The best wine pairings for eggs benedict

The ideal wine pairing for eggs benedict - that unctuous dish of poached eggs and ham topped with buttery hollandaise sauce - is likely to be dictacted as much by when you eat it as the dish itself.

Although it’s so good you could eat it at any time of day - at least I could - it’s primarily a breakfast or brunch dish which suggests, if any alcohol at all, champagne, sparkling wine or a sparkling wine cocktail like Bucks Fizz.

Does it matter which one? I’d go for a lighter style myself - a blanc de blancs or all-chardonnay sparkling wine rather than a richer, toastier blanc de noirs or vintage champagne. French ‘cremants’ like Cremant d’Alsace or Cremant de Bourgogne are low cost alternatives to champagne or you could go for a cava or prosecco though to my taste the latter are generally a touch too sweet for eggs. There’s great fizz too from England, California, New Zealand and South Africa - even Brazil these days.

Classic orange juice-based brunch cocktails like Bucks Fizz and Mimosas work well too though not, I think, a Bloody Mary which is better suited to a more robust egg dish with bacon or chorizo.

If you’re eating your ‘benedict’ at lunchtime or for supper and don’t want to drink fizz I’d go for a smooth dry white wine such as an unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay or an Alsace pinot blanc.

These choices will work with egg benedict variations with smoked salmon* or spinach too. Scrambled eggs are also very good with sparkling wines like champagne.

* See also this very successful beer match with Eggs Royale

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What sort of food to pair with prosecco?

Prosecco is so often drunk on its own that you may not have given much thought to the kind of food you can pair with it but if I had to sum it up in two words it would be ‘party food’

In fact when I went to the region a couple of years ago for the annual prosecco festival Vino in Villa we ate almost nothing but - it was all about canapés and finger food - Italian style, of course.

The key thing to bear in mind is that prosecco is generally sweeter than other sparkling wines especially (confusingly) the ‘extra dry’ style which is best matched with pastries, biscuits, cakes and other sweet things - in other words it’s the perfect wine for a tea party ....

Here are my favourite prosecco pairings:

Drier ‘brut’ styles of prosecco

Parma and other air-dried ham

simple cocktail-sized sandwiches

foccacia

mini quiches and frittata

mild cheeses such as fontina

white asparagus

sushi

seafood and vegetable-based dim sum especially prawn toasts and seafood dumplings

Sweeter (extra dry) proseccos

Panettone and Easter Colomba

Light sponge cakes and gateaux

Italian-style biscuits like brutti ma buoni

Macarons

Sweet soufflés like this seville orange soufflé

Mousses and parfaits

Jelly with cream or ice cream

Popcorn!

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Some great food pairings for tequila

Despite the recent increase in interest in Mexican street food like tacos consumers in the UK still have to take to tequila (maybe because they’re too busy drinking gin) but in fact it’s an attractive and versatile spirit to pair with food

The style you’re most likely to come across is silver tequila, the type that’s most often used in a margarita, but you may also come across reposado tequilas which are aged in wood and anejo, older tequilas which are ideal for after-dinner drinking. (Think of them like rum: Silver is like white rum with a herbal twist, reposado like a golden rum and anejo like an aged sipping rum).

Obviously the natural starting point is Mexican food but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t drink tequila with other cuisines such as Latin American, Caribbean and newly fashionable African.

Here are the type of dishes that I think work best

Tacos
The street food of 2017, especially fish tacos which with a white or silver tequila. Try a reposado if you’re eating meatier tacos like pork

Raw fish
Particularly ceviche and punchily seasoned fish tartares but there's no reason why you shouldn’t try a silver tequila with sushi or sashimi

Grilled seafood like squid or prawns
Especially with garlic or a touch of chilli. Silver, again

A wide range of vegetables especially asparagus, green peppers and tomatillos (silver) and corn (reposado) Also avocado which of course is technically a fruit but counts as a veg in my book - guacamole being the obvious option

Recipes with fresh herbs especially coriander
Again this appears regularly in Mexican food but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t sip a silver tequila with Indian street food like samosas or puris and green chutney. It should go with middle eastern grills and salads too.

Recipes with citrus especially lime and orange
Citrus works particularly well with the flavour of agave (the plant from which tequila is made)

Pork
Pulled, grilled, served with corn (like posole) - all good with a reposado. Think also empanadas with a pork filling

Steak
You can partner a good steak or burger with a reposado or an anejo. Even fajitas though I probably wouldnt drink anything tooo fancy with them.

