Food and Wine Pairing - Just the Basics

The following suggestions are general guidelines for food and wine pairings. The first rule is drink what you like! The second rule is choose a wine that won’t get overpowered by the flavors of the food. But, if you’re looking for some help, here are some general pairing suggestions:

  • Sparkling wines work well with most any food 

  • Pork and chicken dishes work well with most white wines

  • Carb-based meals (pasta, potatoe, rice) work well with acidic wines, like Sauvignon Blanc (white), Pinot Noir or Barbera (reds)

  • Spicy dishes generally pair well with fruitier, sweeter wines (Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gamay Beaujolais, Carménère)

  • Rich or fatty dishes can benefit from either a high acid wine such as a Pinot Noir or an oaked Chardonnay that will complement the flavors

  • Red meats that are well-marbleized with fat, work well with higher tannin wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Tannat

Some Further Specifics:

  • Brunches

    • Egg dishes, Quiche: Sparkling Wine, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio

  • Poultry

    • Un-Seasoned Grilled Chicken: Sauvignon Blanc, Un-oaked Chardonnay

    • Chicken with Barbecue Sauce: Zinfandel

    • Spicy Asian Chicken: Grüner Veltliner

    • Turkey: Most white wines, Pinot Nor and Zinfandel

  • Red Meats

    • Steaks: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfancel, Merlot

    • Hamburgers: Most red wines

    • BBQ Beef Ribs: Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel

  • Seafood

  • Mild White Fish: Pinot Grigio, Viognior, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

  • Medium Fish (trout, snapper, grouper, or halibut): Un-oaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir

  • Bolder Fish (salmon, swordfish and tuna): Pinot Noir

  • Lobster: Sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc

  • Crab: Oaked Chardonnay

The bottom-line is back to rule number one - drink what you like! But, hopefully these suggestions will help if you’re in a quandary. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc

2017 Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc ($34)

Vitis Ridge is currently owned and operated by Chris & Sharon Deckelmann.  What started as a hobby in their garage over 20 years ago has evolved into one of the North Willamette Valley's most popular wineries. Vitis Ridge is part of the Cascade Foothills Winegrowers, a consortium of wineries on the East side of the Willamette Valley.

Established in 2005, Vitis Ridge is a boutique Oregon winery producing about 3,000 cases annually. They focus on unique wines and specialty blends and are currently offering 30 varietals.

Their Estate vineyards are comprised of nearly 150 acres and include Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Muscat.  They also bring in grapes from vineyards throughout the Northwest to provide a broader range of offerings and interesting terrior differences.

This Vitis Ridge Cabernet Franc is sourced from Washington’s Yakima Valley. It it deep purple in color with notes of red fruit and spices. On the palate it is rich with intense flavors of red fruit (raspberry), blueberry and black plum with the distinct Cabernet Franc spicy, peppery notes.

This wine is excellent and a great value, too! Vitis Ridge always keeps their prices affordable so you can open the bottle you want to drink anytime...not just for the special event. That makes this Vitis Ridge Viognier a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week!

Next time you are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, stop in at Vitis Ridge and meet their Tasting Room Manager, Brian Everest, to check out all their great wines. Cheers!

Disclosure: This wine was purchased directly from Vitas Ridge. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Organic Wines of Veramonte

In anticipation of Earth Day 2023 on April 22nd, here’s a great trio of organic, vegan wines to celebrate with!

The wines from Veramonte are from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. Veramonte follows organic practices in all their vineyards to ensure the best conditions for the development of the vine thus achieving vineyards that are sustainable. Through cultivating healthy, living soils and maintaining a natural balance in their vineyards and winemaking process, Veramonte obtains quality grapes that express the full potential of the terroir, leading to wines with character and authenticity.

2020 Veramonte Pinot Noir ($13.99)

Produced from 100% Organic Pinot Noir, 15% of the grapes underwent whole cluster maceration and fermentation with natural yeasts. It then spent 8 months aging in oak. It is pale ruby in color with red fruit aromas of raspberry and cherry. One the palate it has juicy fruit flavors of cherry and cranberry and finishes light. (13.5% ABV, 1.3 g/L RS, 5.8 g/L acidity)

