Pairing Wine with Food 101

Finding your favorite wines is difficult. I have been tasting and selecting value wine for my Eugene pizza restaurants, Bene Gourmet Pizza, for nearly 10 years. Understanding wine is hard at first, but pairing wine with food is even more challenging. If follow a few basic rules, you can flip this challenge into a passion. I will provide you with some easy to follow guidelines that will allow you to pair your flavors and textures to create a molto bene experience.

The basic rules:
• Heavier, richer food should be paired with heavier wine, such as an oaked Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Lighter food should be paired with lighter wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
• Spicy foods should be paired with soft reds and acidic whites, such as Pinot Gris/Grigio.

Food specific guidelines:
• Pasta & Pizza
o Red Sauce - Chianti or a soft Merlot.
o White Sauce - Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris/Grigio.
• Fish - Pinot Noir (red), Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc.
• Red Meat - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Zinfandel, or Syrah/Shiraz.
o Note: Heaver meats, such as lamb, should be served with tannic wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.
• Poultry - Syrah/Shiraz or Pinot Noir.
o Note: Poultry has a neutral flavor, so match the sauce to the wine. For example, Zinfandel and BBQ chicken make a great match.
• Cheese - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Sauternes.
o Note: Most cheese should be paired with white wine.
• Desserts
o Fruit-based desserts - Sauternes and Riesling.
o Chocolate - Tawny Port or a heavy Zinfandel.

If you are confused, please go to your local bottle shop. Wine pairing should be fun. Your friendly wine steward will direct you to the perfect wine, and then you will know what to get for the future.