Which wines pair best with eggs?

Eggs are supposed to be one of the trickiest ingredients to pair with wine but I’ve never entirely got it myself. More to the point do you want to drink wine with eggs at breakfast or even brunch, the time you’re most likely to eat them?

If you do, read on ...

Here I’m talking mainly about dishes where eggs are centre stage rather than the myriad dishes in which they play an essential but supporting role like quiche, meringues and soufflés. For example poached eggs (often with an egg-based sauce like hollandaise), scrambled eggs and omelettes.

Bear in mind that the addition of other ingredients makes a difference - how much depends on whether they overwhelm the essential egginess of the dish. Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs not so much, the peppery sauce of shakshuka a lot.

These are the wines I think pair with eggs best:

Champagne and other sparkling wines

My number one choice both in terms of compatibility and occasion though I’d go for a lighter style rather than a rich toasty one (unless truffles and/or chips are involved as in this sublime dish last year). Chardonnay-based sparkling wines, also known as blanc de blancs are perfect. Personally I think prosecco is a little sweet but up to you. I’d prefer a crémant or cava.

Smooth dry white wines

Think basic white burgundy and other unoaked chardonnays, Alsace pinot blanc, dry chenin blanc and Soave. Those wines would also go with omelettes and frittatas and with that retro (but rather delicious) classic, eggs mornay (eggs with cheese sauce).

What to drink with an omelette or frittata.

With a richer dish such as eggs benedict you could up the oak a bit and go for a more full-bodied chardonnay

The best wine pairings for eggs benedict

Inexpensive claret

Once you introduce meaty elements such as bacon and sausages you might feel more inclined to drink a red. Nothing too fruity, I suggest (think about the combination of raspberries or cherries with eggs. Not so appealing, huh?) but a simple young red Bordeaux works surprisingly well.

Robust southern French or Spanish reds

Good with eggs and chorizo, shakshuka and other dishes where tomatoes, peppers or pimenton are involved.

Red burgundy

Red burgundy works with a very specific dish from the region called oeufs en meurette where the eggs are cooked in a red wine sauce. Not my top choice otherwise.

What food to pair with red Bordeaux

Although Bordeaux produces some of the most expensive wines in the world it also produces bottles that are great for everyday drinking. So what kind of food pairs best with them?

Red Bordeaux is generally blended from cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot with an occasional dash of malbec or petit verdot. Merlot usually predominates these days even on the so-called ‘left bank’ resulting in softer, fruitier, less tannic wines than would have been the case 20 years ago.

Inexpensive Bordeaux is actually quite light and easy drinking while some more modern styles of Saint-Emilion are quite full-bodied. So it depends on the price bracket you’re talking about.

Inexpensive ‘everyday drinking’ red Bordeaux - what was once referred to as a ‘lunchtime claret’

Charcuterie, especially paté and terrines. Cold roast beef. Cold game pies. Simple grilled meat like a steak frites or sausage with chips, haricot beans or lentils. Shepherd’s pie and its French equivalent hachis parmentier*. Goat and sheep cheeses, mild brie and camembert

Classic ‘left bank’ cabernet-dominated Bordeaux such as Margaux - the sort you might take to a dinner party

Grilled and roast lamb with garlic and rosemary. Roast beef, veal and venison. Steak pies. Beef daubes, ox cheek and other stews cooked in red wine. Hard British territorial cheeses such as Cheshire and red Leicester and French Mimolette. Bacon and eggs (oddly) - see this match of the week.

Riper, full-bodied Merlot-dominated bordeaux

Steak, especially richer steak dishes such as tournedos rossini. Posh burgers. Japanese-style steak dishes. Roast duck - even Chinese-style crispy duck pancakes. Christmas turkey. Macaroni cheese and macaronnade (a pasta bake with meat). Cheddar

Older vintages of Bordeaux where the primary fruit has faded

Similar to my recommendations for 'classic' Bordeaux above. Just go easy on the gravy or jus and on the accompanying vegetables. Lighter, less intense stews such as blanquette de veau. Also good with game birds such as duck, partridge and pheasant and with dishes that include mushrooms and truffles. Hard sheep cheeses

First and second growths if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on them

Simply cooked roast and grilled meat, especially lamb. Hot game pies and pithiviers. Jugged hare. Grouse. Aged parmesan.

Good general accompaniments for red bordeaux are rich potato purées (mash) and gratin dauphinoise, mushrooms and truffles and green beans with garlic.

