Welcome to our Recipes / Food & Wine Pairing section. If you enjoy great wine, you’re bound to enjoy great food too! The two are intrinsically linked.
Wine & Food Pairing
Wine and Food pairings is an individual choice. Every person’s sense of taste is different. Typically white wine may go better with appetizers or opening courses in a meal. Red wines do go very nicely with heavier foods – beef, red pasta, and so on. But there is no right or wrong, a lot of it is down to personal tastes, be brave and experiment and see what you enjoy the most. We have put together some guidelines of what we like and what are our ideal matches.
Dish |
Ideal Accompliment |
| Beef | Go for a medium or full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. |
| Lamb | Try a Rioja with aromas of vanilla, or a classic Shiraz |
| Pork or Veal | Aussie Chardonnay with a hint of oak and ripe tropical flavours. |
| Roast Chicken or Chicken Casserole | Chardonnay is an ideal match with the Sunday roast, or if the sauce is creamy, then a Beaujolais villages or a Pinot Noir or Merlot |
| Curry – light and mild | Curries can be hard to match, depending on their spices and flavours. A chicken korma or Thai green curry goes well with a young Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Curry – medium to hot and spicy | A fresh Savignon blanc or Chardonnay, or a juicy Rose or a Merlot for red wine lovers. |
| Italian | Italian pizza or pasta with tomato and meat sauces. These need Italian reds such as Chianti. |
| Fish | Meaty fish such as Tuna or Salmon need some wines with body such as red Burgundy or a light Rioja, while shellfish and seafood need crisp whites such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Salads or Picnics | Light refreshing wines, well chilled. Or dry rose or sparkling wine. |
| Chinese and Thai | Ideally an aromatic wine a perfumed Pinot Grigio. |
| Cheese | Mild and creamy cheeses love white wines with acidity such as Chablis or Chardonnay from the south of France. Mature and strong cheeses need bolder flavours, including big reds like a Shiraz, Malbec or rich Cabernet Sauvignon, or a dessert wine or glass of Port. |
Recipes
Each week you’ll see a new recipe uploaded on this page (and if you subscribe to our newsletter, you’ll also receive an email, direct to your inbox) detailing our Recipe Of The Week along with our wine suggestions.
We would love to hear your recipe suggestions too. So if you’d like to submit your favourite recipe along with the type of wine you typically drink to accompany the dish, then please email: louise@merchantsofvino.com
Whether you are a novice or an accomplished chef, all submissions are welcome. The variety of the dishes, wines and the personal stories are what’s important so please do get in touch with yours.
Recipe of the Week
