6 of the best drink pairings for Brie (updated)

One of the world’s most popular cheeses, brie can be mild and slightly chalky or decadently gooey and quite strong in flavour.

The best wine pairing for brie will mainly depend on the maturity of the cheese rather than the origin. I wouldn’t recommend radically different drinks for a Somerset brie than a Brie de Meaux, for example (although there’s always the local cider!).

Basically you should think of lighter wines in terms of younger milder cheeses and more structured ones for more mature intensely flavoured ones.

Wine might be the obvious beverage to turn to but there are other drinks that work well too including beer and aperitifs. And I’ve. suggested a couple of alcohol-free alternatives too. 

Six top drink pairings for Brie

* Fruity reds such as New Zealand or Chilean Pinot Noir. (More mature bries or brie-style cheeses will need more powerful structured wines such as those from Central Otago.) Or try a fruity (but not too tannic) Merlot or a ripe ‘cru’ Beaujolais from a good vintage such as 2022. For milder bries a basic Beaujolais Villages is better

* A fruity dry rosé - lovely on a picnic

* A creamy, subtly oaked chardonnay - even a posh white burgundy!

* A cherry or raspberry-flavoured fruit beer (Kriek or Frambozen), particularly when the brie is accompanied by fresh cherries.

* A red berry fruit-flavoured cider. I’m not normally a fan but they do work well with brie. 

* Guignolet (a cherry-flavoured French aperitif) by the same logic.

If you’re looking for an alcohol-free alternative think in terms of similar red fruit flavours. Cranberry juice and pomegranate juice would both be good options.

See also Pairing wine and cheese: 6 ways to do it better

Photo by Liudmyla Chuhunova at shutterstock.com

6 versatile wine pairings for a Chinese New Year feast

Asking which wine is the best match for Chinese food is a bit like looking for the best match for European food - it in no way reflects the diversity of Chinese cuisine.

That said many of us will probably be enjoying a Chinese meal this week - either in a restaurant or from a takeaway and wonder what to drink with it.

For most westerners who don’t share the Chinese reverence for red wine, white wine is a more appealing option with the sweet-sour flavours of many popular Chinese dishes though as with other meals you may want to change wines when you switch from seafood and chicken to red meat (especially beef).

Here are my six top picks:

Sparkling wine - particularly if you’re eating dim sum or other fried dishes. Not necessarily champagne - an Australian sparkling wine with a touch of sweetness, especially a sparkling rosé will do fine.

Riesling - probably the best all-rounder with the majority of dishes as it usually has a touch of sweetness. Alsace, Austria, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Washington State - it truly doesn’t matter too much where it comes from. This off-dry Clare Valley riesling was a great hit with my Chinese New Year feast last year.

Torrontes - I’ve been struck for a while by how good floral Argentinian Torrontes is with spicy food - a less full-on alternative to gewurztraminer which goes brilliantly with some dishes (like duck) but isn’t such a good all-rounder.

Strong dry fruity rosé - such as the new wave of Portuguese rosés and Bordeaux rosé - not the pale delicate Provençal kind. Surprisingly good with Chinese food.

Pinot noir - obviously a particularly good match with crispy duck pancakes but if you choose one with a touch of sweetness such as those from Chile, New Zealand or California, flexible enough to handle other dishes too.

A generous fruity but not too tannic red - which is of course what many Chinese themselves would drink, particularly red Bordeaux. I’d probably go for a shiraz-cabernet or GSM (grenache/syrah/mourvèdre blend) myself but only with meatier dishes, dishes with aubergine or dishes in black bean sauce. A good cru Beaujolais like Morgon would be another option.

For a more extensive list of Chinese food pairings see Pairing Wine with Chinese Cuisine and The Best Pairings for a Chinese Stir-Fry.

And for some more adventurous pairings check out these sommeliers views on Serious Eats.

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What to drink with the turkey leftovers

The answer to the question of what to drink with the Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey leftovers might well be ‘whatever wine’s left over’ - if there is any, of course - but if you’re looking for a wine or other drink to match specific dishes here are a few ideas.

It depends of course on whether you’re eating the turkey cold or reheated - in a creamy sauce like a turkey pot pie or tetrazzini for example or a turkey curry or stir-fry.

Turkey, like chicken, is a relatively bland meat, especially when it’s cold so it’s much more about the other ingredients or sides you serve with it.

The classic Boxing Day - or Black Friday - spread - cold turkey, ham, chips and pickles - or turkey sandwiches

Although they’re mainly cold the Boxing Day leftovers have enough in the way of Christmas flavours to call for a bright, fruity red.

My ideal pairings would be Beaujolais, Mencia, young Cabernet Franc from the Loire or a vividly fruity young Pinot Noir or Syrah but a fruity rosé would work equally well if you’re in the mood.

A sparkling cider, often overlooked at Christmas, would also be delicious - or a pale ale.

Turkey pot pie

Depends a little bit on the sauce but if you’re going for the classic béchamel I’d pick a creamy Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. You could also go for a Viognier or a blonde ale.

Turkey Tetrazzini

An American-style pasta bake made with turkey, mushrooms, cheese - and sometimes a dash of sherry makes this a richer dish than the pie above. I’d go for an aromatic wine like a pinot gris myself. You could serve an traditional oaked white Rioja or - a bit of an off-the-wall choice - a crisp Savagnin from the Arbois region of France which works really well with hot cheesy dishes.

Turkey curry

The ideal wine pairing will depend on the sauce and how hot it is. Assuming you’re not blowing your guests’ heads off and it’s a relatively mild one I’d go for a strong fruity rosé or a Viognier. If you’re giving your turkey the Thai green curry treatment try an Alsace, New Zealand or Oregon pinot gris.

Asian-style turkey salad

If you’re adding some fresh south-east Asian flavours to your leftovers as in this fresh-tasting salad try an Australian Riesling or Austrian Gruner Veltliner. A zippy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc would work well too.

Image © stevem - Fotolia.com

Six of the best wine pairings for roast or baked ham

If you’re serving a ham or gammon as a roast this Thanksgiving or Christmas you need a more full-bodied wine with it than when you serve ham as a cold cut. Which one depends on the glaze.

Recipes vary hugely but generally include some element of sweetness to counteract the saltiness of the meat. There may be spice in the glaze too which calls for a red with generous ripe fruit - in other words an element of sweetness too. 

Good wine and Christmas ham pairings 

Grenache and grenache blends

Providing your glaze isn’t too sweet try a grenache or grenache blend from the South of France or Australia. That includes Côtes du Rhône but also the popular blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, often shortened to GSM.

Medium to full-bodied shiraz

But not too alcoholic or tannic, I’d suggest. Lovely ripe juicy fruit is just what you want with ham

Chilean merlot or carmenère

Soft and ripe, just the ticket. Good value, too.

Beaujolais

Not the light, gulpable kind but a serious ‘cru’ Beaujolais like a Morgon. For those who like ‘old world’ wines with a bit more acidity

Central Otago pinot noir

The richest of New Zealand’s pinot noirs this would work particularly well with sweeter glazes or ones that include star anise or five spice

Barossa semillon

Semillon tastes of pineapple and pineapple and ham go together so semillon and ham should be a perfect match, right? Absolutely, but I’d go for rich lush Barossa Valley semillon rather than the lighter Hunter Valley style.

And for the leftovers I’d suggest a light juicy Beaujolais or other gamay, a lighter pinot noir or a Chablis.

You may also find this post 20 Christmas wine pairings to learn by heart useful.

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