Understanding the Basics of Wine and Food Pairings
The number one rule to a delicious wine and food pairing is to understand your key flavors – the wine you pick should match or enhance the flavors of the dish you are planning. When it comes to white wine pairings, the most general rule of thumb to follow would be to pair these wines with lighter or more delicate dishes to allow the subtle flavors in both the wine and the dish to shine. For the same reason, red wines should generally be paired with heavier meals, where the bold flavors in a dish can stand up to the more robust flavors typical of red wines.
Consider the dominant flavors of your dish and the balance that already exists between flavors – you can either choose to match your meal’s flavors with your wine, or balance the flavors of your meal with a contrasting flavor or quality in wine. Understanding which flavor is taking center stage in your meal is the first step to creating a memorable food and wine pairing.
You can evaluate whether a wine will be a good pairing for your meal by assessing the following.
Flavor Intensity—your wine should match the intensity of flavors in your dish. So, if you’re serving a dish with a light and delicate flavor profile, search for a wine that complements these delicate flavors. If you are working with a bold dish, pick a bold wine as a pairing. If the intensity isn’t obvious, focus on the power of your components (salty, bitter, sweet, acidic, fatty, etc.) to help inform your wine choice.
Complementary vs Contrasting Pairings—when developing a food and wine pairing, creating balance is key. When a dish leans too far toward a specific flavor, you can use wine to bring balance to the meal through a contrasting flavor. If your meal has pre-balanced flavors, any wine you pick should then match and enhance the characteristics and flavors of your dish through shared flavors a.k.a. a complementary flavor.
White wines tend to be most common in contrasting pairings. For example, acidic white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris are often a strong pairing for creamy dishes like shrimp scampi or cacio e pepe because the bright acidity of these wines can cut through the creaminess of the dish and balance the taste.
Red wines typically pair best with complementary flavors. For example, say you are planning to serve a mushroom risotto. Mushrooms are known for an earthy umami flavor, which pairs well with wines like Pinot Noir that also tend to feature earthy tasting notes. Pinot Noir is often considered the perfect red wine pairing to food, as it can go with almost any dish. It is lighter in color and carries a variety of flavors that showcase in new and exciting ways, depending on the dish with which it is served.
While these are all good general rules of thumb, they are not hard and fast rules. For example, a buttery Chardonnay can become a lovely complement to a butter-based sauce. Equally, a deliciously marbled steak can be a perfect pairing with a more robust and tannic red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannin structure, or the grippy and dry texture in the mouth, contrasts the fattiness of the steak. The fat content of the marbled meat effectively cleanses the palate of the grippy tannins between sips. While contrasting in textures, the combination of a tannic wine with marbled meat causes the tannins to soften and make the meat taste less rich – a truly complementary pairing.
Ingredients Matter—The best meals start with the best ingredients. Wherever possible, choose local and organic ingredients. We believe organic ingredients have more flavor because they are usually grown in healthy soil and have not been treated with harmful synthetics like pesticides. The same philosophy holds true when assessing the benefits of organic wine. Look for organically farmed wine to experience the difference organic farming can bring to a wine’s flavor profile.
Classic Wine and Food Pairings
- Charcuterie Boards (the holy grail of millennial dinner parties!)—Pair with rosé, another millennial favorite that can hold its own across the entire board, from a salty salami to a pungent cheese to a sweet dried fig.
- Fish—Pair with crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- Pasta Dish —match it to the sauce! A red sauce calls for a red wine; a white sauce wants a white wine.
- Red Meat—Pair with robust red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot
- Grilled Vegetables—Pair with a more intense white like Chardonnay, or a lighter red wine like Pinot Noir
- Salty Dish—Pair with sparkling wine (sparkling wine and fried chicken are having a moment!)
- Spicy Dish—Pair with a sweet wine like a Gewürztraminer (the sweetness neutralizes the spice)
Enhance your next wine and food pairing with Bonterra
While there are no hard and fast rules to pairing food and wine, our favorite pairings start with the best ingredients and minimal intervention or processing—think homemade meals made with organic produce. We believe the same is true for wine. All of our wines is made with 100% organically farmed grapes, and with our robust portfolio of wines, we have an organically farmed wine to pair with every occasion. Explore our wine bundles to try different flavors and see how they elevate various dishes. Elevate your next meal with a perfectly paired (and organically farmed) wine.
The best dining experience not only tastes good, but also does good. Our environment-approved approach in the vineyards, in the winery, and in production showcases our commitment to leaving the earth better than we found it. Explore our collection of organically farmed wine online, or find Bonterra near you.
As you savor your next perfect pairing of food and wine, give a toast to the farmers and winemakers embracing organic practices that prioritize the well-being of the planet and its ecosystems. You can savor each sip knowing that you’re contributing to a better, more sustainable world through your choice to support Bonterra wine. For those passionate about exploring a wider range of our meticulously crafted wines, consider joining our wine club. It offers quarterly shipments of premium wines from our organic winery, exclusive access to limited products, and special member benefits designed to enhance your journey as a wine enthusiast.
