The best wine pairings with Caesar salad

As with most salads Caesar salad is all about the dressing which on the face of it sounds tricky, anchovies being notoriously difficult to match with wine.

In fact by the time you’ve whizzed them up with an egg yolk and plenty of parmesan you’ve got a creamy dressing which while tangy isn’t too much of a wine killer - and there are always the croutons to offset it. I’d still be inclined to stick to a dry white or rosé though rather than a red.

The only variable is whether the salad contains chicken and even then it’s not likely to affect your choice too much. If it’s charred it can handle a fuller-bodied white.

* crisp dry whites such as Chablis and other unoaked chardonnays, chenin blanc (not the richer, off-dry style), dry Italian whites such as Gavi or a good Pinot Grigio or a Spansih Albarino

* if the chicken is chargrilled you could partner it with a slightly richer chardonnay. An oaked white from the Douro region of Portugal could also work well.

* a crisp dry rosé from Provence or elsewhere in Southern France

If you fancy a beer try a Belgian-style blonde ale or golden ale like Duval which also makes a great match

For other salad pairings see Which Wine Pairs Best With Salad

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What wine to drink with gazpacho

If there’s one dish more difficult to pair with wine than already tricky tomatoes it’s gazpacho, the chilled Spanish summer soup that includes raw onion and peppers as well. So what wine should you match with it?

White rather than red I suggest and make it young, crisp and fresh without any oak influence. Bear in mind that if you’re in the mood for gazpacho you’re in the mood for a refreshing drink

6 of the best wine pairings for gazpacho

Rueda or sauvignon blanc

Good Rueda (and I wouldn’t buy the cheapest one you can lay your hands on) is a great match with the same bright citrussy flavours as a sauvignon blanc which of course would do too. I suggest one of the more restrained styles such as Reuilly from the Loire rather than a full-on New Zealand sauvignon blanc

Albarino

Galicia’s elegant versatile white is always a good option

Picpoul de Pinet

As is Picpoul from the south of France (good value too)

Dry Italian whites

Always spring into life with food - anything from a good pinot grigio from the Alto Adige to a Falanghina, Pecorino or Greco di Tufo from the south

Manzanilla sherry

You might be surprised to find sherry so far down the list given it’s a go to match with soup but that’s because it’s unpredictable, depending on the sherry and the recipe. When it works it’s brilliant but it just might misfire. My favourite style would be well chilled manzanilla from a freshly opened bottle though with white gazpacho (ajo blanco) I would go for a fino - or even a dry moscatel.

Provence rosé - which is more like a dry white wine - is also a pretty good option if it’s not too fruity which generally would be the case.

And read about this surprise pairing with smoked vodka!

See also

The best wine matches for tomatoes

Matching wine and soup

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6 of the best pairings for pinot grigio

That pinot grigio is many people's favourite white wine should come as no surprise - it’s a refreshing, versatile wine that pairs really well with light, summery food and ever-popular Italian staples such as pasta and risotto.

Six top pairings for pinot grigio

• Antipasti, especially seafood and vegetable-based ones like seafood salad or marinated fish like octopus
• Fried fish or vegetables such as fritto misto - or even fish and chips
• Light pasta sauces including seafood like clams, cream or fresh tomato (it’s not so good with more robust meaty sauces). You can even add a splash of the wine to the recipe as I’ve done in this recipe for tiger prawns with tomato and basil sauce. Pinot grigio is great with a carbonara too.
• Light seafood or vegetable-based risottos such as risotto primavera(with spring vegetables such as peas and asparagus) or with fennel. Risi e bisi too.
• Light seafood salads such as crab or prawn/shrimp salad
• Sushi - it might not be the obvious pairing but it's a good one

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Wine and Appetizer Pairings: a quick guide

The best wine to pair with appetizers and hors d’oeuvres largely depends on whether they precede a meal, as is traditional, or - as is more common these days - actually make up the meal itself, says regular contributor Monica Shaw. After all, we all seem to enjoy grazing these days.

