The Gift Exchange

I know that some people can be intimidated by wine. There are so many choices, so many things to remember, and so many varietals to pick from that it can be hard to know where to start. I talked about common wine terms and my own personal wine journey. Now I’d like to dig a little deeper and talk about wine pairing. Wine pairing with food can be a great way for you to see how different one glass of wine can be when tasting on it’s own, and then tasting with food. Below are some of my personal favorite combinations of food & wine pairing. Remember, not every meal needs to match perfectly with a wine. Drink what tastes good to YOU, and have fun experimenting with different combinations!

Spicy Food:  Gewürztraminer or Riesling. Both are sweeter whites that work well with spicy foods. The sweetness of the wine cuts the heat of the spice.

Seafood:  Chardonnay. In my opinion, lobster with drawn butter and a glass of chardonnay is the absolute perfect combination! I also drink it with crab, white fish and salmon.

Steak:  Cabernet or Malbec. The tannins in these two bolder reds cut the richness of the meat. Yum, yum!

Pizza:  Pinot Noir. Now this might not work for everyone. However, I prefer my pizza with red sauce, pepperoni and mushrooms. The pinot complements everything perfectly, especially earthy type foods such as mushrooms.

Dessert:  Moscato d’Asti. It’s nice and light, low alcohol and won’t overwhelm your taste buds. It complements most desserts, but allows the dessert be the star of the show.

For other great pairing ideas, check out our Food & Wine Pairings board on Pinterest.  Cheers!

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