As every event planner would say, mastering the fine art of food and wine pairings is a culinary essential. Having the knowledge of the best ways to pair wine with your dishes ultimately will enhance your dining experience (and your popularity with friends and family!) To help you along your path to cuisine excellence, we’ve created a list of the best white wine pairings for every palate.
This buttery wine is best served with fatty fish or other seafood layered with a rich sauce. According to foodandwine.com, “Silky whites—for instance, Chardonnays from California, Chile or Australia—are delicious with fish like salmon or any kind of seafood in a lush sauce.”
Since many sparkling wines have a hint of sweetness, such as spanish cava and Champagne, they become especially refreshing when paired with salty foods. Looking for an appetizer to serve along with a glass o bubbly when your guests arrive? Try “crispy udon noodles with nori salt,” says foodandwine.com. The recipe for this crunchy treat can be found here.
Tangy foods won’t overwhelm a wine like Sauvignon Blanc. This wine ultimately pairs best “with dishes that contain raw or barely cooked tomato such as gazpacho, tomato consommé or tomato vinaigrettes and young goats’ cheeses – or salads that contain goat’s cheese,” according to matchingfoodandwine.com. “Also good with Japanese dishes such as sushi and sashimi, seafood-based steamed and fried dim sum and smoked salmon, particularly if the smoke is delicate.”
Wines like Pinot Grigio, Chablis from France, and Arneis from Italy tend to brighten light seafood dishes with more flavor. For a seaside twist in your dining experience, try tostada bites! The recipe can be found here.
Pairing noticeably sweet sparkling wines such as Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante will annunciate any fruits in a dessert, as opposed to the sugar. “Try it with these honeyed fig crostatas,” says foodandwine.com. Recipe can be found here.
Austrian Grüner Veltliner’s hint of springtime means that it accompanies equally fresh dishes perfectly. “Austrian-born chef and New York restaurateur Edi Frauneder likes to pair it with asparagus at this time of year and is serving some Grüner-friendly fare at his two restaurants, Edi & the Wolf and Freud, including white asparagus gazpacho with grapes and chervil, and green asparagus ravioli with gremalota, shaved spring salad and chive oil,” says the Wall Street Journal.
“The slight sweetness of many Rieslings, Gewürztraminers and Vouvrays helps tame the heat of spicy Asian and Indian dishes,” says foodandwine.com. Looking for a new and exciting dish to try with Riesling? Try this Thai green salad with duck cracklings.
