Charles Koh
What are some of the best wines in the world, and what are the best dishes to combine with them? Whether you’re cooking a meal for family and friends, or if you just want to experiment with wine and food mixes, it’s worth considering which wines go best with the right food. In general, mixing dry reds with fish, or sweet whites with simpler food is bestfor complementing tastes, although this can vary depending on the type of wine.
This wine ranks alongside Chardonnay as one of the best to come out of France, with the best vintages typically coming via a stainless steel vat fermentation process. If you want to make the most of Pinot Noir in our cooking, try combining it with shellfish, as well as with dishes like paella, pasta, and risotto. Duck and goose also work well, as do mushrooms if you want to bring out the sweetness and the acidity of Pinot Noir.
6 – Merlot
This dry red is ideal if you want a bit of flexibility when it comes to the dishes that you can serve up with it. Dishes that have a lot of acidity and flavour like pizzas and anything with spice with offset the flavour of Merlot, as will Italian and Mediterranean dishes. You can also pair Merlot with spicier Chinese food; avoid vegetables and plainer pasta, though.
5 – Sauvignon Blanc
With some of the best Sauvignon Blanc vintages of the past few years coming from Chateau Uiraud, it’s worth using the wine as part of your cooking. Sauvignon Blanc goes particularly well with seafood, and with any dishes that have a high mineral content, and don’t require a lot of extra seasoning; oysters and sushi are similarly recommended as are rich salads and pasta with creamy sauces.
4 – Chardonnay
This white wine can be served sparkling or dry, and can be served with several different dishes. Fish and chicken are popular complements to dry Chardonnay, as are foods that are rich with butter and protein. Shellfish comes under this category, as does any roasted or grilled vegetables and fish.
3 – Shiraz
A dry table wine that works well with oaky and richly cooked foods, Shiraz can be combined with richly flavoured pork chops and roast duck, as well as with steak – blackcurrant flavours and vanilla add flavour to dishes that use Shiraz, which should be avoided if you’re preparing milder food.
2 – Riesling
A sweet wine that is grown along the Rhine, Riesling can be produced in dry, sweet, and sparkling varieties. In general, it’s best to use Rieslings with fish and seafood, and particularly with tuna and salmon. Riesling also goes well with sushi and other types of Japanese food.
1 – Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is particularly recommended when sourced from Bordeaux, and is one of the most fully flavoured reds you can find for cooking. In this context, it’s best to serve the wine with seafood, red meat, and braised, grilled, and roasted foods – milder dishes will likely be overwhelmed when served with Cabernet Sauvignon, which should also not be drunk with milk chocolate.
Author Bio: Emily Steves is a food and wine writer who regularly contributes to a range of food and drink websites and blogs. This is her current top wines, preferably rose wine, but she’s always on the lookout for new tastes.
