Pairings | Oysters

The best pairings for albarino (and alvarinho)
If I had to sum up the best food pairing for albarino in one word it would be seafood. Which makes sense considering where it comes from on the coast of Galicia in the Rias Baixas region of northern Spain.
It has that distinctive salty tang you get from another of the country’s iconic wines, manzanilla sherry which makes it a great match for all kinds of raw and lightly cooked shellfish but as I discovered from a tasting with Mar de Frades there are more complex oaked versions which can handle richer fuller flavours.
The same suggestions apply to its Portuguese counterpart alvarinho which is made just over the border in the Vinho Verde region
Best pairings for young fresh albarinos
Oysters
Fresh white crab
Fresh prawns or shrimp
Mixed shellfish platters
Steamed mussets or clams
Simply grilled fish such as seabass, squid or sardines
Light creamy cheeses like this dish of burrata and beetroot as well as goats cheese
Seafood pastas and risotti like this smoked haddock and leek risotto
Ceviche (marinated raw fish)
Sushi and sashimi
Best pairings for more mature complex albarinos
Caribenero prawns with garlic
Fish stews (for other ideas see The best wines to pair with fish soups and stews)
Seared scallops
Arroz negro (black rice with seafood)

The best food to pair with Chardonnay
If you’re looking for food pairings for chardonnay, you’re in luck! Whatever the style it’s a fantastic food wine. Which makes it all the more remarkable that many people still say they don’t like chardonnay.
I always think saying you’re bored with chardonnay is a bit like saying you’re bored with chicken. There are so many different styles including some of the world’s greatest white wines.
The key to pairing chardonnay is appreciating that it’s not just one wine - it depends where it’s made, whether or not it’s oaked and how mature it is when you drink it.
I’m sharing my favourite food pairings for every style of Chardonnay - whether you’re sipping a steely Chablis, a rich Californian chardonnay, or a bottle you’ve had sitting in your wine rack for a while.
Top food pairings for four different styles of chardonnay
Young, unoaked, cool climate chardonnay
Such as: The classic and most austere example of this is Chablis but other young white burgundies would fall into this category.
Good matches:
*They’re perfect with light and delicate food such as raw and lightly cooked shellfish like crab and prawns and steamed or grilled fish.
*If you want to serve chardonnay with appetizers think fish pâtés, fish, chicken or vegetable terrines.
*This style also goes well with pasta or risotto with spring vegetables and creamy vegetable soups.
*Finer, more intense examples such as Puligny-Montrachet can take on raw fish such as sashimi or delicately spiced fish or salads.
*Chablis is particularly good with oysters.
For more suggestions see this post on pairing food and Chablis
Fruitier, unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnays
Such as: Chardonnays from slightly warmer areas to the above but made in a more contemporary style - smooth, sometimes buttery with melon and peach flavours. Examples would be inexpensive chardonnays from the south of France, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa.
Good matches:
*Slightly richer dishes than those listed above but ones where a degree of freshness in the wine is still welcome.
*Fish pie and fish cakes (especially salmon fish cakes)
*other simple salmon preparations (simply poached or with a buttery sauce)
*chicken, pork or pasta in a creamy sauce (including in vol-au-vents!)
*chicken, ham or cheese-based salads such as caesar salad or chicken salads that include peach, mango or macadamia nuts
*mild curries with buttery sauces (such as chicken makhani)
Buttery, oaked Chardonnay
Such as: barrel-fermented, barrel aged or ‘reserve’ chardonnays, particularly top end Australian, New Zealand and Calfornian Chardonnay and top white burgundy, served within 1-3 years of purchase
Good matches:
*Similar dishes to the above but can take an extra degree of richness. Dishes like eggs benedict for example or even a steak béarnaise.
*Fine rich fish such as turbot, grilled veal chops with mushrooms
*Late summer vegetables such as red peppers, corn, butternut squash and pumpkin (pumpkin ravioli and a rich Chardonnay is very good)
*Cheddar cheese, if you’re looking for a chardonnay and cheese pairing.
*You can even drink a rich chardonnay with seared foie gras (and indeed many prefer it to Sauternes at the start of a meal)
Mature barrel-fermented Chardonnays
Such as: Wines that are about 3-6 years old. With age Chardonnay acquires a creamy, sometimes nutty taste and creamy texture that calls for a return to finer, more delicate dishes
Good matches:
*Umami-rich (savoury) dishes such as grilled, seared or roast shellfish like lobster and scallops
*simply roast chicken such as the poulet de Bresse above
*guinea fowl
*dishes that include wild mushrooms and slow roast tomatoes
*white truffles
*Hazelnut-crusted chicken or fish
*Sea bass with fennel purée
See also
The Best Food Pairings with White Burgundy
What chardonnay doesn’t pair quite so well with
*Light fresh cheeses such as goat or sheep cheeses (better with sauvignon blanc or an aged red, respectively
*Seared salmon or tuna (better with a light red like pinot noir)
*Tomato-based dishes (better with dry Italian whites or Italian reds)
*Thai flavours (better with Alsace pinot gris or New World sauvignon blanc)
Top image © Philip Wise at shutterstock.com