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10 Argentinian wine pairings that don’t involve steak!

Everyone knows that malbec and steak is a classic pairing but the Argentinians do of course eat other foods and drink other wines. Here are 10 that I came across on my recent trip that might possibly surprise you.

Fresh ricotta with lemon and herbs and semillon

This appetiser at the cheese-centred La Toscana in Neuquen was just perfect with Bodega Noemia’s appealingly smooth citrussy A Lisa semillon (only the 2017 vintage is available in the UK, the 2018 is at Saratoga Wines in NY). It was flavoured with lemon rind and herbs - so easy to do at home.

Llama carpaccio with torrontes

I got into big trouble with a vegetarian friend for eating llama (no worse than eating venison, I retorted) but can’t really tell you what it tasted like as it was masked by the citrus marinade. The team at Roux in Buenos Aires switched the pairing at the last minute to grüner veltliner but I think it would have worked better with the original choice of torrontes (as ceviche generally does)

Braised pork with pear and celery purée, pickled apples and cabbage with a young syrah

One of a number of really good pairings from a brilliant dinner at Ver Sacrum’s La Cayetana which operates as a restaurant inside the owners' house. The pork was slightly sweet given the pear accompaniment and went inspiringly well with a fresh young syrah, a limited edition bottling they sell from the winery. I also loved the gazpacho with goat cheese ice-cream with Alpamanta’s Breva cloudy natural-ish sauvignon blanc and cured trout with confit fennel with juniper, quinoa and beetroot cream with Ver Sacrum's dry PX, also a limited release.

Beef empanadas with malbec

True, this is almost steak but malbec is just brilliant with beefy empanadas. (Not all empanadas are meaty. It depends on the area they come from. We were at Humberto Canale in Rio Negro in Patagonia.) It’s normal anyway for Argentinians to kick off a meal with a red.

Tempura vegetables and miso sauce with friulano

This is the last kind of dish I would have expected to come across in Argentina but it was one of an excellent selection of starters at Narda Comedor a really lovely veggie-inspired restaurant in Buenos Aires. We drank a Gran Lurton Friulano with it from Bodega Piedra Negra in the Uco Valley which was surprisingly fresh given its 14.5% alcohol and just perfect with the white miso sauce.

Aubergine (eggplant), rocket and malbec

Another veggie starter of slightly smoky oven-roasted aubergine (cooked a bit like a baba ganoush) with rocket and herbs at Zuccardi’s Uco Valley restaurant Piedra Infinita Cocina that went really well with their Concreto Malbec - a much lighter, fresher style of malbec than is the norm. It also picked up nicely on the cumin and pomegranate seeds in the dressing.

Sweetbreads and chardonnay

You hardly need me to tell you how versatile chardonnay is with food but you might be surprised at the thought that it matches grilled sweetbreads and chorizo, the popular’ appetiser that often kicks off a meal (in this case at Elena at the Four Seasons). it was a fairly rich style of chardonnay (from Desierto), mind.

Patagonian lamb and pinot

While most of Argentina is steak-focused, Patagonia is famous for its flavourful lamb which conveniently goes incredibly well with the local pinot as I discovered at Familia Shroeder (Their 2017 Saurus select pinot was spot on)

Dulce de Leche and sparkling rosé . . .

You might think you would need a sweeter wine to pair with dulche de leche, the wickedly sweet caramel sauce that manages to find its way into practically every dessert. I did too and was surprised to find just how well a sparkling rosé went both at Elena at the Four Seasons (with Escorihuela Gascon’s Pequeñas Producciones Rosé Extra Brut) and Salentein where they served a warm oozy dulche de leche filled fondant pudding. Both were really refreshing rather than adding to the sweetness of the dish.

. . . and grappa

Another unexpected pairing this time at Catena Zapata where the dulche de leche was sandwiched between crispy layers (a traditional Argentinian dessert called rogel and served with red fruits. It was actually the latter that went particularly well with the malbec-based grapa (with just one p) that they produce at Bodegas Esmeralda.

The best food pairings with Saint-Emilion

Saint-Emilion is a familiar name on a wine list but what sort of food goes with it best? Sommelier Nathalie Gardiner suggests her favourite pairings.

As one of the four main red wine producing regions of Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion offers the typical Right Bank combination of merlot and cabernet franc. Even though the blend remains the same across the majority of the area, its wines are incredibly varied; by vintage, by class, by vineyard and even by individual plot.

