Pairing food to wines/champagne the right way

November 24th, 2017 Posted by Gift Flowers

When you are dining on something absolutely delicious, you do not want your drink to ruin it. In fact, the beverage you drink should enhance the flavor of your meal. This is where understanding wine pairings comes in. When you understand which notes bring out new flavors in tried and true dishes, you can better enjoy your meal.

This guide presents some of our favorite ways to pair your meal with wine. While you should pair your drinks and foods in ways that satisfy your palate, these are some of the most common findings.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a light wine that is savory to the taste. This wine often tastes similar to dark berries, violets, herbs, and warm spices. For this reason it pairs well with poultry, duck, lamb, venison, and tuna. It is also a great choice for treats with warm spice and salty marinades.

Pinot noir is the perfect wine to pair with an earthy dish. These dishes will include ingredients like mushrooms. Lentils and bay leaves are also considered earthy flavors.

Ultimately, pinot noir is a versatile red wine. They are also relatively affordable wines, making them excellent gifts.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white wine, typically from California, Australia, or Chile. Chardonnay is perfectly paired with a fatty or sauce-covered fish. Salmon is one example. Chardonnay is also perfect for a light soup.

You will also find that chardonnay is an excellent choice with white fish like halibut or black cod, but it also goes well with chicken, turkey, pork, and legumes. It is certainly a versatile option as your drink. The perfect sauces will include cream or butter.

Because chardonnay is so light, it needs to be paired with another light flavor. Understanding how this type of taste profile works ensures that your meal and wine never overpower each other.

Champagne

If you are serving something salty, champagne is the perfect way to go. These drinks have a slight sweetness, which provides relief from salty meals. This means it goes well with udon noodles.

Champagne is also great with mushrooms, eggs, nuts, and cheese. If you are enjoying a light snack during appetizer hour, champagne is probably the drink that pairs well with your dish.

You should also consider champagne as an excellent present because it is lovely for a celebratory drink. After all, it is commonly associated with special events and anniversaries.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Serving red meat? Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect choice for steak and lamb chops. You will love the taste of this hearty red, reminiscent of plums and blackberries, alongside dishes like beef, duck, and stews. The best flavor profiles to go with the cabernet include soy sauce and black pepper rubs.

Need a little inspiration? Cabernet sauvignon pairs well with short ribs, red cabbage, and duck. Just make sure to pay close attention to the type of sauce you use with the dish to ensure you don’t overpower it with wine.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect pairing for a tangy or tart dish. This is a white wine that tastes light and flexible, making it a good choice for cheese, green vegetables, seafood, and herbs. You can also pair this white wine reminiscent of grapefruit and melon with pesto and dairy-based sauces. Something with grapefruit or a vinegar dressing will fare well with this drink.

Sauvignon blanc is a refreshing wine, perfectly crisp and just a bit tart. You certainly will not expect the taste of sauvignon blanc because it tastes so much different from other types of white wines.

Merlot

As one of the most popular red wines, merlot is dark and fruity. It may remind you of plums, blackberries, cherries, and cedar with a dynamic palette. Merlot pairs with tender beef, lamb, and salmon. It is also perfect for fresh herbs and fruit sauces.

Merlot also pairs with a variety of complex dishes that offer a number of different flavors, including shepherd’s pie and stew. This is a versatile wine option anybody would love to drink at dinner.

Dry Rose

Rose typically tastes like light fruits, including cherries and citrus. A dry rose is perfect for a cheese dish, offering the best of both worlds in terms of red and white wine.

Much like pinot grigio, this wine is crisp and a bit tart. Because of this, rose is a desirable option for a lunch or a cold meal. Rose is always a good choice to pair with light meals, including pasta salad and green salad.

Pinot Grigio

Pinot grigio is a delicate wine that pairs well with fish, specifically lighter dishes. This crisp, light wine may taste like pear or lemon, but it goes well with pasta, herbs, and chicken. It is also great for rich sauces with a simple taste profile.

Pinot grigio is a great gift for somebody who is vegetarian or vegan. This is because the wine is a fantastic choice for fruits, vegetables, and pastas. Consider this option if you want to impress somebody who does not eat meat and thus needs to pair their meal with a white wine.

Moscato

Moscato is the perfect choice for a dessert with its sparkling texture. A fruity dessert is the best pairing option because the fizzy moscato will bring out the fruity flavors. Plus, moscato comes in a variety of flavor options that allow you to customize the type of flavor you want to evoke from the meal.

Giving Wine as a Gift

Wine and champagne are excellent gift choices, especially for somebody in your life who hosts dinners and other types of get-togethers. Fortunately, we make it easy to gift wine and champagne to those you care about.

We highly recommend Bolero if you are looking for diverse options. This brand offers white and red blends, establishing a lovely flavor for any type of meal.

Lindeman is another fine wine. Lindeman offers red, white, and sparkling wines that will tantalize the taste buds during any type of meal.

Moet is also easy to pair, especially for a celebratory occasion. As a champagne choice, you certainly can’t go wrong with Moet.

No matter which wine you select, there is a meal to go with it. Gift somebody special with the wine of your choice to inspire a wonderful meal fit for a special occasion.