Table of General Pairings
These are popular field-tested pairings. The assumption is that the dishes are prepared using standard recipes. Pairing is often done against a primary set of ingredients in a recipe. On the wine side, it is important to consider not just the type of wine but also it vintage and age. A Bordeaux from a weak vintage has different palate impacts than one from a ripe year. Older wines have shed their tannins and are more friendly to savory food with high umami content. We invite you to share with us successful pairings not listed here by clicking on Contact YATS.
| Food | Preparation | Wine | Other | Remarks |
| Anchovy | Bianco, Chablis | Lean dry crisp Chardonnay | Very lean white will turn sweet and rich with Anchovies | |
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| Bacon | and Eggs Breakfast | NV Champange | Prosecco or Sekt | Brut |
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| Beef | Burgundy (Boeuf Bourguignon) | Red Burgundy | Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Alsace Pinot, Sangiovese | Same type of wine used in the cooking |
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| Beef | Goulash | Rioja | Tempranillo, Amarone, Nero d’Avola | Savory, spicy, vigorous red with medium body and a touch of oak |
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| Beef | Roast | Medoc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cahors, Brunello di Montalcino | Malbec, Sangiovese | Tannic red with good acidity and fruit flavors without high alcohol |
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| Beef | Stew | Moulin a Vent | Beaujolais cru, Gamay Noir | Red fruit flavors but with a bit of body also |
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| Beef | Stroganoff | Barbera | Easy-going wine | |
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| Beef | Wellington | Medium-bodied aged Red Burgundy, St. Emilion, Pomerol | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon from a cooler year | Medium body red to avoid masking out the pate coaring the beef |
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| Bell Peppers | Grilled | Madiran, Cabernet Sauvignon | young Cab or Shiraz | Bitterness in wine mirrors that of food |
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| Bouillabaisse | White Bordeaux, Rose | Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, White Burgundy | Intense, full-bodied white with good acidity | |
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| Chicken | BBQ marinated | Bergerac, Dolcetto d’Alba, Beaujolais Cru | Gamay | marinades can vary wine pairing but fruity wines are a good bet |
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| Chicken | Cacciatora | Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Medoc | Barbera, Dolcetto d’Alba | Acidity to match the food |
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| Chicken | Cog au Vin | Bergerac, Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-Pape | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc | |
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| Chicken | Creamy sauce | Condrieu, Hermitage Blanc, Rhone Blac | Viognier | |
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| Chicken | Marsala | Pomerol, Cotes de Beaune | St. Emilion, Merlot, Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Graves, Bergerac | Red wine not tannic, from a ripe vintage, sweetness needed to match Marsala |
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| Chicken | Roasted | White Bordeaux | ||
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| Chicken | Salad | Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio | Riesling, Gewurztraminer Rhone white | |
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| Chicken | Smoked | Beaujolais Cru | Cote de Beaune Village | |
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| Dessert | Apple Tart | Bonnezeaux, Sauternes, Quarts de Chaumes | Coteaux du Layon, Auslese, Beerenauslese | |
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| Dessert | Cheese cake | Sec Champagne, white Lagrima Port | Sauternes | |
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| Dessert | Coconut | Sauternes | ||
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| Dessert | Cookies | Vin Santo | ||
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| Dessert | Dark Chocolate | Vintage, LBV or Colheita Port | Cognac would also work | |
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| Dessert | Panna Cotta | NV Blanc de Blanc | Sparkling Brut, Cava | Light sparkling |
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| Dessert | Tiramisu | Champagne | Malvasia sweet wine | |
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| Duck | Orange Sauce | Red Burgundy | Barbera | |
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| Duck | Roast | Clos du Vougeot, Bonne Mares | Red Burgundy, Pinot Noir | |
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| Eggs | Benedict | Champange | Sparkling Brut | Acidity to cut through the richness |
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| Frankfurter | Riesling | Beaujolais Village | ||
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| Gnocchi | Cheese | Viognier | Rhone white, Dolcetto | Avoid tannins in wine |
