Wine and food: How to make the right choices

The Basics: Selecting wine for a menu

• White wine is usually served before red.
• Light-bodied wine is usually served before full-bodied.
• Serve good wine before great wine.
• Serve young wine before old.
• Serve dry before sweet.
• Serve light-bodied for a lighter dish - full bodied for a heavier dish.
• Serve white wine for shellfish, fish, poultry and veal.
• Serve red wine for beef, chicken, tuna and salmon.
• Serve light to medium wines for pork.
• Serve white wine for a dish made with a cream sauce.
• Sparkling wines may be enjoyed anytime during the meal.

More Specific: Food and wine pairings

White Wines

Chardonnay
Halibut, whitefish, cod, salmon, lobster, seafood or chicken pasta.
Chenin Blanc
Lobster, shrimp, sushi, grilled trout.
Pinot Grigio
Grilled chicken, pasta dishes.
Riesling
Pork loin, smoked salmon, sushi.
Sauvignon Blanc
Shellfish, fish, sushi.
Sparkling Wine
Lobster, fresh oysters, gravlax, caviar.

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Red Wines

Cabernet and Bordeaux
New York Strip, Porterhouse, Rib eye steak, beef tenderloin, leg or rack of lamb.
Grenache
Grilled meat, poultry and vegetables.
Merlot
Beef, grilled top sirloin, grilled or roasted chicken, and venison.
Pinot Noir
Tuna, Salmon, roast chicken goose or roast duck.
Sangiovese
Pasta, risotto, roast chicken or pork, pizza.
Syrahs/Shiraz
Beef, grilled or roasted, venison.
Zinfandel
Burgers, pot roast, grilled chicken and vegetables.

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