Whilst there has been so much written on the "appropriate" wine pairing with food there is one ultimate rule - eat and drink what you really enjoy. There are however some areas where knowledge about the contrast and balance of certain ingredients in food with the different flavours of different wine types may help you enjoy food and wine more. We’ve pulled together some tips and explanations for why some things taste fantastic with different types of wines.
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Beef
Red wine and a great steak are one of the classic pairings. Find out why they are such a great combination and read more about other wines that work well with beef.
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Lamb
Lamb has a richer and more earthy flavour than beef so the challenge is to find wines that complement and to some extent echo the flavour of the lamb.
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Pork
In popularity, the "other white meat" has a tremendous range of textures and flavours that can correspondingly be matched with a wide variety of wines.
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Duck and Game
Both duck and game are full and rich in flavour so the best wines are those big enough or robust enough to match these unique flavours.
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Seafood
The warm glow of the sun, the sound of the ocean, a bucket of prawns a few oysters and a bottle of crisp white wine. Does this sound like the perfect day to you? Find out more about the best wines to match with seafood
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Fish
The thing to keep in mind when matching wine to drink with fish is to ensure the wine does not overpower the flavour of the individual type of fish. Discover the best wine matches from fish and chips to sashimi salmon.
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Chicken
Chicken, whilst delicate in flavour is incredibly versatile. As it can be cooked in many ways, and with many flavours it can be matched with a variety of white and red wines. It is the cooking style that largely determines the wine match when it comes to chicken.
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Vegetables
With the huge variety of vegetables available, you won't have any problems finding a good wine and vegetable match. The guiding principles revolve around matching opposite flavours and matching acids with acids.
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Pasta
The best guide when matching wine with pasta is to match the wine to the flavour of the sauce.
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Pizza
Face it, Pizza just tastes better with a glass of wine. From the basic cheese and tomato combo, a chardonnay or light red will do the trick however once you start adding toppings, it really gets interesting.
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Asian food
Asian foods can be difficult to match with wine as they contain very distinct and spicy flavours. There are however some opportunities to help smooth out and enhance some of the spices in the food.
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Salads
Since the world of salad has moved beyond the tossing of tomato with iceberg lettuce so too have the options opened up for sophisticated wine matching with sophisticated ingredients.
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Cheese
Wine and Cheese - they just go together! Read more about the perfect wine and cheese marriages.
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Desserts
Can you really fit dessert in after all the fabulous food? If you can squeeze it in when matching wine with desserts you should consider the sweetness of the dish. The idea is to find a wine that is as sweet as or sweeter than the dessert itself.
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