Let’s Entertain Wine & Food Pairings: A Short Primer Pairing wine with food is more poetry than science. The old pairing rule – drink red wine with meat and white wine with fish and poultry – is no longer tried and true. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing wines to accompany food, but certain wine selections complement certain dishes better than others. Beef Roast An ideal partner for fine red wines of almost any kind but particularly full-bodied wines like Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux. Chicken or Turkey Roast Virtually any wine accompanies these white meats, but Pinot Noir is probably the best red wine choice. Fruity whites such as Riesling and Pinot Grigio also pair well. Pork Roast Roast pork without sauce or stuffing is a good neutral background for a good white or red wine. Alsatian white varietals such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer or a red such as Pinot Noir are good choices. If the dish is accompanied by a hearty sauce, Bordeaux is a nice choice. Ham If serving glazed, try a German Riesling. If it’s roasted without a sweet glaze, then try a young red Burgundy (such as Volnay, Savigny or Beaune) or a domestic Pinot Noir or Chianti. Steaks Au poivre demands a spicy Australian Shiraz Rhône wine like Hermitage. With filet mignon or tournedos, reds like Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz or full-throttle Zinfandels are best. Grilled T-bone goes well with reds such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Zinfandel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon. Salmon Fine white Burgundy such as Puligny or Chassagne Montrachet, Meursault, Corton Charlemagne, Chablis Grand Cru, Chardonnay from Carneros and Sonoma. For reds, Pinot Noir is an excellent choice here, particularly from Oregon, California or Burgundy. Learn more about wine and food pairings on our website at LiquorandWineOutlets.com or speak with the knowledgeable staff at your local New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet. Lobster or Crab With a seafood salad, try a nonvintage Champagne, Alsatian Riesling or Chablis Premier Cru. With richly sauced lobster or crab, vintage Champagne, fine white Burgundy, Cru Classé white from Graves, Chardonnay from Carneros, Santa Barbara or New Zealand, Rheinpfalz Riesling Spätlese or Hermitage Blanc. Cheese For wine and cheese pairings, see The Wine Connoissuer article on page 10. 40 | celebrate NH • march 2o12
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