, caramel, spice
    • Why It Works: Sweet Port’s full body balances the bitterness and richness of chocolate.
  • Sauternes: Because chocolate is naughty, you need a sweetie on hand. Honeyed, apricot-scented Sauternes is the ideal match with the deep, dark richness.
  • • Tasting Notes: Honey, apricot, botrytis
    • Why It Works: Sauternes's sweet but bright acidity attacks the richness of dark chocolate, refreshing the mouth and complementing the dish.
  • Old Vine Zinfandel: For a less orthodox but equally interesting match, Cellar Beast’s 2022 Old Vine Zinfandel delivers a fruit-heavy approach to dark chocolate. Amador County Zinfandel carries rich aromas and flavor compounds of strawberry, cherry, blueberry compote, warming cedar, baking spices, and high tannins, making it an ideal partner for chocolate desserts.
  • • Tasting Notes: Strawberry, cherry, blueberry, baking spices, cedar.
    • Why It Works: Zinfandel's fruit sweetness and earthy warmth offset dark chocolate's bittersweet richness. The wine's acidity balanced the chocolate’s sultry notes, softening the palate and complementing the dessert.
      For chocolate drinkers looking for a new dimension of flavor, Old Vine Zinfandel's flavor intensity presents a contrasting pairing to traditional dessert wines.

Fruit-Based Desserts

Fruity desserts should be served with light, sweet wines that provide a foil for their natural sweetness and enhance the fruit aromas and flavors that the wine highlights. The aim is to match the sweetness of the wine to the dessert without entirely masking the subtle fruit flavors.

• Best Wine with Fruit Desserts: Late-harvest Riesling is best with fruit tarts and pies; try a Moscato d’Asti, too.
• • Late-Harvest Riesling: Grapes for this wine are picked at the end of the season when sugar is higher and flavors are more developed and concentrated. Its high levels of bright acidity cutting through its sweetness make it a direct match for fruit-flavored desserts.
  • • Tasting Notes: Ripe peach, apricot, honey
    • Why It Works: Riesling’s brilliant acidity balances and uplifts the sweetness of fruits, tarts, and pies, latching on to fresh fruit flavors and cleansing the palate.
  • Moscato d'Asti: Lightly fizzy Italian wine with low alcohol volume and delicate sweetness, usually buddied up to peach and apricot in fruit desserts.
  • • Tasting Notes: Peach, orange blossom, honey
    • Why It Works: Moscato d’Asti’s light effervescence and floral notes bring out the brightness of fruit-based desserts, adding refreshing, elegant elevation to the fruit sweetness.

Practical Applications of Wine Pairing

Event Planning

• Creating a Memorable Experience: The right wine pairing at the right event could take a nice event and make it into the best event of your life; it makes sense that weddings should be well-paired. This is the one day in which many couples invest a large sum of money to ensure that their guests feel special, are well-fed, and that the occasion is memorable. Pairing wine with the dinner courses can be a small way to add sophistication and make sure the memories last.
• Showcasing Expertise: When hosts offer the appropriate wines, the match reflects their careful attention to detail and knowledge, which makes the guests feel special and adds exclusivity and polish to company events.
• Enhancing the Menu:  Picking wines that harmonize with the menu can amplify the flavors of food, creating a more satisfying experience for guests. For example, a medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc that contains crisp acidity would work well with a seafood starter; a structured, acidic Malbec will complement a meaty main course.
• Improving Social Interactions: Wine pairings can be a great ice-breaker at social events with guests. Talking through the flavors and sharing why a particular wine was chosen can make any event more interactive and fun.

Cooking at Home

For home cooks, an appreciation of wine pairing can turn ordinary dinners into events. The right wine with dinner can:

• Elevate Weeknight Meals: The right wine can make weeknight meals seem more special. Try a lively, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc with your fresh summer salad, or serve a juicy, fruit-forward Merlot with your homemade burger.
• Encourage Culinary Exploration: Pairing an appropriate wine with a meal—for instance, knowing that a Chardonnay’s buttery notes complement creamy pasta—can free home cooks from meticulously exacting cooking measurements and inspire new ideas and techniques.
• Improve Meal Planning: Recognizing the compatibility of wine and food is a useful tool for meal planning. It guides one toward optimizing the individual components of a meal, leading to a better dining experience.
• Add a Touch of Elegance: If the wine complements the food, it can elevate the meal to a new level of elegance, making even a normally casual dinner feel special.
• Author's Pairing Tip: “One of my favorite pairings is a robust Cabernet Sauvignon with a grilled ribeye, as the wine’s tannins balance beautifully with the meat’s rich flavors.”

