The craft of pairing wine and food is incredibly complex, but when you get it right, both the food and wine taste so much better. Good sommeliers spend years learning the science and constantly challenge themselves to master the art of wine. But it doesn’t take a seasoned sommelier to create a good wine and food match.

Forget all the crazy rules and must’s.  Much of creating a good match is personal taste and preference.  The cheat sheet below is just a guideline, giving suggestions of varietals that mesh nicely with staple proteins. The rest is up to you and your guests taste-buds’.  Bottom line, trial and error is the best way to find the perfect pair!

Light Seafood: Vouvray, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Sancerre, Verdicchio

Spicy Seafood & Poultry: Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Dolcetto d’Alba, Beaujolais

Light Pastas & Salad: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Orvieto, Rose, Cotes du Rhone

Pork & Lighter Meat: Rioja, Barbera, Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone, Tempranillo

Lamb & Beef: Cabernet Sauvignon, Valpolicella, Rioja, Zinfandel

Full Flavored Meat & Game: Barolo, Barbaresco, Bordeaux, Shiraz

Related Articles

• How to Pair Wine with Food (video) (luxist.com)
• Wine Pairings for St. Patty’s Day (lynfredwinery.blogspot.com)
• Cuvee 2011 Wine Awards and Gala – The “Oscars” of the Ontario Wine Industry (sommelierscribbler.wordpress.com)