AOCs around the main appellation such as Lussac Saint-Emilion, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Saint-George Saint-Emilion and Puisseguin Saint-Emilion also produce similar wines (often at a more reasonable price) which go with the same type of dishes.

Pairing food with Saint-Emilion is best approached by age and style. Generally, you can’t go wrong with partnering it with local dishes like confit duck or beef entrecôte, but there are plenty of other, more diverse international options too.

Basic Saint-Emilion (Saint-Emilion Grand Cru)

This is your entry-level wine in Saint Emilion; they meet the basic appellation rules, and tend to be more youthful, juicy and simple than your Grand Cru Classés and above.

Duck or game terrine with some quince jelly on the side would be great due to its rich fatty content that balances with the freshness of the wines.

Comté or similarly mild, slightly sweet cheese.

Shoulder of lamb roasted with rosemary or thyme, with seasonal greens

Rich, tomato-based pizza and pasta dishes, such as a pizza napolitana, or lasagne

If you have a Saint-Emilion that has a higher proportion of merlot, spicy Asian dishes like rogan josh, or Chinese or Korean hotpots can work well; just make sure that the wine is fleshy enough to handle the spice

A big ol’ sticky rack of ribs, especially when eaten with hands and sauce dripping down one’s face; seems like a bit of a long shot, but once you try it you will be convinced!

Good quality Saint-Emilion, 2-5 years old (generally within Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé classification)

At the time of writing, the past few years of released vintages of Saint-Emilion have been considered quite varied, so check the vintage on the label. It’s the general consensus that 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 are the best recent years: with these vintages especially you will want your dishes to be richer, more flavourful and more heavily sauced. This is to keep up with the riper tannins and higher levels of alcohol and greater concentration that has become the norm in the merlot dominated blends of the Right Bank.

Classic Entrecôte à la Bordelaise is, irrefutably, the best dish with Saint-Emilion wines; perfectly cooked rib of beef with the famous red wine and shallot sauce. Serve it with some ceps and you’re on the road to pure joy.

Along the same lines, Beef Wellington (known in France as Boeuf en Croute) is a rich dish that benefits from the power of a good Saint-Emilion

Roast pigeon, preferably served with a thick, rich red wine jus and confit onions (paradise!)

Stews of lamb or game, especially those with slightly more middle-eastern influences, such as tagines.

Chilli con carne (or ‘sin’ carne, as your diet dictates), or other Tex Mex dishes like beef burritos.

Macaroni cheese/mac’n’cheese - a surprise pairing, maybe, but a good one as you can discover here

Tapas of any kind will go well, specifically patatas bravas, pulpo Gallego and croquetas de jamón

Confit de Canard, another classic Aquitanian dish of confit duck legs

Saint-Nectaire cheese, which can be found on any cheese plate in Saint-Emilion despite its roots in the Auvergne, or any other earthy, nutty semi-hard cheese

More evolved, mature Saint-Emilion of 10+ years

(These can be within any class in the entire Saint-Emilion Classification, definitely including Premier Grand Cru Classé, but of high quality)

These wines tend to be more delicately balanced, with tannins that are well integrated. The ripe fruit that was there in its early years will most likely have turned into earthy, mushroomy or dried fruit flavours. Of course vintages are still important but it is better to steer away from those rich sauces that were better with the younger wines.

Any kind of roast bird would be fantastic with an older Saint-Emilion. Christmas dinners are the perfect time to open a beautiful vintage with turkey, goose or partridge, and all the trimmings (especially the bread sauce!).

A mushroom risotto or tagliatelle with creamy morel sauce would be great, since wines that age well still have a freshness that will give some life and lightness to the rich sauces.

Sautéed chicken that is cooked with some more earthy and nutty accoutrements, like cherries and almonds.

A light lamb or veal stew like a navarin of lamb, or if you’d really like to immerse yourself in the Southwest, a Garbure, perfect for transitional months

Duck breasts preferably prepared in the traditional Southwest style - i.e. pan-fried in their own fat

Truffle omelettes - not found often in my experience, but they are a goldmine of pleasure when you come across them. The earthiness of the truffle is perfect for slightly older Saint-Emilions.

Do you have any favourite Saint-Emilion pairings I haven't included here? Do share if you do!

For other Bordeaux pairings see What food to match with red Bordeaux

Nathalie Gardiner is a sommelier and is currently studying for a Wine and Management Diploma at the Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris.