Pairings | Pulses
The best wine pairings with beans
Pulses such as beans are a good friend to the vegetarian winelover - their rich, mealy texture provides a similar foil as meat to a hearty full-bodied red.
They are of course also served with meat in dishes such as cassoulet and fabada and also pop up in soups and salads.
In general I think reds work better than whites - bean dishes tend to be quite hearty and often spicy: as with pasta it depends more on the seasoning of the dish than the kind or shape of the bean.
Here are my suggested wine pairings for 10 of the most popular bean recipes taking account of the other dishes that usually accompany them (I’m excluding green beans here which rarely dictate a match on their own account.)
I wouldn’t say the wines you drink with them have to be grand (although if they're on the plate as a side as in lamb with flageolets - they could be*) so don’t fret too much.
A Pauillac, for example.
The 10 best wine pairings for beans
Chile con (or sin) carne
Any hearty fruity red works well with a chilli. Try a zinfandel or a malbec
6 of the best pairings for chilli con carne
Cassoulet
Cassoulet comes from south-west France so it makes sense to drink a wine from the region - my favourite is Marcillac but you could try a Madiran or almost any Languedoc red
6 of the best wine pairings with cassoulet
Fabada (image © Food Via Lenses)
A robust spicy pork and bean stew from northern Spain which includes chorizo and morcilla. I’d go for an inexpensive Rioja or Ribera del Duero with it but mencia would work well too.
Tuscan sausages with beans
A similar but less spicy dish from Tuscany that is just perfect with Chianti
The best food pairings for Chianti and other Tuscan sangiovese
Bean burgers
Less about the beans, more about the spicing, sauce and sides. I’d probably go for a slightly lighter red than I would with a meaty burger - say a medium bodied southern French red but a juicy red from almost anywhere would work. A good gamay? Absolutely
Six of the best pairings for a burger
Black bean soup
Quite like chilli con carne when it comes to wine although there are all the fancy toppings by way of sour cream, avo, coriander and lime to contend with which might make you inclined to drink a lighter, maybe Portuguese, red like a Dao. Honestly it’s more of a beer dish though. A really nice lager or a Negro Modelo would do it for me. (Here's the recipe if you fancy making it!)
Refried beans
Rarely served on their own so it’s much more about what you’d be inclined to drink with a Mexican or Tex Mex. Again I’m thinking beer but zinfandel would be a good bet or, if there’s chicken involved and bright flavours like lime and coriander on the plate, a fruity white like a sauvignon blanc. Refried beans are generally a side show.
Wine, beer and other pairings with Mexican food
Tonno e fagioli (tuna and bean salad)
I’d definitely go for a dry Italian white with this classic tuna and bean salad - something like a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
What’s the best match for tuna?
Mixed bean salad
Most likely to be part of a spread of other summery dishes so you’d be unlikely to go wrong with a rosé. On the other hand if you have a warm salad with a very assertive dressing like this purple sprouting broccoli with flageolet beans with preserved lemon mayo you might want a crisp white like an albarino.
Baked beans
A strong cup of black tea is by far and away the best option so far as I’m concerned but a fruity red like merlot would be fine. Bear in mind beans are quite sweet so could make a lighter, drier red taste a bit stripped out.
The best food pairings for Grenache
Although grenache is a grape variety that is not often celebrated, it’s one that deserves a closer look. As usual it’s hard to pin down a definitive style but it’s fair to say grenache is usually full-bodied, soft and low in acidity. Some grenaches are pretty powerful - usually due to natural bedfellows like syrah and mourvèdre being blended in - others, like Côtes du Rhône, are easy-drinking.
Its natural homeland is the Southern Mediterranean, especially France and Spain where it is called garnacha but there are some fine examples from Australia, California and Washington State. It’s a great wine for autumn and winter drinking.
But what truly makes Grenache shine is its ability to pair beautifully with a wide variety of foods. Whether it’s robust braises and stews or classic British pub dishes, Grenache has no difficulty standing up to big flavours. In this post, we’ll explore the best food pairings for Grenache, with tips and insights that will help you make the most of this versatile wine.
Top Food Pairings for Grenache
Braises and stews
My favourite type of food for grenache is braises and stews: long slow cooked roasts of pork or lamb that may even be a little bit fatty (shoulder of lamb and lamb shanks, for example). It suits daubes and stews with dark, winey sauces too
I like grenache too with classic French bistro dishes such as rabbit and hearty Spanish or Portuguese country cooking. It can take a bit of spice - I think there’s a particular affinity with paprika and pimenton. I enjoy a grenache with a goulash - and it would certainly go with milder curries like a rogan josh though I wouldn’t serve it with lighter Indian dishes. Grenache-based wines tend to go well with the slight sweetness of Moroccan tagines too.
British pub classics
A simple grenache or grenache blend like a Côtes du Rhône is a versatile match for many British pub classics like sausage and mash, shepherds pie and steak and kidney pie. Its absence of tough tannins also it a more accommodating match for cheese than many more structured reds, especially British regional cheeses such as Cheddar and Red Leicester. Grenache also pairs well with cooked dishes like macaroni cheese and with veggie bakes and lentil or bean-based dishes. Lighter, fruitier styles such as cheap Garnachas from Spain make good barbecue drinking - Grenache seems to like a bit of smoke.
Even the Christmas turkey!
