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

Charcuterie & Best Wine Pairings

September 3, 2021|

Crisp white wines like Pinto Grigio, Riesling, Prosecco, and Rosé, as well as lighter red wines like Barbera, Lambrusco, and Beaujolais, pair best with Charcuterie. The high acidity in these wines washes away the [...]

Tandoori Chicken & Food Pairing

August 30, 2021|

Red wines that are fruit-forward, earthy and smoky, such as Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Beaujolais, or Zinfandel, pair best with the roasted and earthy flavours of Tandoori Chicken. Meanwhile, off-dry but acidic whites like Riesling or [...]

Ceviche & Wine Pairings

August 28, 2021|

Ceviche is a seafood meal made with fresh raw fish or shellfish that has been cured in citrus juices and seasoned with ají, chilli peppers, salt, coriander, or minced onions. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Albariño, [...]

French Onion Soup & Wine Pairing

August 27, 2021|

Acidic, earthy and medium-bodied red wines like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Barbera, and Côtes du Rhône pair best with French Onion Soup.  For white wine, Chardonnay, Viognier, or Pinot Gris are excellent with French Onion [...]

Australian Shiraz & Food Pairings

August 22, 2021|

Australian Shiraz pairs best with grilled or roasted meaty dishes such as Hamburgers, Roast Beef, Steak, Lamb, Venison, Wild Boar.  Notes of jammy fruit, dark chocolate, spice, smoke and black pepper dominate the nose of [...]

Cabernet Sauvignon & Food Pairings

August 21, 2021|

Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied red wine packed with tannin and pairs best with meaty dishes like steak, venison stew, roast beef, ostrich, squab, roasted lamb and duck. With aged Cabernet Sauvignon, the tannins [...]

Pinot Noir & Food Pairings

August 20, 2021|

Pinot Noir pairs best with dishes with a hint of earthiness such as Veal Marsala, Mushroom Pasta, Grilled Salmon, Shepherd's Pie, Beef Wellington and Lamb Chops.  Pinot Noir is a light, acidic and fruity red [...]

Zinfandel & Food Pairings

August 19, 2021|

A fruity and medium-bodied Zinfandel pairs best with rich and robust foods like grilled Hamburgers, BBQ Ribs, Chinese Takeout, Liver and Onions, Baked Beans, Roasted Lamb and Pulled Pork.  Zinfandel is a rich red wine [...]

Oaked Chardonnay & Food Pairings

August 18, 2021|

Oaked Chardonnay pairs best with lighter meats and buttery dishes such as Crab Legs, Corn on the Cob, Chicken Alfredo, Grilled Shrimp, Seafood, Fish and Pork Tenderloin. An oaked Chardonnay is a full-bodied white [...]

Penne alla Vodka & Wine Pairings

August 17, 2021|

Penne alla Vodka pairs best with fruity and acidic red wines such as Barbera, Chianti Classico, Primitivo and Beaujolais Villages.  For white wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Soave Classico make for excellent pairings with Penne [...]

Cabernet Franc & Food Pairing

August 16, 2021|

Cabernet Franc pairs best with heavier vegetarian fare such as vegetarian lasagna, meatless chilli, lentil soup, grilled vegetable sandwiches and Mediterranean Pizza topped with goat cheese, broccoli, olives and fire-roasted red peppers.  Cabernet Franc is [...]