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| Ham | Vouvray | Alsace Riesling, Sec Sparkling | Off dry flavors in wine | |
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| Hamburger | Grilled | Barbera, Fronsac, Bourgueil | Cabernet Franc, St. Emilion, Gamay Noir | Middle-of-the-road red wines |
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| Lamb | Grilled marinated | Zin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Rioja | Amarone, St. Estephe, Margaux, Pauillac, Cotes-du-Rhone | Similarity of flavor intensity |
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| Lamb | Moroccan | Rioja | Tempranillo, hot-year Cabernet Sauvignon | Intense food flavor match spicy reds |
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| Liver | Pan fried | Cahors | Malbec | |
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| Liver | Chicken | Dolcetto | Beaujolais Village | Low-tannin reds |
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| Pasta | Tomato sauce | Chianti, Barbaresco | Sangiovese, Barbera | Acidity in wine required |
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| Pasta | Seafood | Bianco, Chablis, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc | ||
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| Pasta | Carbonnara/Alfredo | Condrieu, Rhone Blanc | Vignoier | |
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| Pheasant | Red Burgundy | |||
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| Pork | Cassoulet | Moulin-a-Vent, Volnay | Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir | |
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| Pork | Chop | Sancerre, Pouilly Fume | Sauvignon Blanc from NZ, Beaujolais, Gamay | |
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| Pork | Mustard | Pomerol | St. Emilion, Merlot | |
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| Pork | Roast | Moulin-a-Vent, Volnay | Chenas, Julienas | |
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| Pork | Spareribs BBQ | Rioja Reserve | Tempranillo, German Riesling | |
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| Pork | Tenderloin | Mercurey, Cotes de Beaune | Chenas, Julienas | |
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| Procieutto | Dolcetto | |||
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| Quail | Red Burgundy | Pinot Noir | ||
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| Rabbit | mustard cream | Gewurztraminer | Riesling, Viognier | needs floral aromas and fruit flavors to lift otherwise bland meat |
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| Rabbit | Tomato and herbs | Chianti, Barbera | Sangiovese | |
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| Rabbit | Pie | Riesling | Chenin Blanc | |
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| Salami | Dolcetto | |||
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| Salmon | Red Burgundy | Pinot Noir | ||
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| Salmon | Teriyaki grilled | Beaujolais, Rose | Fruity reds, low tannins | |
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| Short Ribs | Baked | Cote-du-Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape | Zindandel, New-world Pinot Noir | |
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| Steak | Charbroiled | Pomerol, St. Emilion | Merlot | Rarer the steak the older the vintage of the wine |
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| Steak | Black pepper | Amarone, hot-vintage Bordeaux | New-world Cab, Zin and Petite Syrah | Full body and high alcohol wine |
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| Steak | Fillet Mignon | Hermitage, Brunello di Montalcino | Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, St. Emilion | |
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| Steak | Prime Rib | Cotes de Beaune, | Pinot Noir, Burgundy Red | |
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| Steak | Tartare | Beaujolais Cru, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume | Gamay Noir, Sauvignon Blanc | |
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| Tuna | Grilled | Beaujolais, Dolcetto, Tavel, Rioja | Bergerac, Bandol, oaked Chardonnay, Corton-Charlemagne | Medium body, low tannins |
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| Tuna | Tartare | Bordeaux Blanc | Beaujolais, Gamay Noir | |
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| Tuna | Tataki | Puligny Montrachet | Chardonnay | Full body |
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| Turkey | Roast | Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet | Chardonnay, Bordeaux Blanc, Mercurey, Macon Rouge | Avoid oaky wine |
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| Veal | Puligny-Montrachet, Beaujolais Cru | White Burgundy, Chardonnay, St. Emilion, Pomerol, Barbera | ||
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| Venison | Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Cormas, St. Joseph | Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah | ||
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| Venison | Roast | Barolo, Rhone | Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon | |
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| Venison | Stew | Barolo, Barbaresco | ||
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