15 Rules for Great Food and Wine Pairing

Wine pairing is personal, but this is our official guide to natural, timeless food and wine pairings.

Short Rib Ragù with Orange-Parsley Gremolata
Photo:

Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Some advice for pairing food and wine can be overly strict. The truth is, you can eat pretty much whatever you want while drinking whichever wine you choose. Are you pairing a green chile cheeseburger with a glass of crisp Chablis? Sounds great. Would it be recommended in most food-pairing guides? Not really, but go for it. Some pairings should generally be avoided, like tannic red wines alongside artichokes or raw asparagus, but those are few and far between. There are, however, a number of time-tested guidelines to help you go through life as an educated lover of wine pairing. It's basically a "you should know the rules before you break them" situation. Here are 15 tips for food and wine pairing. Commit them to memory, practice them — and then break the rules to your heart's desire.

01 of 15

Pinot Noir with earthy flavors

Wild Mushrooms with Leek-Garlic Puree and Buckwheat Crepe Crackers
Victor Protasio

Recipes made with earthy ingredients like mushrooms and lentils taste great with reds like Pinot Noir and Dolcetto, which are light-bodied but full of savory depth. Pinot is also often delicious alongside salmon, proving that red wine and fish can go together brilliantly.

02 of 15

Chardonnay with fatty fish or fish in a rich sauce

Tuna Tartare with Jerk Peanuts and Coconut

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Silky whites — like many Chardonnays from California, Chile, or Australia — are delicious with hearty fish like swordfish or any kind of seafood in a rich sauce.

03 of 15

Champagne with anything salty

Four Layer Caviar Dip Recipe
Justin Walker

Many dry sparkling wines, such as brut Champagne and Spanish cava, actually have a faint touch of fruity sweetness. This makes them extra-refreshing when served with salty foods. They also cut through the richness and oil of fried dishes: Bubbly and a bowl of potato chips is terrific.

04 of 15

Cabrnet Sauvignon with juicy red meat

Steak Diane
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

California Cabernet, Bordeaux, and Bordeaux-style blends are terrific with steaks and lamb dishes. The firm tannins in Cab cut through the fat and protein, which in turn smooth out the tannins. It's a perfect symbiotic relationship in each bite.

05 of 15

Sauvignon Blanc with tart dressings and sauces

Neoclassical Seafood Salad

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Tangy foods — like scallops with a grapefruit-onion salad — won't overwhelm zippy wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Vinho Verde from Portugal, and Verdejo from Spain. Sauvignon Blanc also works well alongside vinaigrette, roasted or sautéed fish, and goat cheese.

06 of 15

Dry Rosé with rich, cheesy dishes

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Radicchio Recipe
Greg DuPree

Some cheeses go better with white wine and some sing alongside red. Almost all, however, pair well with dry rosé, which has the acidity of white wine and the fruit character of red. Rosé also works well with grilled fish, fresh salad, and even a big plate of charcuterie.

07 of 15

Pinot Grigio with light fish dishes

Branzino with Mesclun and Tomato-Herbes de Provence Vinaigrette
Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Light seafood dishes seem to take on more flavor when matched with equally delicate white wines, such as Pinot Grigio or Arneis from Italy, Chablis from France, and Vinho Verde from Portugal.

08 of 15

Malbec with sweet-spicy barbecue sauces

pork ribs
Victor Protasio

Malbec, Shiraz, and Côtes-du-Rhône are bold enough to drink alongside foods brushed with heavily spiced barbecue sauces — just be careful that the sauce isn't too sugary-sweet, which can throw off the wine's fruit.

09 of 15

Moscato d'Asti with fruit desserts

Pear, Honey, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Tart
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Sweet sparkling wines such as Moscato d'Asti and demi-sec Champagne help emphasize the fruit in the dessert, rather than the sugar. Try it with these Honeyed Fig Crostatas. It's also delicious alongside a simple summer fruit salad or even splashed into it.

10 of 15

Syrah with highly spiced dishes

Steak, Potatoes, and Tomatoes with Quick Chimichurri
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

When a meat is heavily seasoned, look for a red wine with lots of spicy notes. Syrah from Washington or France's Rhône Valley, Cabernet Franc from the Loire, and Xinomavro from Greece are all good choices. Be careful with spice heat, however: For hot dishes like those, try to avoid high-alcohol wines, which will amplify the sizzle.

11 of 15

Grüner Veltliner with fresh herbs and vegetables

Warm Shrimp Roll with Chile Crisp with Cucumber Salad

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Austrian Grüner Veltliner's citrus-and-clover scent is lovely when there are lots of fresh herbs in a dish. Other go-to grapes include Albariño from Spain and Vermentino from Italy.

12 of 15

Zinfandel with pâtés, mousses, and terrines

How to Make Chicken Liver Pate

Diana Chistruga

If you can apply the same adjectives to a wine and a dish, pairing them will often work. For instance, the words "rustic," "savory," or "rich" are often used to describe Zinfandel, Italy's Nero d'Avola, and Spain's Monastrell, as well as a creamy liver mousse. Spice- and fruit-driven Zinfandel also has a natural affinity for barbecued or sauce-slathered meats.

13 of 15

Off-dry Riesling with sweet and spicy dishes

Green Curry Deviled Eggs

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

The slight sweetness of many Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, and Vouvrays helps tame the heat of spicy dishes and goes toe-to-toe with the lift of more aromatic ingredients. A spicy green salad is a delicious partner for any of those wines.

14 of 15

Rosé Champagne with dinner, not just hors d'oeuvres

Mustard-Roasted Pork Loin with Squash Polenta
© Con Poulos

Rosé sparkling wines, such as rosé Champagne, Prosecco rosé, and pink sparkling wine from California, have the depth of flavor, richness, and mouthwatering acidity to go with a wide range of main courses. Grilled tuna, lamb chops, salads, and risotto are all phenomenal with it.

15 of 15

Old World wines with Old World dishes

Chicken Cacciatore
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

The flavors of foods and wines that have developed together over the centuries — Tuscan recipes and Tuscan wines, for instance — are almost always a natural fit; it's an offshoot of the old wine-pairing advice that if it grows together, it goes together. The classic Italian dish Chicken Cacciatore, traditionally prepared in the woods over a fire, pairs well with an herbal, medium-bodied Chianti, as it has for generations.

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