Best food pairings with sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc is many people’s favourite wine but what type of food pairs with it best?
As with other grape varieties its style varies markedly from one part of the world to the other - from the crisp minerally whites of the Loire to the exuberant gooseberry and passionfruit flavours of sauvignons from New Zealand’s Marlborough region.
Although many are interchangeable so far as food pairings are concerned others suit specific types of dishes and ingredients
Sauvignon blanc food pairing guide
Minerally sauvignon blancs
For instance: Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and sauvignon blanc from Tasmania
This is the style I’d pair with simple, barely seasoned ingredients such as raw and lightly cooked shellfish like oysters and shell-on prawns, fresh crab and simply grilled fish such as sea bass.
They also go well with dishes that contain raw or barely cooked tomato such as gazpacho, tomato consommé or tomato vinaigrettes and young goats’ cheeses - or salads that contain goats cheese and have an affinity with fresh herbs especially dill
And this style of sauvignon is a good wine match with Japanese dishes such as sushi and sashimi, seafood-based steamed and fried dim sum and smoked salmon, particularly if the smoke is delicate.
Citrussy sauvignon blancs
For instance: unoaked white Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc from the Adelaide Hills and Chilean sauvignon blanc.
I like this more citrussy style with grilled fish , especially oily fish such as sardines and mackerel, big garlicky prawns and chargrilled squid. They also pair well with fried fish like goujons, whitebait and fish and chips and with simply grilled chicken or lamb (without a powerful marinade)
In terms of ethnic cuisines they work well with Greek and Mexican food and other fresh-tasting dishes with avocados, tomatoes, green onions, olives and sharp cheeses like feta (though be careful not to neutralise their character with over-lemony dressings)
They also pair well with cheeses flavoured with garlic and herbs such as Le Roulé and Boursin. And this, in my view, is the best type of sauvignon blanc to drink with globe artichokes.
Aromatic/grassy/’herbaceous’ sauvignon blancs and sauvignon blends
For instance New Zealand sauvignon blanc and wines from cooler regions elsewhere such as South Africa’s Elgin region
I tend to reach for these with salads especially if they contain seafood and/or ‘grassy’ ingredients such as asparagus, pea-shoots, green peppers and herbs.
You can drink them with similar dishes to minerally sauvignon blancs but where the flavours are more pronounced e.g. seafood with south-east Asian flavours such as lime, chilli and coriander or Thai fish cakes. Try them with pea soups and dishes accompanied by pea purées too.
See also The best food matches with New Zealand sauvignon blanc
Oaked sauvignons and sauvignon/semillon blends
For instance: oaked white Bordeaux and fumé blanc styles
You can drink these where you might reach for a chardonnay or straight semillon - with white meats such as chicken or veal especially if accompanied by a creamy sauce or with spring vegetables such as asparagus and peas. Pasta dishes with spring vegetables and buttery or creamy sauces work well too.
They also suit simply grilled or pan-fried salmon, scallops and lightly smoked fish such as smoked eel and trout.
Top image © HLPhoto at fotolia.com

