Wine + Cheese:

Try not to pair a strong flavour wine with a mild cheese.

Soft cheeses pair well with sparking wine or white wine that does not have a lot of oak.

Sharp cheese or aged cheese suites full bodied wine to complement the bold flavours.

Fortified wines like Port work well with salty blue cheeses like Stilton.

Wine + Chocolate:

Dark Chocolate // Match with Port, Sherry, Barolo, Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz.

Milk Chocolate // Match with Viognier, Pinot Gris, Semi-dry sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

White Chocolate // Match with off-dry Riesling, Rose, Moscato and late harvest wines.

Sparkling Wine + Food:

Chinese food (not highly spiced)

Shrimp, shellfish, smoked salmon, caviar, oysters

Foie Gras and charcuterie

Butter cream sauce

Triple cream Brie

Fruit desserts like tarts, crèpes, honey desserts, short bread

Berries and stone fruit like peaches and plums

Cool Climate Wine Varietals + Food:

Chardonnay (unoaked/cool climate) // This style of wine suites Sushi, clams, mussels and oysters, shrimp and scallops. Light and delicate food such as steamed white fish, pasta or risotto is light sauces.

Chardonnay (lightly oaked) // Slightly richer dishes with butter or cream sauces.

Chardonnay (full-bodied and oak aged) // This style of wine can handle an extra level of richness and matches well with Eggs Benedict, fatty fish (salmon)and light meats, butternut squash ravioli or risotto, seared foie gras.

Chardonnay is not the best match for:

Smoked fish and meat, Chinese food (better with German Riesling).

Goat and lighter cheeses (better with Sauvignon Blanc).

Seared fish like tuna (better with light red wines like Pinot Noir).

Tomato based dishes (better with Italian white or red wines).

Thai flavours (better with Pinot Gris or new world Sauvignon Blanc).

Sauvignon Blanc:

Sauvignon Blanc with good minerality works best with:

Raw oysters, cooked shellfish with lighter flavours

Gazpacho

Goats cheese like Boursin

Sushi and Dim Sum

Smoked salmon

Sauvignon Blanc with more citrus tones works best with:

Garlic flavoured shrimp, grilled chicken, lime, chile and coriander flavours

Gewurztraminer:

This varietal goes very well with classic Alsace cuisine like tarte flambé, with ham and Gruyère cheese. Also… Thai and Asian flavours, Indian and Korean dishes, duck, chicken, pork, crab, shrimp and Turkey with sage.

Matches with vegetable dishes such as: squash and pumpkin gnocchi, and smelly cheese like Muenster. Apple desserts go best with sweeter style or off dry versions.

Pinot Noir:

One of the most versatile red wines to match with many dishes. A good choice in a restaurant if one person is eating meat and the other a vegetable dish. Serve cool or chilled.

Light and fresh Pinots match up well with charcuterie, paté, goat cheese and asparagus.

Sweeter fruit forward Pinots can handle some spicy foods, seared tuna or salmon, Chinese and Asian flavours.

Silky elegant Pinots from Burgundy go well with Coq au Vin, beef tenderloin, roast turkey, mushroom risotto, Brie cheese, mild blue cheese and Gouda. Pasta dishes with cream or light tomato sauce and pizza with grilled vegetables. Cherries, berries and apples.

Merlot:

This wine is fruitier and softer than Cabernet Sauvignon. Easy drinking character with less tannins and not too much acidity. In general, pairs well with light meats and lightly spiced food. Merlot works with a lot of foods. Cool climate Merlot pairs particularly well with roasted vegetable dishes.

Other good flavour matches include: Grilled beef, lamb, pork loin, turkey, veal, hamburgers and charcuterie, blue and Cheddar cheese, garlic and mushrooms, and pasta dishes (without cream sauce).

Cabernet Franc:

This is an early ripening grape with a thinner skin, lighter body and less robust than Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavours of black cherry and cassis and more aromatic and herbaceous than Cabernet Sauvignon. Less tannic and lower acidity as well. A food friendly wine that matches well with: roast pork or chicken, roast or grilled beef, duck, lamb and veal. Hard and soft cheeses like Cheddar, Brie, goat, blue and Camembert. Also, pizza and lasagna as well as hamburgers.

Bordeaux Blends (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot):

Where Merlot is dominant, wines tend to be softer, fruitier and less tannic. These wines go well with lean meats, pork and duck, lamb and roast chicken. Cheeses such as goat and sheep, Brie and Camembert as well as paté and charcuterie.

Bordeaux wines with a greater proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon are bigger and more robust in style with more tannins and acidity. These wines can handle bigger bolder flavours.

Rose Wines:

These wines are perfect for hot weather drinking. Delicate flavours of strawberry, orange, lemon, cherry and watermelon. Styles can range from very dry to off dry. Serve well chilled.

Food matches include salads, grilled fish, goat cheese and light pastas with vegetables or seafood and dishes flavoured with herbs de Provence and thyme.

With thanks to Edward Shubert // Rosehall Run