MTGlass

A lot of blogs and articles on pairing foods and wines try to zero in on one specific wine with a specific dish, however, as someone who likes to host a dinner party every once in a while, I understand that you may not always have the means or the funds to find that one wine, and VERY rarely is the wine a North Carolina wine. So instead, I’ve given some guidelines to follow when pairing your dinner with wine, or hosting a dinner party. I have given you a handy list that is easily accessible when you are in a pinch. Of course I have made some North Carolina wine recommendations along the way, please visit the NCVine directory for the vineyard websites and information on the wines.

When pairing food and wine, try to keep some basic rules of thumb in mind. 1) The acidities should match wits, don’t pair an overly acidic wine with a very lightly acidic food. 2) Keep the regions together; sauces and foods go well with grapes and wines that are from the same region. 3) Try to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine, in other words, a heavy red wine may not pair nicely with a fluffy white fish. 4) Take into account what spices and sauces that are going to accompany your dishes, don’t let the wine overpower your food, its there to complement, not to steal the show.

Happy Hosting!

Beef
Roasted or Grilled Steak- Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Zinfandel
**Looking for a NC wine to pair? Try Rag Apple Lassie’s Zinfandel.

Beef in a Rich or Heavy Sauce- Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon

Braised Beef- Burgundy, Zinfandel, Shiraz/Syrah
**Looking for a NC wine to pair? Try Junius Lindsay Vineyard’s 2006 Syrah

Beef in an Acidic or Tomato Sauce- Chianti, Sangiovese
**Looking for a NC Wine to pair? Try Raffaldini’s Vineyard’s Sangiovese.

Pork
Grilled or Roasted- Light Oak Chardonnay or Viognier for white wine lovers, Merlot if you insist on red wine, a Riesling will also pair nicely if you want a sweeter wine
**Looking for a NC wine to pair? Try Childress Vineyard’s Chardonnay.

Pork in an Acidic Sauce- Sauvignon Blanc

BBQ- Merlot for a red wine drinker, or a Pinot Grigio for a white wine pairing
**Looking for a NC Wine to Pair? Try Weathervane Winery’s Ionosphere

Poultry
Chicken- Baked, Grilled, or Roasted- Viognier, Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir for red wine pairings
**Looking for a NC Wine to Pair? Try Shadow Springs Stainless Steel Chardonnay

Chicken In a Heavy Cream Sauce- Oaked Chardonnay or Chianti if you must have a red wine

Fried Chicken- Sauvignon Blanc

Chicken- Spicy or in a Red Sauce- Rose΄, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti
**Looking for a NC Wine to Pair? Try Raffaldini Vineyard’s Chiara Rose΄

Turkey- Pinot Noir, Burgundy, or for a white wine try Chardonnay

Fish
Grilled- Sauvignon Blanc

In a Heavy Cream Sauce (mild Fish Flavor)- Chardonnay

In a Lemon Butter Sauce- Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc
**Looking for a NC Wine to Pair? Try Westbend Vineyard’s Viognier

Salmon- Pinot Gris or for a red wine pairing try a Pinot Noir

Crab- Dry Reisling, Viognier, Pinot Gris

Lobster- Viognier, Champagne or Sparkling Wine
**Looking for a NC Wine to Pair? Try Laurel Gray Vineyard’s Viognier

Shrimp or Scallops- Chardonnay

Pasta
In a Cream Sauce- Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio

In a Red Sauce- Chianti, Sangiovese, Zinfandel

Lasagna- Chianti