Welcome to Drink & Pair where I write articles about food and wine pairings. Most of my content is directed to those new at drinking wine and thus I try to keep my pairings simple, while still going into enough detail as to why that food and wine pairing works.
The beautiful thing about Food and Wine Pairing is that it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. With Drink & Pair, my goal has always been to keep it simple, while dropping enough hints to allow you to get more in-depth with your pairings if you wish. I do this by writing blogs that explain the more advanced nuances of Food and Wine Pairings, yet I offer tables with Food and Wine scores to keep it easy for those of you in a rush.
My blogs are from a North American view, with my most popular wine pairings being ham, chicken alfredo, filet mignon, turkey and roast beef.
I refuse to embrace Artificial Intelligence, and I assure you, all of my pairings do not use AI like I am seeing many other newer wine pairing websites use. This site and wine pairing database have been around in one form or anther since 2010 and has been built slowly over the years. Pairings have either been tried out by myself, with others in a restaurant/gathering, or heavily researched by consulting other sommeliers. (certain food allergies prevent me from trying every dish)
The food and wine pairing database above is a great tool to find an excellent wine pairing match. A 3.5 star match means the pairing is good, and your guests will enjoy it. Also at a 3.5, either the wine or food will taste better (or taste enhanced) in the company of one another, but not both. For example, at a 3.5 your burger loaded with ketchup and Dijon mustard might taste better with a Rioja Reserva, however, the wine’s flavour will not improve with this pairing.
A rating of 4 means we are starting to see the food and wine influence one another, and you’ll taste notable improvements for both when they are paired together
A 5 star ranking means the pairing is a Holy Grail and you are in for a meal you will never forget.
The matching tool does not specifically use branded wines, so you need to type in the type of wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Shiraz, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc). You can also use the filters at the bottom of the tool to narrow down your searches.
Latest Food & Wine Pairings
Prime Rib Roast & Wine Pairing
A Prime Rib dinner packs a lot of flavour and pairs best with bold red wines like Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel or a Super Tuscan. Prime Rib Roast is a tender and juicy cut [...]
Filet Mignon & Wine Pairing
With its tender buttery texture but subtle beefy flavours, Filet Mignon pairs best with red wines that showcase soft tannins such as mature Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Rioja Reserva. Filet Mignon [...]
Lamb Burgers & Wine Pairing
Medium-bodied red wines that are fruity, but earthy, pair best with Lamb Burgers, such as Chateauneuf du Pape, Shiraz, Baco Noir, Primitivo and Garnacha. Ground lamb that has been grilled isn't as gamey as [...]
Chicken Tikka Masala & Wine Pairing
Chicken Tikka Masala pairs best with wines that are high in acidity, have a kiss of sweetness, and are low in alcohol such as Riesling, Barbera, Lambrusco, Sparkling Rosé, Zinfandel. If your Chicken Tikka [...]
Lentil Soup & Wine Pairing
Lentil soup pairs best with medium-bodied reds with a touch of earthiness like Cabernet Franc, Chianti, Beaujolais Villages, or Syrah. For white wine, you'll want something full-bodied such as Chardonnay or Vouvray, to match [...]
Welsh Rarebit & Wine Pairing
Welsh Rarebit pairs best with the beer you made it with, along with sparkling wine, hard cider, Grenache, or a GSM red wine blend.Welsh Rarebit, also known as Welsh Rabbit, is a classic British dish [...]
Marsala & Food Pairing
Sweet Marsala pairs best with biscotti, cake, apple pie, dark chocolate, trail mix, tiramisu, and Zabaglione. Meanwhile, dry Marsala pairs best with almonds, anchovies, goat cheese, nuts, olives, asparagus, sardines, and smoked meat. Marsala [...]
Quiche & Wine Pairing
Quiche requires an acidic red or white wine to cut through the wall of flavours, such as Prosecco, Beaujolais Villages, Pinot Gris, Riesling or Vermentino. Quiche, is a delicious egg tart full of cheese, [...]
Garlic Bread & Wine Pairing
Garlic Bread's pungent and buttery flavours pair best with citrusy and acidic white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, or a Sparkling Wine. For red wine, I would suggest lighter reds such as [...]
Haggis & Wine Pairing
Haggis pairs best with a wide variety of red wines such as a Northern Rhone Syrah, Beaujolais Cru, Australian Shiraz, Ribera del Duero and Zinfandel. Peppery and smoky red wines complement the crumbly meat [...]
Butternut Squash Soup & Wine Pairing
Butternut Squash soup pairs up with dry and flavourful whites such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer & Riesling. Viognier and Chardonnay have a creamy texture, making this pair of white wines exceptional with a [...]
Porchetta & Wine Pairing
Porchetta is a versatile pork meat that pairs best with medium-bodied but fruity red wines such as Côtes du Rhône, Chianti, Barbera, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Low tannin, high acidity and low oak are [...]