Matching Wine to Food

We are continually being asked what wine people should buy to go with a certain dish that they are cooking for a dinner party. So we thought we ought to devote some space here at the site to this topic. Below you will find a reasonably extensive list of dishes that we have matched styles of wine to. From there it is your choice as to which exact wine you purchase. We would love to know how the "marriage" works out.

 

Matching wine to food is very subjective topic. There are many different opinions out there. This list is designed to relate to the New Zealand versions of the grape varieties listed and not those from the rest of the world. For example a Kiwi Pinotage is a very different drink to the South African version.

 

If you would like a wine match to a dish not listed here or want advice on where to get a good example of the grape variety listed then please do not hesitate to contact us on giles@tizwine.com or sue@tizwine.com. or perhaps better still go to Natalie MacLean's website www.nataliemaclean.com. She has a most excellent food and wine matching tool. Natalie says:

 

Champagne with Potato Chips? Free Web Site Offers 360,000 Food and Wine Pairings

You really can drink wine with just about anything, according to a new web site devoted to food and wine pairings. Zinfandel with your Tex-Mex? Not a problem. A little Chardonnay with your fried chicken take-out? Delicious. Pinot Noir and wild boar? Why not, says Natalie MacLean, who has included these in a free interactive matching tool.

 

“The old rules about white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat just don’t give enough guidance anymore,” says MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, which was named the Best Wine Literature Book at the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards. MacLean’s matching tool pairs wines with everyday meals, as well as challenging fare, such as vegetarian cuisine, egg-based sauces, cheese, TV dinners, and even dessert, including Jell-O and fudge (for those who like to layer their vices).

 

Visitors simply search by wine for meal inspirations or by food to find great wine choices. There are more than 360,000 food and wine combinations in the matcher as well as thousands of recipes for a variety of dishes. MacLean adds more wines and foods based on readers’ suggestions, which she gets from the 78,000 subscribers to her free e-newsletter Nat Decants.