aglianico
- • beef (especially braised or grilled)
- • earthy fall and winter soups and stews
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • pizza (especially with meat)
- • sausages
albariño
- • ceviche
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • salty food
- • seafood
- • shellfish
Amarone
- • beef (especially braised)
- • dark chocolate
- • hard, aged cheeses
- • mushrooms
- • truffles
arneis
- • asparagus and other green vegetables
- • seafood
Bandol
- • beef (especially braised or grilled)
- • herbes de Provence (lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage)
- • mushrooms
- • olives
Banyuls
- • chocolate
- • strawberries
Barbaresco or Barolo
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted)
- • game birds
- • lamb
- • mushrooms
- • truffles
barbera
- • charcuterie
- • pasta (especially with red sauces)
- • pizza
- • prosciutto
- • tomatoes
barrel-aged Port
- • banana-based desserts
- • caramel
- • custards
- • nuts
Beaujolais
- • charcuterie
- • cherries
- • chicken (especially roasted)
- • ham
- • pork
- • salmon
- • salty food
- • spicy food
- • turkey
Bordeaux (red)
- • beef
- • chicken
- • game
- • lamb
- • meat loaf
Bordeaux (white)
- • chicken (especially roasted)
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • seafood
bottle-aged Port
- • berries
- • blue cheeses
- • cherries
- • chocolate (especially dark)
- • coffee- or espresso-flavored desserts
brunello di Montalcino
- • game (especially rabbit)
- • mushrooms
- • savory, earthy sauces
- • truffles
Burgundy (red)
- • bacon
- • burgers (especially turkey or veggie)
- • cherries
- • chicken (especially roasted or in an earthy sauce)
- • duck
- • mushrooms
- • salmon
- • soft, ripe cheeses
- • turkey
- • truffles
Burgundy (white)
- • chicken (especially fried or roasted)
- • corn
- • creamy sauces
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • mushrooms
- • seafood
- • soft, rich cheeses
- • turkey
- • truffles
cabernet franc
cabernet sauvignon
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted, or with an earthy sauce)
- • black pepper
- • burgers
- • hard, aged cheeses
- • lamb
- • meat loaf
carménère
- • beef (especially braised or roasted)
- • chicken (especially dark meat)
- • earthy sauces, soups, and stews
cava
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • butter and buttery sauces
- • caviar
- • chicken (especially fried or roasted)
- • creamy sauces
- • corn
- • eggs
- • fried food
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • mushrooms
- • salty food
- • seafood
- • soft, rich cheeses
- • spicy food
Chablis
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • chicken (especially fried or roasted)
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • seafood
- • shellfish (especially oysters)
Champagne
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • butter and buttery sauces
- • caviar
- • chicken (especially fried or roasted)
- • corn
- • creamy sauces
- • eggs
- • fried food
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • mushrooms
- • salty food
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • soft, rich cheeses
- • spicy food
- • truffles
chardonnay
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • basil and other herbs
- • butter and buttery sauces
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • mushrooms
- • mustard and mustard-based sauces
- • pesto
- • seafood
- • shellfish
HEAVIER-STYLE CHARDONNAY (RICH AND FULL, WITH A MORE BUTTERY AND OAKY FLAVOR)
- • Alfredo and other creamy sauces
- • butter and buttery sauces
- • corn
- • macaroni and cheese
- • mushrooms
- • pork (especially baked, grilled, or roasted)
- • salmon
- • soft, rich cheeses
- • turkey
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- • beef (especially in an earthy sauce)
- • herbes de Provence (lavender, thyme, rosemary, sage)
- • mushrooms
- • soups and stews with a rustic, earthy edge
- • truffles
chenin blanc
- • salty food
- • spicy food
Chianti
- • beans (especially soups and stews)
- • beef (especially in a tomato sauce)
- • game
- • prosciutto
- • tomato-based dishes
- • veal
Chinon
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted, or with an earthy sauce)
- • chicken (especially roasted)
- • lamb
- • meat loaf
Cornas
Côte Rôtie
- • game
- • lamb
- • mushrooms
- • truffles
Côtes du Rhône
- • chicken (especially roasted or in an earthy sauce)
- • mushrooms
- • truffles
Croze-Hermitage
dolcetto
falanghina
- • salty food
- • seafood (especially fried)
gamay
- • charcuterie
- • cherries
- • chicken (especially roasted)
- • ham
- • pork (especially baked, grilled, or roasted)
- • salmon
- • salty food
- • spicy food
- • turkey
Gavi
- • pesto
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • vegetables
gewürztraminer
- • apples
- • cabbage
- • Chinese food
- • ham
- • Indian food
- • pork
- • sausages (especially grilled)
- • spicy food
- • Thai food
- • turkey
Gigondas
- • chicken (especially grilled)
- • earthy soups and stews
- • herbes de Provence (lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- • vegetables (especially grilled)
grenache
- • chicken (especially grilled)
- • earthy soups, stews, and ragus
- • herbes de Provence (lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- • vegetables (especially grilled)
grüner veltliner
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • salads
- • seafood
- • shellfish
Hermitage
ice wine
- • fruit and fruit-based desserts
Jumilla
- • beef (especially braised, grilled, or roasted)
- • burgers
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • soups and stews with an earthy edge
- • vegetables (especially grilled)
Madeira
- • banana-based desserts
