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
Muscadet & Food Pairing
Muscadet pairs best with clams, chicken, grilled fish, goat cheese, mussels and oysters. Muscadet is a light white wine which is dry, crisp and refreshing. Muscadet should be drunk while it's young. When it [...]
Pecan Pie & Wine Pairing
Pecan pie pairs best with sweeter fortified or dessert-styled wines such as Marsala, Vin Santo, Tawny Port, Oloroso Sherry and Muscat De Beumes De Venise. Best Wine with Pecan Pie Marsala & Pecan Pie [...]
Chili Dogs & Wine Pairing
Chili dogs pair best with light to medium-bodied reds such as Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Malbec and Rosé. With their savoury, spicy, and satisfying flavours, Chilii dogs are a classic staple at ball games, fairs, [...]
White Vacqueyras & Food Pairing
White Vacqueyras pairs best with grilled seafood and shellfish dishes, along with lighter meat dishes like chicken satay, pork tenderloin medallions stuffed with dried fruit and veal chops. White Vacqueyras is a wine from [...]
Tuna Steak & Wine Pairing
Tuna Steak pairs best with Rosé, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Grenache Blanc and Pinot Gris. Even though Tuna Steak is meaty and full of protein, it is low in fat. Thus, strong red wines will [...]
Swordfish & Wine Pairing
Swordfish steak or grilled Swordfish pairs best with full-bodied white wines like Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc. Meanwhile, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Chianti Classico, or a Rosé are also great choices, especially if Swordfish is served with [...]
Torrontés & Food Pairing
Torrontés is an excellent match with spicy Indian, Asian, and Thai Cuisine. Coconut Curry, Teriyaki Seitan, Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Satay, Thai Spice Peanut Dishes, or anything that contains chicken, fish, shrimp, and tofu will [...]
Chicken Satay & Wine Pairings
Chicken Satay pairs best with an off-dry Riesling, Riesling, Torrontés, Grenache Blanc, Est! Est!! Est!!! Di Montefiascone or a Rosé. If you are in the mood for red wine, Rioja Crianza pairs best with Chicken [...]
Grenache Blanc & Food Pairing
Grenache Blanc pairs best with grilled tuna steaks, swordfish, grilled snapper, and mahi mahi. Grenache Blanc's creamy texture also complements creamy lighter-fare such as butter chicken, chicken satay, pasta with Seafood in a white [...]
Pulled Pork & Wine Pairing
Pulled pork pairs best with easy-drinking red wines such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinotage and Zinfandel. If you're in the mood for a white wine, choose a crisp and refreshing white wine such as [...]
Mac and Cheese & Wine Pairings
The best wines to pair with Macaroni and Cheese are Chardonnay, Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, or a dry Rosé. I much prefer white wines with Macaroni and Cheese when it's on its own, as [...]
Duck & Wine Pairing
Duck pairs best with fruity red wines such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Cru, Bordeaux, Merlot and Amarone. White wines, such as spicy Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, or sweet Sauternes, are also excellent with [...]