The Most Food Friendly Wines
Don’t sweat the one perfect pairing, these bottles have max food flexibility
By Erin Henderson
If you google "perfect" or "best" Christmas wine, well, the top result will be our post. Not going to lie, I am super chuffed about that one.
But following ours, there are pages upon pages of articles offering advice on advising from Pinot Noir to Port. And that’s because while everyone’s holiday table looks different, the one thing they all have in common, is there is a cornucopia of stuff festooning the buffet. So as we said in that number 1 google result (seriously, really, really chuffed) you will never settle on one perfect wine because is simply can’t exist.
You may also like: The Scandalous Truth About Pairing Wine & Cheese
However, if you want to settle on wine with maximum food pairing flexibility, I have some suggestions for you.
Firstly, look for wines, both red and white, that have higher acidity. That mouth-watering effect will help cleanse the palate. Also, select reds that are lower in tannin – the astringent stuff that makes your mouth dry out with its textural roughness. Tannins need protein to break down, so the more tannin a wine has, the more meat – preferably served rare – needs to be on the table. Lower tannin just offers far more flexibility for lean meats and fish.
Brut Sparkling Wine (Champagne, Franciacorta, Cava)
Dry bubbly has that edgy acidity that immediately makes you salivate, and that sharp apple/lemon/mineral flavour to boost almost any flavour from cutting the rich fat of cheese and sauces to supporting the oily character of salmon, and complimenting roast poultry.
Riesling (similar: Chenin Blanc, Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc)
This aromatic wine could, quite possibly, be the most food friendly wine in the world. That taut acidity goes with anything fatty from sausages and bacon to cheese to oily fish. And while it ranges from bone dry to lusciously sweet Icewine, that peach/lime/pineapple/apple blossom flavour compliments complex flavours like stinky cheese right through to cuisines that burst with sweet, spicy, and sour flavours from glazed ham through to braised cabbage.
Chablis (similar: Muscadet, Assyrtiko, Soave)
This unoaked chardonnay from northern France is chockablock full of steely minerality, green apple and lime flavours. These flavours work so well with seafood (Chablis is brilliant with oysters, working the way a mignonette sauce does.) It’s also fabulous with braised veal, roast pork and poultry and, perks up rich sauces like hollandaise and béarnaise.
Pinot Noir (similar: Gamay, Frappato, Schiava)
Pinot Noir is a sommelier darling. Its light body and low tannin make it a seamless pairing for just about every protein imaginable from beef and lamb to fish and poultry. Its bright cran-cherry flavours compliment most foods that can handle a fruity sauce (turkey with cranberry, duck with cherry, venison with wild berry etc.) but Pinot’s earthy note also works with game birds and mushroom and lentil dishes. Really, there’s nothing Pinot can’t do.
Sangiovese (similar: Barbera, Montepulciano, Tempranillo)
Sangiovese is the main red grape of Tuscany, and goes into Chianti and Chianti Classico, Brunello, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It varies widely depending on where it’s from and how it’s made, but Sangiovese does have higher acidity and appealing, savoury flavours of fresh bay leaf, black olive, and sundried tomato.
Sangiovese can get quite powerful, but lighter expressions show red fruit brightness alongside the savoury note, and dial back the tannin for a food friendly wine that goes with everything from tomato sauces, to rich gravies, to meats like prosciutto, beef, and turkey.
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