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
Tempranillo & Food Pairing
Tempranillo pairs best with Spanish Tapas, Chorizo, Lamb, Duck and Steak. Featuring aromas of cassis, plum, black cherry, tobacco, mocha and caramel, Tempranillo is a meat lover's dream. Tempranillo pairing also comes with some [...]
Best Wine with Dover Sole
The best wines to pair with Sole are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Albariño. Dover sole is a low-fat fish with a firm texture and a delicate flavour. Dover Sole does not taste fishy, [...]
Rosso Conero & Food Pairing
Rosso Conero is loaded with dark fruit and herbal flavours, making it a fantastic wine pairing with grilled steak, meaty stews, beef brisket, meatloaf and beef tacos. Rosso Conero DOC is a wine appellation [...]
Aglianico & Food Pairings
Aglianico is a full-bodied red wine that pairs best with flavourful dishes such as Beef Brisket, Osso Bucco, Oxtail, Spicy Sausages and Duck Confit. High in both tannin and acidity, Aglianico features refreshing flavours of [...]
Eggplant Parmesan & Wine Pairing
Eggplant Parmesan pairs best with juicy and acidic red wines such as Primitivo, Barbera, Chianti, Valpolicella, and Zinfandel. For white wine pairings, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a glass of sparkling white wine will [...]
Best Food with Ripasso
Valpolicella Ripasso pairs best with Grilled Steak, Mushroom Risotto, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Duck, Braised Lamb, and Venison. If the dish is rich, gamey, earthy, or tomato sauce-based, Ripasso is an incredibly food-friendly wine to pair [...]
Best Wine with Duck Confit
Rich red wines such as Barolo, Cahors, Rioja, Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon pair best with Duck Confit. Gusty rich wines are a must, as Duck Confit is full of flavour and may overwhelm delicate [...]
Caprese Salad & Wine Pairing
Caprese Salad pairs best with acidic white wines such as Falanghina, Fiano di Avellino, Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, and Gavi. Prosecco, dry Rosé, Beaujolais and Chianti are also excellent wine pairings with Caprese Salad. Caprese [...]
Cornas & Food Pairing
Cornas is a full-bodied red wine from France that pairs best with Lamb, Duck, Cassoulet, Grilled Venison and Wild Boar Sausages. Made entirely from Syrah, Cornas is fruity with cassis, cherry and raspberry, along [...]
Cahors & Food Pairing
Cahors pairs best with Cassoulet, duck confit, braised rabbit, sausage, grilled venison and lamb chops. Originating from Cahors, France, Cahors is a full-bodied Malbec that is sometimes blended with Merlot and/or Tannat. It's the [...]
Brunello di Montalcino & Food Pairing
Brunello di Montalcino pairs best with hearty meat dishes such as Tuscan steak, beef stroganoff, oxtail, beef wellington, or game prepared in a mushroom sauce. Brunello di Montalcino is also excellent with rich stews, heavy [...]
Côtes du Rhône & Food Pairing
Côtes du Rhône pairs best with braised beef, liver and onions, roast pig, cold cut sandwiches, lamb chops, pizza and roasted chicken. Medium-bodied and fruity, Côtes du Rhône has a subtle earthy quality that makes [...]