Thematic Wine Pairing

Are you unsure which wine to serve with whichChardonnay. On the other hand, because Salmon
foods? Generally, you should serve food and wineis one of the densest, heaviest flavored fish, you
that share a likeness with one another. Whether itcould also do quite well with a lighter red wine
is an ethnic likeness, a color likeness, or a texturesuch as a Pinot Noir. People who prefer red wines
and body likeness, your wine and your foodto white wines often prefer Pinot Noir with
should complement one another.Salmon to a white wine.
Typically, tomato Italian dishes or beef with ItalianPerhaps you are serving Chinese food. Unlike
herb dishes call for Italian red wines and creamyFrance and Italy, the Chinese did not develop their
Italian dishes and Italian vegetable dishes call forfood around wine drinking. Typically, though, if you
Italian white wines. People in Italy have beendo not wish to match your Chinese food with the
making wine for as long as people have populatedethnic rice wine, Sake, you would want to follow
Italy, and they have developed their wines aroundthe same guidelines for choosing wine for Chinese
their foods so pairing Italian foods with Italianfood as you do other foods. If you are cooking
wines is a natural match.beef stir-fry, match the beef with a light red wine.
To some degree, the French can say the sameIf you are preparing seafood sushi, choose a light
about their wines. However, the French not onlywhite wine such as a Chenin Blanc to match the
developed their wines around their fabulous foods,seafood.
they also developed wines for sipping andYou can pair lighter foods such as quiche with
enjoying without foods. At any rate, you wouldPinot Grigio for a summer afternoon luncheon and
be safe to purchase French wines for any Frenchyou can pair heavy beef stews for a winter
dish that you prepare, again, matching lighterevening meal with a stout Shiraz. You can even
foods with whites and heavier foods with reds.pair your favorite chocolate desserts with an
Whether you are serving Italian food, Frencharray of wines. Lighter milk chocolates
food, other meat dishes, vegetarian dishes orcomplement fruity white wines and dark
cheese, you can find the perfect balance for yourchocolate desserts complement big dry reds like
meal if you select the proper wine to accompanyCabernet Sauvignon.
it. You can even select the perfect dessert wineYou can also pair wine and cheese in several
either to have as dessert or to accompany yourways. While this is an extensive topic on its own,
dessert.a few good matches are sharp cheddar with
If you are serving, say, grilled Salmon, you have aCabernet Sauvignon or Swiss or Gruyere with
few choices for types of wine that will suit. YouPinot Noir. Blue cheeses go well with sweet whites
could go with traditional wisdom and select alike Sauternes and soft rich creamy cheeses like
white wine for your fish dinner, which wouldbrie pair well with buttery Chardonnays.
preferably be a buttery wine such as a