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
Lamb & Wine Pairing
Heavier Lamb dishes pair best with full-bodied wines such as Bordeaux, Syrah, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. Meanwhile, Spring Lamb served pink pairs best with lighter wines like Pinot Noir and Beaujolais Cru.For [...]
Chicken Piccata & Wine Pairing
The best Chicken Piccata Wine Pairings are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sparkling wine and Rosé. Acidity is a must when pairing wine with Chicken Piccata, as you'll need a bright wine to hold [...]
Quesadilla and Wine Pairing
The best wines to pair with Quesadillas are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Rosé and Malbec. Oaked white wines that have flavours of smoke, toast, vanilla and nuts pair well with the burnt edges of [...]
Beef Bourguignon & Wine Pairings
Beef Bourguignon pairs best with earthy and fruity red wines such as Burgundy, Barolo, Gigondas, Zinfandel and Côtes du Rhône. Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish that features beef stewed in red wine, [...]
Crème Brûlée & Wine Pairing
Crème Brûlée pairs best with sweet dessert style wines such as Sauternes, Tawny Port, Banyuls and Late Harvest Riesling. Crème Brûlée is a French dessert that is served in an individual ramekin. Inside you [...]
BLT Sandwich and Wine Pairings
Acidic and fruity red wines like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico and Zinfandel pair best with a Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich (BLT). Meanwhile, flavourful whites like Chardonnay, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner are just as [...]
French Toast and Wine Pairing
The best wine to pair with French Toast is Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, Riesling, and Moscato d'Asti. The eggy flavours of French Toast, along with the notes of butter, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg, [...]
Best Wine with Bacon
The best red and white wines to pair with bacon are Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Syrah and Pinot Gris. Sparkling wine like Prosecco and Cava, along with Rosé make for exceptional pairings with Bacon [...]
Baklava & Wine Pairing
Baklava is a sweet dessert that has layers of filo pastry, chopped nuts, spices and a syrup or honey glaze. The best wines to pair with Baklava are sweet wines with a fruitiness or nuttiness, [...]
Mushroom Risotto & Wine Pairing
Earthy medium-bodied red wines, such as Pinot Noir, Barbera, Ripasso Valpolicella, and Barbaresco, pair best with Mushroom Risotto due to their rustic and complementary flavours. Meanwhile, full-bodied whites like Chardonnay complement the creamy texture [...]
Fish & Chips and Wine Pairing
Crisp wines with citrus flavours, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay and Riesling, are excellent with Fish and Chips. In addition, Sparkling Wine and Dry Rosé are lovely with Fish and Chips as [...]
Chimichanga and Wine Pairing
The best wines to pair with Chimichangas are fresh and fruity red wines such as Rioja, Chianti, and Beaujolais. For white wine, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer pair best with a Chimichanga. Rosé, a [...]