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
Meatloaf & Wine Pairing
Medium-bodied versions of red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz pair best with Meatloaf, as they are loaded with plenty of tannin to harmonize with this classic comfort food. The meaty flavours of the [...]
Beaujolais Villages & Food Pairing
Beaujolais Villages pairs best with lighter fare, such as Hamburgers, Turkey Sandwiches, Chicken Wings, Lazy Brunch Buffets, Picnic Potlucks, Pad Tai and Sausage on a bun. Beaujolais Villages is a light red wine from [...]
Chicken Fried Steak & Wine Pairing
Chicken Fried Steak pairs best fruity red wines with ample acidity, such as Baco Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Beaujolais Villages. A peppery Syrah from the Rhône Valley of France also makes for a [...]
Shrimp Scampi & Wine Pairing
Citrusy whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, Muscadet, and Fiano pair best with Shrimp Scampi, along with Pinot Grigio, Sparkling Wine or Manzanilla Sherry, which offer their own strengths. The citrusy notes of the white wine help [...]
Primitivo & Food Pairing
Primitivo pairs best with Grilled Vegetable Pasta, Pizza Rustica, Spaghetti Bolognese, Pasta Puttanesca, Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Cacciatore, and Lamb Curry. The low tannin and medium acidity, along with the easy-going nature of Primitivo, makes [...]
Pasta Puttanesca & Wine Pairing
Pasta Puttanesca pairs best acidic and earthy notes red wines like Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico, Primitivo, Beaujolais Cru, Barbera and Nero d'Avola. Loaded with garlic, olives, anchovies, crushed red peppers, tomatoes and capers, Spaghetti [...]
Salmon Burgers & Wine Pairing
Salmon Burgers pair best with citrusy and crisp white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, an Unoaked Chardonnay, or Riesling. For red wine with a Salmon Burger, you won't find anything better than a Pinot [...]
Pepperoni Pizza & Wine Pairing
Pepperoni Pizza requires medium-bodied but acidic red wines to hold up to the strong spicy and fatty flavours of Pepperoni, such as Merlot, Chianti, Baco Noir, Cabernet Franc, Barbera and Menica. Best Wine with [...]
Osso Buco & Wine Pairing
Rich and earthy red wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Super Tuscan, Lagrein, Malbec, Côte Rôtie and Châteauneuf du Pape pair best with the braised meaty flavours of Osso Buco. Osso Buco is either veal [...]
Chicken Cacciatore & Wine Pairing
Fruity and earthy red wines with plenty of acidity, such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Barbera, Primitivo and Merlot are the best wine pairings with Chicken Cacciatore. Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional [...]
Trout & Wine Pairing
Rainbow Trout has a delicate herbaceous quality that pairs best with crisp white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chablis. Rainbow Trout has low to moderate fat levels depending on whether it is [...]
Philly Cheesesteak & Wine Pairing
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches pair best with fruity red wines, such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Lagrein, Beaujolais, or Shiraz. For white wine, I'd suggest a dry Riesling or a bubbly sparkling wine like Prosecco, which [...]