Rosé & Food Pairing

Rosé wine pairs well with Tuna Steak, Ham, Garden Salads, Sushi, Hot Dogs and Salmon Sandwiches.  Rosé will pair well with nearly any food as it is incredibly versatile and refreshing.  With crisp flavours of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and citrus, Rosé will keep you invigorated throughout your meal.

Rosé wine is made from red wine grapes, and the type of grape will dictate the style of Rosé.  For example, Rosé made from Grenache, Sangiovese and Pinot Noir tends to be dry, lean and fruity. Meanwhile, Rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Syrah are savoury, dry and rich.  If your Rosé is made from Zinfandel, it will most likely be sweet.

All food pairings below are generalized for Rosé, made in a dry easy-going style.

Best Food with Rosé

Tuna Steak & Rosé Pairing

Grilled tuna has a soft meaty texture with mild and delicate flavours. Tuna does not have a strong fishy taste but can taste a little briny.  If I’m enjoying a Tuna Steak, I usually have it on a sunny patio, where a brisk and acidic glass of Rosé is a welcomed distraction.

Rosé is a perfect pairing with Tuna Steak as the wine’s soft strawberry, cherry and raspberry flavours do not overwhelm the delicate flavours of your Tuna Steak.  You’ll also find flavours of white pepper and herbs in Rosé, which add an extra bit of flavour to the mix, livening up your Tuna Steak.

Finally, Rosé has medium to high acidity, which amplifies the mild flavours of your Tuna Steak, making them taste even more delicious.

Ham & Rosé Pairing

Rosé is one of the best wines to bring to a Ham dinner at Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter, as Rosé is such a food-friendly wine.  Ham is savoury, salty and slightly sweet, and the cherry, strawberry and citrus flavours of Rosé provide a refreshing contrast without distracting you from the ham flavours.

Not only does Rosé pair up well with Ham, it will go great with many of the sides, including glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, Caesar salad and dinner rolls.  Rosé pairs well with these foods as the wine is acidic, and acidity brings out the best the flavours we love.

Garden Salad & Rosé Pairing

Rosé will pair well with nearly any salad, but my favourite Salad with Rosé is a mixed green garden salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  Rosé, with its bright notes of raspberry, strawberry and cherry, complements the raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  Meanwhile, you’ll get lovely notes of herbs, white pepper and grapefruit, which add extra excitement to the dish.

Rosé is high in acidity, so it’s going to make any leafy greens, chopped veggies and extra in your salad, such as mushrooms, bell peppers, dried cranberries, sliced egg, spinach and shredded carrots, taste even more flavourful.

Hot Dogs & Rosé Pairing

Hot Dogs make a great pairing with Rosé as this crisp and fun wine will go great with any topping you add to your Hot Dog.  Whether it’s ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, onions, relish or pickles, Rosé will be right at home with your dog.

Hot Dogs pack a lot of flavour, and Rosé can hold its own against the meaty and bready flavours of your Hot Dog.  Hot Dogs are also salty, and Rosé provides a lot of refreshment as it soothes your taste buds of all the fat, salt and carbohydrates clinging to your tongue.  Rosé is a thirst-quenching wine!

I love Hot Dogs, but I always hated the aftertaste, which always reminds me that I’ve eaten a heavily processed food that was made in a factory.  A glass of Rosé drowns out those weird preservative flavours of Hot Dogs that I dislike and blesses me with some refreshing flavours of cherry, strawberry and citrus instead.

Salmon Sandwiches & Rosé Pairing

Rosé is the perfect wine for picnics or ladies banquets, such as a bridal party, where small quartered and crust-free Salmon Sandwiches are enjoyed.  Rosé, with it being so fresh, and enjoyed chilled, is best in Spring and Summer with warm weather.  Furthermore, if you want to add even more fun to a ladies event, consider a sparkling Rosé.

In North America, women are much more adventurous with drinking Rosé than men.  I worked in the fine dining industry for 30 years, and I only met one man who was comfortable enough to be seen drinking a pink drink (and he was only drinking it as he owned the winery from where the Rosé was produced).  To be fair to men, Rosé in North America tends to be heavily marketed as sweet and girly.

Returning to Salmon sandwiches, Rosé goes well with Salmon as the fruity flavours of the wine provide a pleasant contrast between the creamy and subtle fish flavours Salmon serves up.

Salmon is a fatty fish, and most people add mayonnaise to their Salmon sandwich mix, making it even more fatty.  Fat, while delicious, also clog up your taste buds and can drown out flavours as you continue to eat. With Rosé, you’ll never have this problem as the high acidity of the wine scrubs your taste buds clean and ensures each bite tastes fresh.