A serious Grenache dominated red such as Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe is good with richer and gamier birds - I think it makes a great match for the Christmas turkey but you could also pair it successfully with guineafowl, pheasant or pigeon, especially if accompanied by caramelised roast root vegetables like carrots, beets and parsnips.
Priorat can take even more robust dishes such as venison and oxtail as you can see from this post though other grapes may have a more dominant influence.
There are of course also Grenache - or Garnacha - whites (characteristically earthy/Rhôneish) and strong, dry rosés - good partners for charcuterie and Spanish classics like paella and pork and beans and porty southern vin doux naturels like Maury, Banyuls and Rasteau which, like port, pair particularly well with chocolate, grilled figs and blue cheese (not all together, obviously!)
What not to pair with red grenache?
Well, it’s usually pretty high in alcohol so it wouldn’t be my ideal choice for steamed or raw dishes such as seabass or salads - even ones including meat - or subtle cuisines such as Cantonese or Japanese. It’s not great with citrus either which, for me, rules out Thai. And I think there are better matches for Italian food (most Italian ones) although Grenache is oddly good with dishes that contain cooked tomato and aubergine. But it’s a great seasonal wine - a warming, welcoming bottle to serve for the coming days of autumn and winter. Grenache should have its place in every cellar.
Photo ©Rostichep @fotolia.com
6 things you need to think about when pairing wine and vegetarian food
If you think it’s difficult to pair wine and vegetarian food, think again. It’s no trickier than it is for those who eat meat or fish.
True, vegetarian dishes tend to include more ingredients than a simple steak or piece of fish but if you focus on the style of the dish and the way it’s cooked it’s not hard to come up with a delicious wine match.
Here are six things to think about:
How the food is cooked
Is the dish a light dish like a salad or a hot dish like a casserole. The former will call for a lighter wine (generally a crisp dry white or rosé) than the latter which is more likely to go with a medium to full-bodied red. Fried foods like fritters always pair well with sparkling wine.
Which wine pairs best with salad
Does one vegetable e.g. mushrooms or asparagus dominate?
If so match that ingredient. Mushroom dishes for example generally work well with pinot noir, butternut squash with a rich white like a chardonnay and asparagus - contrary to the general wisdom - with all kinds of different wines.
Which wines and beers pair best with mushrooms
Top wine pairings with asparagus
Does it contain a meat substitute?
Veggie sausages and burgers or soy mince behave very much like their equivalent meat-based versions with wine so check the website for recipes and ingredients like sausages or spaghetti bolognese.
6 of the best matches for spaghetti bolognese
Does it come from a particular country or region e.g. Italy or the middle-east
In which case match the wine to that style of food - a southern Italian red works well with baked pasta dishes such as lasagne for example and a crisp dry white or rosé with mezze
Lebanese mezze and Côtes de Provence rosé
Is the dish spicy?
Spicy food tends to benefit from wines with a touch of sweetness like riesling and pinot gris. Full bodied fruity rosés also work well. But remember there are different kinds of spice - a zesty Thai green curry pairs better with an aromatic white like pinot gris or a punchy New Zealand sauvignon blanc while a rich aubergine curry would work better with a red.
What wine to drink with curry: my top 5 picks
Are pulses involved?
If so, good news! As they’d tell you in Tuscany pulses like beans and chickpeas are an excellent foil for a fine red wine like a good Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.
The best wine pairings with beans
The only other thing that need concern you is whether the wine is suitable for vegetarians i.e. whether any animal products are used in the fining process. Most supermarket own brand wines will give this information on the back label otherwise you’ll need to check with the producer or shop you buy from.
For more insights and ideas see this post I wrote for Decanter on which wines to drink with vegetarian food
Image by Foxys Forest Manufacture at shutterstock.com
What to drink with dal
Generally of course dal wouldn’t be eaten on its own but with a curry or a biryani but given it makes a pretty good midweek dish on its own or with rice you might fancy a glass with it. Here are some options
8 great drinks to pair with dal
Dal recipes obviously vary so you’ll need to experiment!
Cider
I mean, come on, this is Bristol. Let’s celebrate our regional drink. Besides it goes REALLY well with gently spiced food like dal
Lager
I’m not thinking of Kingfisher more like a good craft lager like Lost & Grounded’s Keller pils.
Sylvaner
Not as well known as Alsace’s other grape varieties such as riesling and gewürztraminer but I really like its refreshingly fruity character with a dal
Dry rosé
Rosé works surprisingly well with Indian food. I’d personally choose a dry-ish style from Provence or elsewhere in the south of France
A virgin mojito
And other lime-based drinks. Even a Rose’s lime cordial!
Salted lassi
Or mango lassi if you prefer but I like salted with dal. There’s a nice recipe here.
Coconut water
Not a huge fan myself but it would definitely work. My local Indian restaurant, Thali does a Arrack Sour cocktail with Ceylon arrack shaken with coconut water, lime and egg white which would totally hit the spot.
Cold brew tea
I was going to suggest chai but I think cold brew tea would be even nicer. There’s a useful guide on brewing up on the Samovar tea website
Photo © Bart at fotolia.com
RSS
Most popular
.jpg)
9 great wine pairings for duck (updated)
My latest book
How to Drink without DrinkingNews and views
.jpg)
Fine Wine and Fast Food
About Fiona
About Matching Food & Wine
Work with me