The challenge is that people often serve multiple appetizers at once, each with contrasting flavours and a wide variety: cold, hot, rich, fresh, spicy, and often quite salty. The wines you choose should be as palate-cleansing as they are quaffable. Chances are, you’re entertaining, so you’ll want to pick wines that all your guests will enjoy.

In this post I’m sharing tips on crowd-pleasing wines that tend to pair well with all manner of appetizers, from dips and chicken wings to cheese boards and nachos. I’ll also cover some of the most popular appetizers and the wines that go best with them. 

The wine styles to look for with appetizers:

Sparkling wine

A good choice if the appetizers are performing their traditional role as pre-meal nibbles - particularly good with anything crisp, crunchy or deep-fried. Prosecco will be most people’s favourite these days though there are many other good sparkling wines including cava, crémant and, of course champagne.

White wine

Think fresh, unoaked whites rather than a rich white like chardonnay which is better with a meal. Sauvignon blanc is generally popular but a crisp Italian white like pinot grigio or Gavi generally go down well too especially with Italian antipasti. And although many people think they don’t like riesling in practice they generally do, especially with spicy snacks. If you enjoy it, go for it!

Red wines

More challenging as although many people like full-bodied reds like cabernet sauvignon and shiraz they can be a bit heavy at the start of the evening. Think more in terms of medium-bodied reds like pinot noir and merlot and lighter styles of zinfandel.

Rosé

A great option and not just for summer. Dy rosés from Provence and elsewhere in Southern France are hugely versatile and can stand up to big flavours. A good choice for charcuterie, cheese and tapas.

Sherry

Not for everyone but if you’re into tapas you can’t beat a chilled fino or manzanilla sherry. I’d offer the choice of one or two other wines - either white, rosé or red - too though

Wine pairings for popular appetizers

If you are only serving one appetizer here’s the type of wine to look for:

Artichoke and spinach dip
Artichokes are tricky and can make wine seem sweeter than it is so make sure your wine is bone dry. Italian whites such as pinot grigio work well or try a chilled fino sherry.

Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Prosecco, rosé, or an off-dry riesling.

French Onion Dip
Not only oniony but creamy too. A citrussy sauvignon works well or try a fresh, young chenin blanc

Deviled Eggs 
Go for a drier style of prosecco or a Gavi de Gavi.

Pigs in blankets
Bread encased hot-dogs, a Super Bowl Party classic which may steer you towards a beer. Wine-wise I’d be inclined to go for a light, fruity pinot noir.

Fried pickles
Pickles need something light, crisp, and fruity to handle the acidity. A sharply flavoured white like a picpoul or pinot grigio should do the trick. Or a dry riesling.

Cheese ball
A soft juicy red like a merlot or a sauvignon blanc both work well

Bruschetta and crostini
The classic bruschetta is topped with fresh tomatoes with which you could drink a dry Italian white like pinot grigio or a red like Chianti. Richer toppings like chicken livers are better with a red like a Chianti or Barbera.

Nachos
Again natural beer food but given the melty cheese I’d go for a medium-bodied fruity red rather than a white if you fancy a glass of vino. Merlot or zinfandel would both hit the spot.

Antipasti
With Italian style antipasti I’d generally choose a dry Italian white like a pinot grigio or verdicchio but dry Provençal-style rosé also works really well. As do light Italian reds like Valpolicella, Teroldego and Refosco particularly if your antipasti predominantly consists of cold meats.

Smoked salmon
Champagne (or other champagne-like sparkling wine) is the classic pairing but there are many other options including sauvignon blanc as you can see from this post.

Garlic Cheesy Tear and Share Bread
What’s not to like about this indulgent snack? Garlic goes really well with sauvignon blanc so you can happily serve that or a juicy red like zinfandel for that matter. And personally I wouldn’t be averse to a glass of sparkling wine.

You might also find these posts useful:

• What wine to pair with canapés and other party food
• The best food pairings for rosé
• What sort of food to pair with prosecco?
• Best food pairings with sauvignon blanc
• Wine and Cheese Pairing for Beginners
• 6 of the best Spanish Wines to pair with Tapas

Regular contributor Monica Shaw is the author of eatsleepwild.com and writersresidence.com.