2022 Veramonte Chardonnay ($13.99)

Produced from 100% Organic Chardonnay, the grapes are whole cluster pressed and sit for 24 hours before being racked off. Part of the wine is barrel fermented in neutral oak with wild yeasts while the rest is fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain its bright flavors. Then, 30% of the wine undergoes malolactic conversion. Finally, 15% of the wine is aged in neutral oak for 8 months. It is medium gold in color with citrus and apple aromas. On the palate it is bright and refreshing. (14% ABV, 3.33 g/L RS, 7.35 g/L acidity)

2022 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc ($13.99)

This wine is composed of 100% Organic Sauvignon Blanc grapes that are fermented in stainless steel tanks. It is medium gold in color with subtle citrus aromas. On the palate it has bright citrus flavors of grapefruit and lime with a refreshing finish. (13.5% ABV, 0.78 g/L RS, 7.73 g/L acidity)

Each of these sustainably-made wines is organic and vegan which make them not only a perfect fit for Earth Day 2023 but also most any day that you’re looking for an affordable wine that pairs well with a variety of foods. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Veramonte Wines, González Byass (via Donna White Communications)

Ever Wonder? What is Wine Body?

The wine world will refer to a wine’s body, saying things like the wine is light-bodied, medium-bodied or full-bodied. And, while describing a wine’s body is common, it is not always well understood. So, what does wine body mean exactly and why should you care?

To sum it up in a few words, a wine’s body is a description of how bold or rich the wine tastes. And, this “simple” term is really associated with several characteristics of the wine:

  • The Grape Variety Used in the Wine - Grape varieties produce different bodied wines (see the examples below).

  • The Climate Where the Grapes are Grown: Typically, grapes grown in warm climates produce more full-bodied wines. These warm climates allow the grapes to become well-ripened, which means lots of natural sugar in the grapes.

  • Alcohol Level: The amount of sugar in a ripe grape is directly related to the level of alcohol produced during fermentation. Usually, wines with 14% alcohol or higher are described as more full-bodied.

  • Residual Sugar: Sugar that remains in a wine after fermentation can increase the body of a wine without actually tasting sweet. Residual Sugar (RS) levels in ‘dry’ wines are typically 1 - 10 grams per Liter (g/L).

  • Oak Aging: Wines that are aged in oak are typically more full-bodied. But, this depends on the type of oak used (new, used or neutral) and the amount of time the wine is aged in oak.

A Few Examples:

  • Light Bodied-White Wines - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Albariño, Grenache Blanc, Vinho Verde and un-oaked Chardonnay.

  • Light-Bodied Red Wines - Rosé (yes, rosé is a red wine!), Gamay, Beaujolais Nouveau

  • Medium-Bodied White Wines - Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Sémillon, Viognier and Chardonnay

  • Medium-Bodied Red Wines - Pinot Noir, Grenache, Carménère, Carignan, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Rhône Blends of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre (GSM), Merlot, Zinfandel

  • Full-Bodied White Wines - Chardonnay that is oaked and undergone Malolactic Conversion, Marsanne, Russane, Chenin Blanc

  • Full-Bodied Red Wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Petite Verdot, Tannat

Finally, understanding wine’s body is important to knowing how to pair wines with specific foods. We’ll get to that next time. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Trivento Malbec

2021 Trivento Malbec ($11)

On April 17, wine lovers around the world will celebrate Malbec World Day, an international tribute to Argentinian Malbec. At Bodega Trivento, this day honors the rich history of Mendoza as well as looks forward to pioneering the future of sustainable winemaking.

 Trivento is the largest B Corp certified company in the Argentinian agricultural sector and Argentina’s #1 wine brand worldwide.

One of only five certified B Corp wineries in Argentina, Trivento adheres to rigorous business, social and environmental standards within its operations, supply chain and community—a triple-impact model that is a rarity and triumph for a brand operating at this scale. The winery’s commitment to the people and land of Mendoza makes it a shining example of what the region has to offer.

This Trivento wine is produced from 100% Malbec. Half of the grapes come from the Uco Valley while the other half are from Luján and Maipú, Mendoza. It spends 20 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks and 4 days of post-fermentation maceration. It then undergoes natural malolactic fermentation followed by aging for 6 months in French and American oak barrels. It is medium-purple in color with aromas of dark red fruit and plum with some herbal hints. On the palate, this full-bodied Malbec has flavors of red fruit (raspberry and cherry) along with black fruit flavor of plum and blackberry.

This Vegan-certified Trivento Reserve Malbec is perfect for celebrating Malbec World Day on April 17th and a great value that fits right in as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Bodega Trivento via Jarvis Communications