Thursday, July 19, 2007

Wine pairings in a nut shell

BBQ Foods - Zin simpler, fruity and quaffable wines: Zinfandel is a natural match, a quintessentially American wine with a traditional American food. Other good barbecue choices include Petite Sirah and Beaujolais, either the French original or the U.S. Gamay which is a grows very will in the Hudson Valley.

Beef - Roast beef and steaks call for a dry, tannic red wine: Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots; Rhones or Syrah/Shiraz; and Northern Italian reds from Piemonte (Barolo, Barbaresco) to Tuscany (Chianti, Brunello).

Chicken -Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Riesling. chicken dishes, consider the sauce and the preparation as keys to the match: Light chicken-breast sautees or cream sauces may tilt the equation toward a white. Tomatoey, cheesy entrees like chicken cacciatore and its

Pasta If it's a traditional Southern Italian dish with a tangy red tomato sauce, then you can't beat the dry Italian red wines - Chianti, of course, but also Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Salice Salentino and many more. If it's a cheese sauce like Fettuccine Alfredo, consider Chardonnay.
And if it's a seafood sauce without tomatoes, a dry, crisp white should be your choice - Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé Blanc), or a fruity Italian white like Vernaccia, Orvieto, Soave, Frascati and many more.

Pork Richer whites, like most Chardonnays and Pinot Blanc, go well with lighter meats like pork (as well as chicken and veal). A rich White Burgundy (Chardonnay) makes a natural match, or an Alsatian Riesling or Gewurztraminer; but a light red like Beaujolais or even a lighter-styled Pinot Noir is also fine.

Vegetarian entrees are a little harder to match with wine, but as a "red with red" kind of generalization, try matching red wines with heartier fare like bean dishes, enchiladas, etc., while reserving the lighter whites for dishes based on green vegetables

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