If you’re planning a dinner party at home, there’s nothing better than sipping on some red wine to kickstart the party. After all, it’ll be a flavorful and fruitful companion. And if you want your guests to truly enjoy their evening, you have to choose the right food to pair with your red wine. When you get that right, red wine can become anyone’s favorite!
A rule of thumb to keep in mind is knowing what the body of the wine is, and then choosing the right food to pair with it. For example, if you choose a bold wine, the food you pair should be as bold as the wine to complement its flavors. Read on about the best foods to pair with red wine.
The Best Foods To Pair With Red Wine
- Cabernet Sauvignon – Meat, burgers, and mushrooms
- Pinot Noir – Pork ribs, pepperoni pizza, and salmon
- Sangiovese – Pasta with red or meat sauce, and pizzas
- Malbec – Cheese, herbs, spices, and vegetables
- Zinfandel – Barbecue-flavored dishes, pastas, and pizzas
- Syrah or Shiraz – Grilled pork and barbecue chicken
1. Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a type of red wine that has intense and bold flavors. When you’re choosing a particular food to pair with your wine, you need to make sure that they complement each other. Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium to high level of alcohol, tannin, and acidity. Since the tannin of this wine is high, you can consume some protein-rich foods with the wine to break the tannin down. So, it goes without saying that Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with meat. But there are some vegetarian dishes as well that complement this wine.
Best Foods To Pair With Cabernet Sauvignon
Meat
When it comes to meat dishes, pork meat tastes best with Cabernet Sauvignon. That’s because pork meat has high levels of fatty proteins. So, if you’re having this wine with meats like pork, grilled lamb, or chicken, its high tannin and acidity levels will cut through their fatty coating. The wine clears your palate and you can relish your favorite meat while sipping on this delicious red vino.
Burgers
Burgers are also great pairings with Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re going to have a burger with this wine, you can use meats like chicken or lamb in your burger. Throw in other toppings like dried herbs, thyme, and other veggies since they too pair well with the wine.
Mushrooms
Not a meat eater? No problem, Cabernet Sauvignon also tastes great with vegetarian foods like mushrooms. You can bake a green pepper and mushroom pizza and enjoy it with this wine. Another way of cooking mushrooms to pair with the red wine is by grilling them with garlic butter and cheese.
Also Read: Discover The Different Types Of Red Wines
2. Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is considered to be one of the most popular red wines. It is a light-bodied red wine with medium tannin and acidity. In terms of its flavors, you’ll get to experience earthy tones and a smooth finish. Since it’s light-bodied, you can pair it with almost any food! That’s why Pinot Noir is known as one of the most versatile wines. Foods that are less fatty taste great with this wine because of its soft tannins.
Best Foods To Pair With Pinot Noir
Pork Ribs
Pinot Noir has moderate acidity, so it can balance the taste of rich meat. Speaking of meat, pork ribs in barbecue sauce taste great with this wine. Whether you’re out on a holiday or celebrating a special occasion at home, pork ribs are a great choice to pair with Pinot Noir.
Pepperoni Pizza
The moderate acidity of Pinot Noir makes it a great choice for any food with tomatoes, pasta, and cheese. Pepperoni pizza with tomato sauce, greasy pepperoni, and cheese toppings is a great partner for Pinot Noir. The tangy-sweet taste of the tomato sauce on the pizza and the richness of the cheese are balanced by the acidity of the wine.
Salmon
Light-bodied Pinot Noir can be enjoyed with salmon. Salmon has a bold flavor and texture to it which is perfectly balanced by the acidity of the wine. The buttery and extra-savory flavors of salmon pair well with the earthy notes of Pinot Noir. Go ahead and make some grilled salmon to feast upon with your glass of Pinot Noir; trust us, you won’t be disappointed!
Also Read: Beginner’s Guide To Different Types Of Wine Glasses
3. Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a medium-bodied red wine with earthy and fruity flavors. This wine’s color is lighter than other types of red wines. But don’t judge its taste by the color as the wine has a high acidity level and moderate tannins. The flavors of Sangiovese match perfectly with Italian dishes. There are also many other brilliant pairings with Sangiovese that can help you enjoy the taste of the wine.
Best Foods To Pair With Sangiovese
Pasta With Red or Meat Sauce
Generally, pasta is one of the best foods to pair with red wine. But, the fruity flavors of Sangiovese are best accentuated with any kind of tomato or meat-based dish. This is why there’s nothing better than red sauce pasta or pasta with meat sauce to bring out all the flavors of this wine. Sangiovese can also be enjoyed with spaghetti in marinara sauce.
Pizzas
Another famous Italian dish that pairs well with Sangiovese is pizza. The wine’s savory profile and high acidity balance the fat from the cheese in the pizza. You can relish pizzas like Margherita and Pepperoni with this wine. If you want to add some additional toppings, herbs, oregano, and thyme can be added to the pizza. These toppings are a delightful companion to the wine. And those of you who enjoy veggies can savor the wine with a grilled vegetable pizza as well.
Also Read: 7 Expensive Wines In India
4. Malbec
Malbec wine is generally medium to full-bodied. It has a purple color, and has flavors of berries with subtle hints of violets and licorice. The tannins of this wine are moderate, so foods that have delicate flavors go well with it. Malbec does not have a long finish that you would get in a red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon. So, even leaner meats can pair well with this wine.
