How to Choose the Right Wine for Dinner
While most wine connoisseurs agree when offering basic advice on choosing a wine at dinner, that a nice white wine complements white meats such as chicken and fish, and darker meats are best suited for red wines, wine selection also comes down to individual preference as different palates suit different tastes. However, wines do have distinct characteristics that determines which wine best complements various entrées.
Check out some of the following tips on wine selection and hopefully you will enhance your wine tasting experience.
Chicken and Seafood A Chardonnay's sweet to sour flavor is best paired with chicken, fish, oysters, and other seafood. Chenin Blanc is an appealing wine that also complements chicken and fish. The crisp acidic flavor of wines that pair nicely with fish often adds a hint of citrus to the entrée. Sauvignon Blanc, also known as Fume Blanc, also goes well with fish and pasta chicken dishes.
A savory smoked salmon entrée is best shared with a bottle of sparkling wine.
Meats Darker meats go best with darker wines in general. Holidays are usually special occasions when families break out a nice bottle of Chablis, a white-burgundy complementary wine that is best served with turkey.
For dishes including sausages and ham, consider serving the popular German wine, Gewurztraminer. A bottle of a medium-bodied Red Zinfandel pairs perfectly with red meats served at dinner, while a darker Pinot Noir wine pairs nicely with steak and fowl entrées.
If you're looking for a wine that's more versatile for a variety of meats, Shiraz or Syrah wine offer a nice balance for pork, duck, beef, ribs, tenderloin as well as chicken.
Pasta and Entrées If you're planning a pasta entrée for dinner, then consider complementing the meal with Merlot or Pinot Grigio.
White Zinfandel, an increasing popular wine, complements pasta dishes smothered in light sauces as well as other lighter dishes.
Oriental Entrées As a general rule, oriental dishes as well as white meats pair nicely with a bottle of Riesling. The fruity flavor of Gewurztraminer also complements oriental dishes, especially Asian prepared dishes. Mexican-themed meals as well as other exotic and spicy foods blend well with a bottle of Rose or Shiraz. The same can be said of grilled vegetables and fish dishes.
If you're a fan of fast food-themed entrées such as hamburgers or pizza (and other red sauce spicy foods) a bottle of Red Zinfandel will go down nicely here.
Desserts You can't go wrong pairing any dessert dish with a Port wine, Madeira, or Rieslings, and of course, Merlot is the perfect wine to drink with chocolate.
Writing as the head wine selector at GraysOnline, my role is to source & test the wines on offer. We've done our best to help you find the right bottle of wine, whether you're into champagne, red wine or white wine, we'll have something to suit your budget.
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