The mini guide to perfect food and wine pairing

Why is the right wine for each dish so important?

Quite simply, depending on which wine we choose, it can either override the flavours or complement them with its similarity. See my five tips below to choosing the right wine to accompany each dish. Cheers!

RICES AND RISOTTOS

Rices call for white wines, the drier the better. But careful – a dry wine can also have a fruity flavour. The difference between a sweet and a dry wine is basically in its sugar content. So, both of these may have fruit notes.

MEATS

Red wines tend to pair best with meats. To make things easy, if you like full-bodied wines, a Ribera would make a good choice. Not convinced? If you’re still feeling a bit of a novice, you can’t go wrong with a Rioja. But as a general rule, for red meat, a full-bodied and mature red wine (from Crianza to Gran Reserva) is ideal.

FISH

For fish dishes, the choice is easy. Go for a light white wine with acidic touches such as Ribeiro or Verdejo. And if you prefer a slightly sweeter option, an Albariño is highly recommended.

CHEESES

Why not surprise your friends with a cheese and wine evening at home? We did! It was so simple and a lot of fun. We recommend going to a specialist cheese counter and letting them advise you. The sky’s the limit! From reds or whites to sparkling, there’s a cheese for every wine. But to give you a few basic tips:

• Mellow and creamy cheeses: white wine
• Cured cheeses: full-bodied, aged red wine
• Blue cheeses: a medium aged red wine with a fruity edge would be perfect

DESSERTS

The text books will tell you that desserts go best with sweet wines such as Moscatel or German Riesling. But that’s just too much sweetness at once for my taste, so I always “pair” them with a good coffee. Et voilà! This mini guide should make you the perfect host, the designated sommelier next time you eat out, or simply the go-to guru among your friends. And even if it doesn’t, at least you can now surprise your dinner guests with your refined wine choices. Keep a selection in your favourite bottle rack and you’ll also add a stylish touch to your décor.

Looking for more inspiration and ideas for entertaining? Head over to our blog.