Best Foods To Pair With Malbec
Cheese
When thinking of the best foods to pair with red wine, you’re bound to think of cheese; after all, wine and cheese are a classic combo! As mentioned earlier, Malbec does not have a long finish. So, when you’re looking for foods to pair with this wine, you need to choose foods that don’t leave a lingering taste. A great pairing for Malbec would be cheese as it does not have an extremely long taste. Some of the best types of cheese you can try with this wine are Blue Cheese, and other soft cheeses like Gouda cheese, Cheddar Cheese, etc.
Herbs, Spices, And Vegetables
To experience the rich and fruity flavors of Malbec, you can pair it with dishes that have herbs, spices, and vegetables. You can top lamb chops with various herbs and spices and pair them with your glass of Malbec. Even vegetables like roasted mushrooms pair exceptionally well with this wine.
5. Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a bold red wine that has flavors of berries, spice, black pepper, and smoke. The fruity flavors and high alcohol content of Zinfandel make it a great wine choice to be enjoyed with different kinds of foods. It has high acidity and medium tannin, so bold foods make a great pairing for this wine. Zinfandel pairs well with grilled meat and several other vegetarian dishes.
Best Foods To Pair With Zinfandel
Barbecue-flavored Dishes
Zinfandel is known for its flavors of blackberry, cherry, and raspberry. These fruity flavors of berries bring out the sweetness in a barbecue sauce. The other flavors of smoke and spice in Zinfandel complement the spiciness in a barbecue sauce. So, barbecue dishes like pork chops in barbecue sauce or grilled barbecue chicken pair well with this wine.
Pastas And Pizzas
The spicy flavors of Zinfandel can be complemented well with tomato-based dishes. One of the many great food pairings with Zinfandel is pasta in Arrabiata sauce. Pizzas with tomato sauce, onions, roasted red peppers, and blue cheese also go well with Zinfandel. These toppings on the pizza enhance the fruity, smoky, and spicy flavors of the wine.
Also Read: 8 Of The Best And Affordable Port Wines In India
6. Syrah or Shiraz
Syrah, also known as ‘Shiraz’, is one of the most popular red wines around the world. It has strong and smooth tannins and comes in burgundy to deep purple colors. This rich and full-bodied wine has flavors of chocolate, tobacco, pepper, and blackberries. These flavors of Syrah make it a great wine for pairing with foods that are grilled or dishes that are made using barbecue sauce.
Best Foods To Pair With Syrah or Shiraz
Sausages
Sausages are one of the best appetizers that you can enjoy with Syrah. They’ll taste even better if you grill them. If you want to accentuate the spicy flavors of this wine, you can top the sausages with some garlic and herb garnishes.
Grilled Pork and Barbecue Chicken
The bold flavors of Syrah can bring out the intense flavors of grilled or roasted pork. You can take a pork shoulder piece and spice it up with some pepper and cumin. That will help accentuate the fruity flavors of the wine. Apart from that, even chicken in barbecue sauce or grilled chicken with herbs can pair well with this wine.
Summing Up
To make your party a little more fun and flavorful, serving some delicious red wine can actually do the trick. Along with that, if you choose the best foods to pair with red wine, your guests will get to enjoy all the flavors of the food and the wine. So next time you host a dinner, you know how to impress your guests and get the party started!
FAQs
What Appetizers Go Well With Red Wine?
Some of the best appetizers that go well with red wine are pork chops, cheese, and grilled mushrooms.
What Cheese Goes Well With Red Wine?
Red wines go well with different types of cheeses like Gouda, Cheddar, Blue Cheese, etc.
What Is The Best Food To Eat With Wine?
Here’s a list of some of the best foods to eat with wine
- Cabernet Sauvignon – Meat, and mushrooms
- Pinot Noir – Pork ribs, pepperoni, and salmon
- Sangiovese – Pasta with any tomato-base sauce, pizzas
- Malbec – Cheese, herbs and spices, and vegetables
- Zinfandel – Barbecue dishes, pastas, and pizzas
- Syrah or Shiraz – Grilled pork and barbecue chicken
What Should I Bring To A Wine Night?
You can bring the following things to a wine night:
- Cheese
- Pork or lamb chops
- Mushrooms grilled with spices and herbs
- Dark Chocolate
- Berries
- Wine glasses
Does Chocolate Go With Wine?
If you’re consuming a wine with a light body and a silky-velvety texture, you can pair it with chocolate. The type of chocolate you choose will depend on the type of wine. For full-bodied wines like Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, dark chocolate can be a good pairing. That’s because the bitter flavors and earthy undertones of dark chocolate balance the fruity flavors of these wines.
What Fruit Goes Well With Wine?
Fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries go well with wine. You can pair these fruits with red wines with fruity flavors.
What Appetizer Goes Well With Cabernet Sauvignon?
Appetizers like meat (pork chops, meatballs, roasted lamb, etc), burgers, and mushrooms tossed in garlic and cheese go well with Cabernet Sauvignon.
How Do You Match Food With Wine?
Here’s how you can match the right food with the right type of wine:
- Bold red wines can be paired with fatty foods like meat.
- White wines pair well with lighter foods like fish, Thai chicken curry, and oysters.
- Rosé wines pair well with seafood like salmon, tuna, and crabs.