- • chocolate
- • nuts (especially roasted and salted)
malbec
- • beef (especially grilled)
- • burgers
- • meat loaf
- • pizza (especially with meat)
merlot
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted)
- • beets
- • burgers (beef, turkey, or veggie)
- • duck
- • meat loaf
- • savory, earthy sauces
- • veal
montepulciano d’Abruzzo
- • pizza
- • tomato-based dishes
morellino di Scansano
- • fennel
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • soups and stews with an earthy edge
moscato d’Asti
- • fruit and fruit-based desserts
mourvèdre
- • beef (especially braised)
- • herbes de Provence (lavender, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • soups and stews with an earthy edge
Muscadet
- • anchovies
- • oysters
- • seafood
- • shellfish
nebbiolo
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted)
- • game
- • lamb
- • mushrooms
- • truffles
nero d’Avola
- • beef
- • olives
- • pizza
- • tomato-based sauces
Orvieto
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • vegetables (grilled or roasted)
petite sirah
- • beef (especially braised or grilled)
- • game
- • pork (especially braised or grilled)
pinotage
- • grilled or smoked meats
- • mushrooms
pinot blanc
- • chicken
- • seafood
- • turkey
pinot grigio/pinot gris
- • melon
- • pork (especially baked, grilled, or roasted)
- • salads
- • salmon
- • seafood
pinot noir
- • ahi tuna
- • bacon
- • burgers (especially turkey or veggie)
- • cherries
- • chicken (especially roasted or in an earthy sauce)
- • duck
- • ham
- • mushrooms
- • pork (especially baked, grilled, or roasted)
- • salmon
- • savory, earthy sauces
- • soft, ripe cheeses
- • strawberries
- • truffles
Port (see barrel-aged Port or bottle-aged Port)
primitivo
- • bacon
- • beef (especially grilled)
- • burgers (beef, turkey, and veggie)
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • pizza
- • sausages
- • soups and stews with a meaty, smoky, or earthy flavor
- • tomato-based dishes
Priorat
- • beef (especially grilled or with an earthy sauce)
- • soups and stews with a meaty, smoky, or earthy flavor
- • vegetables (grilled)
prosecco
- • biscotti and other cookies
- • fruit
Ribera del Duero
- • beef (especially braised or grilled)
- • game
- • grilled vegetables
- • soups and stews with a hearty, earthy edge
riesling
DRY
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • ceviche
- • seafood
- • shellfish
OFF-DRY
- • apples
- • beets
- • cabbage
- • Chinese food
- • Indian food
- • lemongrass
- • pork
- • spicy food
- • Thai food
SWEET
- • fruit or fruit-based desserts
Rioja (red)
- • beef (especially braised)
- • bell peppers
- • duck
- • meat loaf
- • mushrooms
- • olives
- • paella
- • sausages (especially chorizo)
rosé
- • anchovies
- • bell peppers
- • charcuterie
- • hot dogs
- • olives
- • paella
- • prosciutto
- • sausages
- • spicy food
Rosso di Montalcino
- • beans (especially soups and stews)
- • beef (especially in a tomato sauce)
- • mushrooms
- • pizza
- • prosciutto
- • soups and stews with an earthy edge
- • tomato-based dishes
- • veal
roussanne
- • chicken (especially grilled or roasted)
- • seafood (especially grilled or roasted white fish)
Sancerre
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • goat and other tangy cheeses
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • salads
- • seafood
- • shellfish
sangiovese
- • beans (especially soups and stews)
- • beef (especially in a tomato sauce)
- • game
- • mushrooms
- • pizza
- • prosciutto
- • sausages
- • soups and stews with an earthy edge
- • tomato-based dishes
- • veal
- • vegetables (especially grilled)
Sauternes
- • foie gras
- • salty cheeses
sauvignon blanc
- • arugula
- • asparagus and other green veggies
- • basil and other herbs
- • chicken (especially fried or roasted)
- • Chinese food
- • creamy sauces
- • fried food
- • lemongrass
- • lemon or lemon-based sauces
- • mustard and mustard-based sauces
- • pesto
- • salads
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • Thai food
semillon
- • chicken (especially grilled or roasted)
- • seafood
Sherry
DRY SHERRY
- • fried food
- • salty food
SWEET SHERRY
- • apple- and pear-based desserts
- • nuts and nut-based desserts
- • salty cheeses
Soave
- • basil and other herbs
- • pesto
- • seafood
- • shellfish
Super Tuscan
- • beans (especially white beans in soups and stews)
- • beef (especially grilled or roasted)
- • mushrooms
- • polenta
- • vegetables (especially bitter greens)
syrah/shiraz
- • bacon
- • barbecue
- • beef (especially braised or grilled)
- • black pepper
- • burgers
- • chili
- • game
- • lamb
- • meat loaf
Taurasi
- • beef (especially grilled)
- • game
- • lamb
- • olives
- • pizza
- • sausages (especially grilled)
tempranillo
- • beef (especially braised)
- • bell peppers
- • duck
- • meat loaf
- • mushrooms
- • olives
- • paella
- • sausages (especially chorizo)
torrontés
- • chicken (especially grilled or roasted)
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • spicy food
Valpolicella
- • mushrooms
- • pizza
- • tomato-based dishes
vernaccia di San Gimignano
- • seafood
- • shellfish
- • vegetables (simply grilled or roasted)
Vinho Verde
- • salads
- • seafood
- • shellfish
viognier
- • apricots
- • butternut and other winter squash
- • creamy sauces
- • pork
- • pumpkin
- • sweet potatoes
Vouvray
DRY
- • chicken
- • seafood
- • veal
- • vegetables
OFF-DRY
- • cheeses (especially strongly flavored, creamy cheeses)
- • fruit
zinfandel
- • bacon
- • barbecue
- • beef
- • black pepper
- • blue cheeses
- • burgers (beef, turkey, and veggie)
- • chili
- • curry
- • duck
- • game
- • hot dogs
- • meat loaf
- • mushrooms
- • pizza
- • sausages