Which wines to drink on St Patrick’s Day
It’s hard to avoid the obvious on St Paddy’s Day. Guinness, Bailey’s and Irish whiskey are the usual suspects but if none of these appeals here are the sort of wines that will work with classic Irish fare.
Oysters
Here’s where the Guinness comes in but if you don’t like Guinness, what then? A crisp white like Chablis, Muscadet or Picpoul de Pinet hits the spot
Smoked salmon and soda bread
Sauvignon Blanc is a better match for smoked salmon than champagne if truth be told. I’d go for one from the Loire myself like a Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or - bargain drinking - Côteaux du Giennois, available in Majestic and Marks & Sparks
A lovely recipe from TV’s Rachel Allen. The blissful combination of shellfish and cream generally calls for a Chardonnay. Chablis would be classic but any other cool climate chardonnay would do. Or try an Italian white like Soave or Gavi
Irish stew
A plain, old-fashioned dish that works better with beer (bitter or pale ale rather than Guinness, I suggest) than with wine to be honest. Otherwise try a decent (but not too alcoholic) Côtes du Rhône or a mature Rioja
Again I really like stout with this kind of dish but wine-wise I’d be looking at a cru Beaujolais or other Gamay, an inexpensive red Burgundy or a young Syrah. Natural wines with their vivid fruit flavours work well with ham. Try the Raisins Gaulois I recommended in the Guardian a while back. Cider would also be a good pairing.
Another classic St Patrick’s Day dish from Darina Allen. Basically this is boiled salted brisket and vegetables - a simple meal that will make any accompanying wine taste sweeter than it otherwise would. I’d probably go for an inexpensive red Bordeaux though you could drink a crisp white like an Aligoté, Chablis or Grüner Veltliner.
Beef and Guinness pie or stew
Anything cooked in Guinness like these braised beef and champ pies or sausages in Guinness gravy are a good match with Guinness or other stouts or porters. Wine-wise I’d go for a robust Languedoc red, Syrah or Malbec
Roast rib of beef with horseradish sauce
There’s a long tradition of Irish-owned chateaux in Bordeaux so a good claret would be in keeping with the occasion. But any medium-to full-bodied red you enjoy is going to do the trick.
An Irish cheeseboard
Ireland has some fantastic cheeses like Adrahan, Coolea, Gubbeen and Cashel Blue though they tend to be quite strong. I’m not sure this isn’t an occasion to crack open a bottle of vintage port if you’ve got one. A good Late Bottled Vintage or 10 year old tawny if you haven’t.
There’s no classic St Patrick’s Day dessert that I’m aware of. Darina’s Rhubarb Bread and Butter pudding would do nicely (I’d pair a Sauternes with that) or try these clever Irish whiskey shots with a cream float from Rachel Allen
Photograph © Brent Hofacker - Fotolia.com

The best food and wine pairings for Valentine’s Day
If you’re planning a special meal for Valentine’s Day you may be wondering which wine to pair with your menu. I’ve picked some favourite Valentine’s Day foods and suggested some matches that should work well with them.
Asparagus
If served on its own with melted butter or a hollandaise sauce a subtle, creamy white burgundy or chardonnay would be the most seductive choice. If dressed with a vinaigrette or in a salad with seafood I’d go for a crisper white like a Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or other top quality sauvignon blanc.
Camembert
Camembert baked in its box makes a sexy instant fondue but isn’t the easiest of dishes to pair with wine (even trickier than when it’s served cold). Funnily enough a glass of champagne - or similar style sparkling wine - works surprisingly well or go for a dry white like a Chablis.
Caviar (or, more likely, a caviar imitation)
Dry champagne. (Vodka is arguably better but not as romantic.)
Chocolate (dark)
There are possibilities with wine (sweet reds like Maury or Quady’s seductive Elysium being good choices - see
www.quadywinery.com) but my own preferred option with dark chocolate is a frozen shot of cherry brandy or other fruit-flavoured spirit or liqueur or a small glass of sloe or damson gin. An orange-flavoured liqueur like Grand Marnier also works well.
Chocolate (white)
An ice-cold raspberry-flavoured wine or liqueur like Southbrook Winery’s Framboise from Canada. Especially if the dessert includes raspberries.
Duck
Pinot Noir. Look to New Zealand and Chile for the best value
Ice cream (vanilla)
Tricky with wine. A toffee or chocolate-flavoured liqueur is your best bet. Very sweet PX sherry can be wonderful poured over it.
Ice cream (chocolate)
Try a coffee-flavoured liqueur like Toussaint or Kahlua.
Lobster
Good white burgundy (or other chardonnay) or vintage champagne.
Wine with lobster: 5 of the best pairings
Oysters
Champagne or Chablis. Not Guinness on Valentine’s Night, I suggest.
Passion fruit
Can be quite sharp so you need a very sweet wine to balance it. A sweet riesling or late harvest semillon or sauvignon blanc will work well. If it’s mixed with a creamy base as in a passion fruit brulée you could drink a sweet (demi-sec) Champagne or other dessert wine. Or a passion fruit flavoured beer. (Yes, such drinks exist! Try Floris from Belgium.)
Prawns/shrimp
If you’re serving a classic prawn cocktail I suggest a dry or off-dry riesling which would also work with an Asian-style stir-fry or salad. A sparkling rosé - including champagne - would be a suitably kitsch all-pink choice.
The best pairings for prawns or shrimp
Smoked salmon
Champagne on this occasion. But see
Scallops
Made for top white burgundy or other really good chardonnay. Champagne is also spot on if that’s what you’re drinking.
Top wine pairings with scallops
Steak
The best full-bodied red you can afford. Whatever turns your partner on . . .
My 5 top wine and steak pairing tips
Strawberries
If served plain and unadorned, gently sparkling Moscato d’Asti or Asti is lovely or go for the luscious
Fragola liqueur. If they’re served with cream you could serve a classic sweet wine like Sauternes.
My top pairings with strawberries
Image © 9MOT at shutterstock.com
Latest post

Most popular

My latest book

News and views