Chocolate
Like most aged spirits anejo tequila goes well with dark chocolate - or even milk chocolate if it’s Mexican which has a particularly delicious fudgy texture.

There's a useful longer article on pairing food with tequila here.

Six of the best drinks to pair with tacos

Image © anaumenko @fotolia.com

Which wine to drink with paella?

Paella, the iconic Spanish dish, pairs beautifully with a range of wines, but choosing between white, red, or rosé depends on the type of paella you’re enjoying and its key ingredients.

Recipes vary - and are much argued over - but traditionally the dish either includes chicken or rabbit or seafood like prawns, mussels or clams - not meat and seafood in the same dish.

Nowadays the idea of what goes into a paella is less strict though so here’s a guide to the wine pairings I think work best for different recipes whether they’re based on seafood (paella de mariscos), meat, a mixture of the two (paellal mixta) or vegetarian versions (paella de verduras). 

You’ll find that the wine you choose doesn’t need to be overly complex or expensive to complement paella perfectly. Instead, focus on wines with fresh, vibrant flavors that enhance the dish’s key ingredients without overwhelming them. Crisp whites, fruity rosés, and light-to-medium reds (and even sherry!) all have their place, depending on the style of paella being served. 

How paella’s serving style can influence the match

Paella is typically eaten at a relaxed sort of family gathering so I wouldn’t advocate anything too grand. 

A chilled dry rosé from Navarra or Rioja (one of the more traditional bottlings, not the more fruit driven rosés made in a New World style) generally hits the spot perfectly but there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t drink an inexpensive red Rioja or other medium-bodied tempranillo or garnacha (grenache) or garnacha blends (again lightly chilled till cool rather than at room temperature). But I’d avoid ‘fruit-bombs’ or overly alcoholic, tannic reds.

Looking outside Spain, lighter reds and rosés from the neighbouring Languedoc-Roussillon would work well as would the new wave of characterful roussanne, marsanne and viognier-based Languedoc whites if white wine is your preference.

What I look for in a white with paella is an earthy richness rather than a sharp citrussy or floral character so I personally wouldn’t go for a sauvignon blanc or a riesling. (You’ll enjoy them more, I think, with simply prepared fried or grilled seafood on its own.)

Wine pairings for popular types of paella

Paella comes in many variations, each with its own unique set of ingredients and regional influences. Here are some of the most popular types of paella and the wines to go with them:

Paella Valenciana

Traditionally made with chicken, rabbit, and sometimes snails, along with green beans, white beans, tomatoes, rosemary, and saffron. This is the original paella from the Valencia region and often includes a mix of land-based proteins rather than seafood.

Wine pairing: A medium-bodied red wine like Tempranillo or Garnacha. 

Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella)

This popular version focuses solely on seafood, such as prawns, mussels, clams, squid, and fish. It omits meat and relies on seafood stock to enrich the rice with a briny, oceanic flavour.

Wine pairing: A crisp, citrusy white wine like Albariño or Verdejo

Paella Mixta (Mixed Paella)

A fusion of meat (usually chicken or rabbit) and seafood, this type of paella also includes vegetables, making it a versatile and widely loved choice. It’s a more modern creation compared to the traditional styles.

Wine pairing: A versatile option like a dry rosé from Provence or a light, chilled red like a Mencía.

Paella de Verduras (Vegetable Paella)

This vegetarian version is packed with seasonal vegetables like artichokes, bell peppers, tomatoes, peas, and green beans. It’s often flavoured with herbs and spices but excludes meat and seafood.

Wine pairing: A light, herbaceous white wine such as a Verdejo or a Sauvignon Blanc.

Paella Negra (Black Paella or Arroz Negro)

Made with squid or cuttlefish and tinted with squid ink, which gives the dish its distinctive black colour. It has a rich, briny taste and is usually garnished with aioli for added flavour.

Wine pairing: A crisp, mineral-driven Albariño or a Godello from Galicia.

Paella de Mar y Montaña (Surf and Turf Paella)

Combines elements from both sea and land, such as chicken or pork with seafood like prawns or squid. It offers a mix of flavours and textures, blending the best of both worlds.

Wine pairing: A medium-bodied rosé, such as one from Navarra or a Garnacha rosé.

Paella de Bogavante (Lobster Paella)

A luxurious variation featuring lobster as the star ingredient, often paired with other seafood for a rich and indulgent meal.

Wine pairing: a fuller-bodied chardonnay always works well with lobster or try an oaked white rioja.

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