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
Lagrein & Food Pairings
Lagrein pairs best with Speck, Venison Stew, Braised Veal Cheek, Flank Steak, Porchetta, Shepherd's Pie, Philly Cheesesteak, and Greek Lamb Gyros. Lagrein is an Italian red wine grown in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of [...]
Lamb Gyro & Wine Pairing
If your Lamb Gyro isn't drowning in Tzatziki sauce, inexpensive and fruit-forward red wines, such as Zinfandel, Agiorgitiko, Lambrusco, Côtes du Rhône and Lagrein pair up best. Red wines with acidity are a must [...]
Duck à l’Orange & Wine Pairing
For White wine, the best wines to pair with Duck à L'Orange are Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sparkling Wine. For red wine, Merlot, Zinfandel, a Morgon Beaujolais Cru, Pinot Noir [...]
Lamb Tagine & Wine Pairing
Dry, bright and fruity red wines such as Dolcetto, Zinfandel, Valpolicella Classico, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Carménère pair best with Lamb Tagine. Lamb Tagine is a Moroccan stew consisting of lamb, spices, fruits seeds/nuts, and vegetables [...]
Côte Rôtie & Food Pairing
Côte Rôtie is a French Syrah/Viognier blend that pairs best with Cassoulet, Beef Brisket, Venison, Duck, Beef Stroganoff, Lamb, and Rabbit. The smoky and spicy aromas of bacon fat, coffee, earth, herbs, leather, white [...]
Chili & Wine Pairing
If your Chili is spicy, stick to a fruity and low alcohol red wine like Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Low alcohol wines are essential with spicy chili as high alcohol wines will make the [...]
Gumbo & Wine Pairing
Gumbo pairs best with an off-dry Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, or Pinot Gris. Stick to white wines that are somewhat off-dry and low in alcohol if your Gumbo is spicy. If red wine is [...]
Dolcetto & Food Pairings
Italian Dolcetto is a medium-bodied red wine with a dry tannic bite and a splash of acidity that makes it perfect with Spaghetti and Meatballs, Pasta Bolognese, Baked Ziti, Veal Marsala, Bruschetta, Lasagna, and [...]
Pizza Rolls & Wine Pairing
Pizza Rolls require acidic red wines, which are light and fruity such as Barbera, Chianti Classico, Beaujolais, or Lambrusco, to not clash with the tomato sauce in the pizza rolls. Sparkling wines with a [...]
Baco Noir & Food Pairings
Baco Noir is an earthy and fruity red wine that pairs best with hamburgers, pizza, lasagna, meatloaf, baked beans, chili, lamb kebabs, spare ribs, Tandoori chicken, and ratatouille. While not a popular wine (at [...]
Pad Thai & Wine Pairing
The best wines to pair with Pad Thai are Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner, Beaujolais and Prosecco. Pad Thai is a slightly sweet and mildly spicy noodle dish that frequently includes shrimp, chicken, tofu, chopped [...]
Vin Santo & Food Pairing
Sweet versions of Vin Santo pair best with biscotti, ginger desserts, cupcakes, tiramisu, dark chocolate and pumpkin pie. Vin Santo comes in several styles, but the most popular is an ambered coloured Italian dessert [...]