Food and Wine Pairings

Food and Wine Pairings

Apertifs- The 2 best appetite whetters are sparkling wine and dry sherry, choose a light non-vintage champagne(one of the lighter californians or a new zealand sparkling wine are good choices).
Soups
In general thin soups are happier without wine bulky soups such as minestrone may benefit from a itallian medium bodied red such as Chianti
Pasta Dishes
Really are best with Italian Wines Try Vernaccia, Arneis or good Soave for cream sauces.

Fish and Seafood
Oysters - Champagne, Muscat or Chablis.
Scallops- Cote Chalonnaise Burgundy, German or New Zealand Riesling, Chardonnay.
Lobster- Chablis, Chenin Blanc or a Riesling.
Whitefish- try sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay.
Salmon- Chablis, Chardonay or a Dry Riesling or a light red such as a Beaujolais or a pinot noir.

Fowl
Chicken- if roasted go for a softedged quality red such as a Burgundy or a California Merlot.
chicken with sauce stay with a richer White wine such as Sauvignon Blanc riesling or a good Chardonnay.
Turkey- Desrves an outstanding red St-Emilion or Pomerol Claret but i find a Cabernet-Merlot or or Cabernet Shiraz blend is really fantastic.
Duck - a medium red such as a Chianti or a Pinot Noir

Meat
Lamb- Cabenet sauvignon hands down the best
Beef So many choices here but full bodied reds are the best herebut a couple that most people would not think of are Barolo, Barberesco or a sturdy zinfandel.

Desserts
Think maximum richness and high alcohol above all else a Sweet Muscat, Icewein, late season Rieslings and sweeter styles of Sparkling Wines.