Pairing food and Chablis

Chablis, with its crisp acidity and flinty minerality, is a dream wine for food. From fresh Petit Chablis to complex Grand Cru, each style offers unique food pairing opportunities. Whether you’re a fan of oysters, creamy sauces, or even roast chicken, there’s a Chablis pairing waiting to be discovered.

In this guide, I’ll dive into the nuances of Chablis food pairing, exploring how factors like the age of the wine, the vintage, and oak influence come into play. I’ll cover everything from everyday Chablis to more indulgent bottles, providing you with the best pairings for each. I’ll break down specific pairings for various types of Chablis, including those that complement the wine’s vibrant citrus notes, its richer, more honeyed flavours, and everything in between. Whether you’re looking to impress guests or simply enjoy a better glass at home, this guide has you covered.

The Best Food to Match with Chablis

Despite the emphasis that winemakers place on the different crus or terroirs of Chablis, three factors seem to me to influence a food match more than any other for most of the Chablis you’ll taste - the age of the wine, the vintage, and the degree of oak influence, if any.

There are exceptions to this - Chablis styles that are particularly fruity or ones that have more vegetal notes - but in general, I think you’ll find most wines fall into one of the following five groups.

Inexpensive Young Petit Chablis and Chablis, and Very Young Premier Cru Chablis

• Gougères and other crisp, cheesy nibbles
• All kinds of raw shellfish, especially oysters
• Simply cooked shellfish dishes such as spaghetti alla vongole or moules marinières
• Fish and chips, goujons or other deep-fried fish
• Snails - or prawns - with garlic butter
• Charcuterie, especially jellied terrines like jambon persillé
• Seafood (e.g. crab or prawn) salads
• Vegetable terrines
• Andouillette (local Chablis sausage made with tripe and served with chips!)
• Lapin à la moutarde or other dishes with strong mustard-based sauces

2-3 Year Old Unoaked Premier Cru Chablis

(i.e. still lively and fresh-tasting but more intense)

• Smooth vegetable-based soups
• Simply grilled fish with butter and parsley
• Poached fish with creamy sauces
• Cold poached salmon with mayonnaise
• Oeufs en meurette Chablis-style (i.e. with a white wine rather than a red wine sauce)
• Simple fish stews such as pochouse (a creamy stew based on river fish with vegetables such as carrots, leeks, and potatoes) or waterzooi
• Fish pie
• Grilled Mediterranean fish such as rouget or sea bass with olive oil or tapenade
• Seafood or spring vegetable risotto
• Sushi and sashimi
• Goats cheeses
• Chaource (light, moussey Burgundian cow’s cheese)

Chablis or Premier Cru Chablis Made in a Richer Style

(e.g. vieilles vignes Chablis, Chablis with more pronounced oak character, more mature Chablis or wines from a warmer vintage such as 2018)

• Rich seafood such as seared scallops or baked crab
• Fine fish such as Dover sole, turbot, and halibut
• Salmon with a beurre blanc or other butter-based sauce or salmon in pastry
• Jambon à la Chablisienne (ham in a Chablis-based sauce with tomato and cream)
• Simply grilled veal or pork chops, especially with mushrooms
• Roast chicken, guinea fowl or pheasant (provided the latter is not too gamey in flavour)
• Washed-rind cheeses such as Epoisses and Soumaintrain

Grand Cru Chablis and the Best Premier Cru Chablis

Similar dishes to the above but using more luxurious or intensely flavoured ingredients:

• Grilled or steamed lobster
• Poulet de Bresse, especially with truffles
• Roast veal fillet, veal kidneys, sweetbreads, very rare fillet steak
• An underrated match for foie gras (the acidity can make a more refreshing match and a more congenial start to a meal than a sweet wine)
• Washed-rind cheeses, provided they’re not too mature (so not quite running over the cheeseboard . . . )

Very Old Chablis

(i.e. Chablis that has acquired a deep golden colour and rich, honeyed notes)

There’s an argument for serving such a rarity on its own but it can also be matched with very simply prepared dishes with pronounced umami flavours, such as roast chicken with a crispy skin, ceps, and Vieux Comté or old Gouda cheese.

Of course, there will inevitably be some cross-over between the categories I’ve identified. For example, almost all Chablis will go with chicken in a white wine sauce but with an inexpensive wine, you might add a touch of curry to the sauce whereas with a grand cru Chablis wine you might be more inclined to serve a poulet de Bresse and morels. So it’s also a question of whether the style of the dish matches the price and the age of the wine.

* NB: none of these styles should be over-chilled. Serve them a degree or so warmer than you would normally serve a crisp, dry white wine.

Photo © Jean-Jacques Cordier at fotolia.com

Wine and lamb: my 5 favourite pairings

It’s tough to say what the best wine matches for lamb are - it’s served so many different ways and there are so many wines (mainly red) that work but here are my five favourites.

Bear in mind lamb is a slightly fattier, gamier meat than beef and carries spicing well - you’ll find lamb dishes all over north Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and India. But it can also be quite delicate and sweet - when served rare for example.

