Pairings | Wild mushrooms
Which wines and beers pair best with mushrooms?
If you think of the ingredients that show off a great wine mushrooms would have to be near the top of the list.
Possessed of the sexy ingredient umami - the intensely savoury taste identified by the Japanese, they flatter and act as the perfect foil for wines as disparate as vintage Champagne, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Beers too can work well, particularly dark lagers and brown ales, less fashionable styles but ones which have a real affinity with earthy mushroom flavours.
Like any other ingredient it depends how you prepare and cook mushrooms, of course and what other ingredients there are in the dish. Delicate wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce are a different proposition from big flat Portabello mushrooms baked with garlic and parsley.
Here are some suggestions:
- Mushrooms in a creamy sauce - possibly the ultimate preparation so far as wine is concerned whether it’s the base of a tart, a pasta sauce or simply on toast. You can mirror the creamy texture with a like-meets-like pairing of a fine white burgundy or other oak-aged Chardonnay, lift the dish while echoing its umami flavours with vintage Champagne or pick up on the mushrooms’ earthiness with a red burgundy or other Pinot Noir. For a not-so-special occasion a simple unoaked Chardonnay will do the trick.
- Mushroom risotto - Smooth dry Italian whites such as Soave and Gavi work well. If the mushroom content is predominantly porcini try an aged Italian red such as Barolo or vintage rosé Champagne.
- Duxelles - an unfashionable but wonderful way of cooking mushrooms (chopping them very finely then sauteing them in butter with onion until the mixture is completely dry). A perfect match for a great Pinot Noir.
- Mushrooms in tomato sauce - a combination most likely to be found in Italian dishes especially pasta sauces. Sangiovese and Sangiovese blends (e.g. Chianti Classico) tend to be the best match but a Belgian dubbel beer or Viennese-style lager can work well.
- Baked or stuffed Portabello mushrooms - have the meaty quality of a steak so can be paired with almost any robust red such as Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz or, if the dish contains cheese, Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Steak and mushroom (or simply mushroom) pie - Depends on the base of the sauce. If it’s wine-based, a full-bodied red, as above (a good Côtes du Rhône Villages or Languedoc red like a Faugères would also work). If the sauce is more like a gravy or has a dark mushroom flavour try a full-flavoured ale such as a dark Belgian Trappist beer, a northern French bière de garde, a brown ale or a strong English ale.
- Mushroom soup - Depends how creamy it is. If it’s quite light I’d go for a Chardonnay (see mushrooms in creamy sauce above) If it’s more intensely mushroomy or includes mustard (there’s a good recipe in my book An Appetite for Ale!) I’d choose a dark beer like Westmalle Dubbel or even a stout or porter.
- Mushroom quiche - Again how mushroomy is the dish? If the predominant flavour is cream, eggs and cheese I’d probably pick a white burgundy or Pinot Blanc. If the mushroom flavour is more powerful I’d revert to Pinot Noir.
- Mushrooms à la grècque or preserved in oil - a classic Italian-style antipasto that will work with almost any crisp, dry Italian or Italian-style white or a dry rosé. You could drink a pilsner or Kolsch with it successfully too.
- Oyster/shitake mushrooms with soy - Unlikely to be served on its own unless it’s part of a vegetable stir-fry so you’re probably going to be looking for a wine that will perform well with a selection of Chinese or Chinese-style dishes. Ripe fruity reds such as new world Pinot Noir, Merlot or even young Rioja can work surprisingly well. For a lighter dish or selection of dishes try a dry (and I mean dry) Riesling from Alsace or Austria.
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 something in between. We’ll dive into the best dishes to bring out the vibrant fruit, balance the acidity, and complement those creamy textures.
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-500.jpeg)
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 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 3-8 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 well with
*Chinese food (better with German riesling)
*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
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