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
Rioja & Food Pairing
Rioja is a medium-bodied Spanish red wine that pairs up best with tapas, hamburgers, stews, pork, lamb and chorizo. When buying a Rioja, you have the option of a young and tart Rioja or [...]
Jambalaya & Wine Pairing
Jambalaya is a traditional Louisiana cuisine that offers a delectable combination of sausage, beef/chicken/seafood, rice, onions, and bell peppers. As a result, you'll have a rich and flavorful dish with everything you might want [...]
Banyuls Dessert Wine & Food Pairing
Banyuls pairs best with chocolate, berries, coffee, creamy desserts and fruity desserts. Banyuls Rouge AOC is a sweet red wine with a luxurious velvety texture produced in France's Roussillon region. Banyuls is similar to Port [...]
Coq Au Vin & Wine Pairing
Lighter to Medium-bodied and earthier red wines, such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Vinsobres, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Beaujolais Villages, or a Côte du Rhône pair best with Coq Au Vin. Coq Au Vin translates to Rooster in Wine, however, [...]
Chablis & Food Pairing
Chablis pairs best with bright and clean flavoured dishes such as Oysters, Goat Cheese, Cauliflower Soup, Smoked Trout, Pork Tenderloin, Grouper, and Sushi. Chablis is an unoaked (or lightly oaked) Chardonnay from France that [...]
Ribeye Steak & Wine Pairing
Ribeye steak is the juiciest and fattiest cut of steak and requires full-bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo, Merlot and Syrah. Younger versions of these wines, which feature harsh tannin, are [...]
Soave Classico & Food Pairing
Soave Classico is a lean and dry white wine from Veneto Italy featuring notes of peach, melon, pear, saline/minerals and chamomile. Soave Classico pairs best with Roast Chicken, Focaccia, Shellfish, Asparagus, Veal Scaloppini, Cannelloni, [...]
Gnocchi & Wine Pairing
Gnocchi in tomato sauce calls for crisp and light white wines like Pinot Grigio, Fiano, and Pecorino. Acidic red wines such as Chianti, Nero d'Avola, or Barbera are also excellent with Gnocchi in a [...]
Nero d’Avola & Food Pairing
Nero d'Avola is a full-bodied, dry red wine from Sicily that pairs best with lasagna, meatballs, pizza, red meat and lamb tagine. Known for its bold black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and plum flavours, Nero [...]
Beef Stroganoff & Wine Pairing
Beef Stroganoff pairs best with heavier red wines that feature hints of earth, herbs and smoke such as Syrah, Nero d'Avola, Barolo, Bordeaux, and Brunello di Montalcino. Beef Stroganoff is a delicious beef dish served [...]
Tilapia & Wine Pairing
Tilapia is a lean white fish that pairs best with clean and crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Chablis, Pinot Grigio and Sparkling Wine. Most of the Tilapia you see is raised [...]
Sauvignon Blanc & Food Pairings
Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp and herbaceous white wine that pairs best with anything light and/or herbily, such as chicken, pork, fish, shellfish, ceviche, asparagus, focaccia, salad, bruschetta, cheese and vegetarian cuisine. With Sauvignon [...]