Restaurant Dining

When dining out, knowing how to choose wines to go with your evening meal can make your restaurant experience far more enjoyable by letting you:

• Make Informed Choices: Understanding why food and wine pairings work the way they do will help you select wines that will heighten the dining experience by complementing your meal. Pairings can often boost a good meal to greatness by clarifying and balancing food and wine flavors.
• Enhance Flavors: A good food and wine pairing will enhance the flavors of your meal and make it taste better overall. Consider how the thick, rich Dark Angel might go better with a rich lamb dish than, say, a delicate Pinot Noir.
• Engage with Sommeliers: For some people, wine pairing provides an appealing answer for the age-old question: what should we drink with this type of dish? In addition to the practical concerns of how each food affects the other, suggesting a perfect pairing can add a spiritual dimension to eating.
• Explore New Wines: Dining out affords an opportunity to discover wines that you might not otherwise consider. Knowing enough about the basics of wine matching may encourage you to confidently explore a greater range of wines.
• Elevate Celebrations: Wine can elevate celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries or promotions by contributing to a mood of appreciation and gratitude, further heightening people’s enjoyment of the event.

Common Mistakes in Wine Pairing

Avoiding Overpowering Flavors

One of the most common rookie errors is to drink a wine that overpowers food – the ideal match is one where both the wine and food contribute to a delicious blend rather than one that overpowers the other. Learn more about the basics in our Wine 101 blog post and more about common wine myths here.

• Example: Do not pair a full-bodied red wine with high alcohol content with a fish dish since the wine will overwhelm the delicate flavors of the fish.

Misunderstanding Acidity Levels

Acidity is a key factor in pairing – and often miscomprehended. High-acid wines are refreshing and can cut through rich foods, but they can also clash with acidic dishes and spicy dishes. Understanding the importance of acidity gives the keys to harmonious pairings.

• Example: Pairing high-acid Sauvignon Blanc with tomato-based sauces can be refreshing, but the wine's acidity shouldn’t be overly aggressive compared to the acidity in the tomatoes.

Tips for Successful Pairing

Experimenting with Pairings

It’s not etched in stone. Don’t be afraid to experiment and to try wines with a range of different dishes. Different people respond to different combinations as much as they do to different wines – so feel free to deviate from these guidelines. In fact, that’s exactly what you should do.

• Tip: Throw a wine with food pairing dinner party and ask guests to bring a dish each along with a bottle of wine to sample together. This is a sociable way to try different food pairings and discover congruent pairings.

Considering Personal Preferences

Last, learn to trust your instincts. Your best matches are the ones you like, so pick wines that fit both you and your guests’ palates. Personal preference has to be your ultimate guide.

• Tip: If you know your guests enjoy a particular type of wine, it's a good idea to start with that one and build your menu from there.

Conclusion

With a little understanding of the principles and a desire to play with flavors, matching a classic wine list to your food can add welcome drama to your meals and impress your dinner guests. Choose from the wide range of wines we make at the Cellar Beast with every meal in mind. Take a guided wine tasting with one of our house sommeliers, with accreditations in wine, and ask for their recommendations for complementary pairings, and reasonings behind those recommendations. Read more about finding your wine preferences , and then explore our ever-evolving online wine store for your next favorite wine bottle.

Santé, and happy pairing!

This guide incorporates advice from reputable wine and culinary sources, such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and Wine Folly, to provide accurate and trustworthy pairing recommendations. Although Cellar Beast wines are highlighted, the pairing guidance is designed to benefit all wine enthusiasts.

Explore Our Collection: Discover Cellar Beast wines here. Feel free to contact us for personalized recommendations or to learn more about our offerings.

References:

1. Wine and Food Pairing Principles
2. • Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) - Use for foundational principles of pairing, including acidity, tannins, and sweetness.
   • • Citation: "Wine and Food Pairing." Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
3. Impact of Tannins and Acidity on Pairing
4. • American Wine Society - Discusses the interaction of wine tannins with various foods and the science behind balancing acidity.
   • • Citation: "The Science of Tannins in Wine." American Wine Society.
5. Old World vs. New World Wine Characteristics
6. • International Sommelier Guild - Provides insights into the differences in taste profiles across wine-growing regions.
   • • Citation: "New World vs. Old World Wines." International Sommelier Guild.
7. Health and Nutritional Benefits of Wine in Moderation
8. • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Useful for claims about moderate wine consumption benefits and how it can enhance dining experiences.
   • • Citation: "Wine and Health." Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
9. Flavor Profiles for Red, White, and Sparkling Wines
10. • GuildSomm - An authoritative source for flavor profiles by varietal, including specific tips for pairing reds, whites, and sparkling wines.
    • • Citation: "A Guide to Wine Varietals and Their Flavor Profiles." GuildSomm.
11. Regional Wine Characteristics and Best Pairing Practices
12. • Wine Folly - Known for accessible wine pairing guides based on regional characteristics and types of food.
    • • Citation: "Wine and Food Pairing Basics." Wine Folly
13. Cheese and Wine Pairing
14. • The Cheese Society - Expert guidelines on pairing cheese varieties with different wine types.
    • • Citation: "Cheese and Wine Pairing Guide." American Cheese Society