Here are the five I most commonly reach for:

PINOT NOIR

The wine to go with more delicate lamb dishes such as rack of lamb served with spring vegetables, lamb noisettes or a spring lamb stew (See this report from the International Pinot Noir Convention a couple of years ago to see how ‘new world’ pinots performed against classic red burgundy)

RIOJA

Go to the Rioja region of Spain and you’ll invariably be offered a mountain of lamb cutlets cooked over smouldering vine cuttings - one of the most delicious examples of vineyard cuisine you’ll find anywhere. And a red Rioja reserva is the ideal partner.

CHIANTI

If you’re serving your lamb Italian-style with garlic and rosemary reach for a bottle of Chianti Classico. Its fresh acidity offsets lamb’s slight fattiness perfectly - one of those matches which makes both the wine and food sing.

RED BORDEAUX AND SIMILAR BORDEAUX BLENDS

Another part of the world where lamb is a favourite, particularly in the Médoc. Again likely to be served simply with garlic. A red Bordeaux or similar blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot will offset it beautifully. (Also good with classic British dishes such as Lancashire hotpot and shepherd’s pie!)

SOUTHERN FRENCH REDS AND OTHER GRENACHE/SYRAH/MOURVEDRE BLENDS

Wines from the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon are good for more robust lamb dishes such as braised lamb shanks, Moroccan tagines or other spicy stews and casseroles - even milder lamb curries.

For a longer list of options read Top Wine Pairings for Lamb

Image © HLPhoto - Fotolia.com

What’s the best wine to pair with lemon tart (aka tarte au citron)?

The classic tarte au citron is tricky with wine, particularly if it’s home made. And the sharper and more lemony (and delicious) it is, the harder it is to find a good match.

Basically what they tend to do is wipe the citrus flavours - and the sweetness - out of any accompanying dessert wine leaving them tasting thin and sharp. The only really successful match I’ve found is a sweet wine that has a lot of acidity like a German beerenauslese Riesling or other very sweet late harvest Riesling served really cold. (Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein or icewine could also work for you but I find they bump up the sweetness too much.

I also had success with a beerenauslese Chardonnay from Austria which was a bit of a surprise. Sweet chardonnay wouldn’t have occurred to me if I hadn’t tried it.

There is a trick you could pull. Serve the tart with a good dollop of cream (what a hardship!) and you’ll find it will kick other wines into touch. Late Harvest Sauvignons or Sauvignon/Semillon blends from the Australian Riverlands or Chile would be my preferred option.

They also go well with shop-bought lemon tarts and the slightly less intensely lemony lemon meringue pie.

Picture by Pixel-Shot at shutterstock.com

6 of the best drinks to pair with tacos

Tacos are the ultimate crowd-pleaser—easy to love, endlessly adaptable, and downright delicious. But when it comes to finding the perfect drink to go with your favourite taco, things can get a bit trickier. Should you reach for a cold beer with tacos? If so, should it be a lager, a pale ale or something else? Do margaritas work with tacos, or they better left as a pre-taco tipple? Can wine work with tacos? If so, red or white? 

In this post, I’ll diving into the best pairings for popular types of tacos, including fresh fish tacos, rich carnitas and everything in between. Whether you’re hosting a taco party or just looking to upgrade your weeknight meal, discover which drinks will take your taco game to the next level. 

The 6 best drinks to pair with tacos (bearing in mind you’re likely to have more than one kind)

Beer

Lager would be the usual go-to but the London-based taqueria Breddos has its own full-flavoured 5.4% version, Zirkus from Magic Rock, which they describe as a ‘tropical lager’. Absolutely delicious and perfect with the food.

Margaritas

You can’t beat the classic kind in my book. Spot on!

Mezcal

Hand in hand with the taco boom there has been an accompanying growth in the popularity of mezcal the more artisanal form of tequila. Most taquerias have extensive lists, either as shots or in cocktails.

Aguas frescas

I drank a tepache at El Pastor which is described as ‘lightly fermented pineapple juice with spices. Refreshing and not too sweet. Not necessarily alcohol-free but very low. Here’s how to make it at home.

Sauvignon Blanc

Generally chimes in well with the citrussy vibe of Mexican food

Dry rosé

Better than a red IMHO. Breddos stocks the Domaine des Triennes rosé from Provence which I really like.

Drink Pairings for 5 Popular Types of Tacos

Image credit: Roman Odinstov

Tacos al Pastor - Margarita or Mexican Lager

This popular taco variety features thinly sliced pork that has been marinated in a blend of spices, chilies, and pineapple, then cooked on a vertical rotisserie. It’s typically served on small corn tortillas with onions, cilantro, and a slice of pineapple. A classic Margarita or a cold Mexican lager can be a great pairing. The acidity and citrus notes of a Margarita cut through the fat and complement the sweetness of the pineapple, while a lager offers a refreshing contrast to the spiciness.

Carne Asada Tacos - Malbec or Negra Modelo

These tacos are made with grilled, marinated beef, usually skirt or flank steak, chopped into small pieces. They are often garnished with onions, cilantro, and salsa, served on corn tortillas. A robust red wine like Malbec or a Zinfandel can pair well with the rich flavors of carne asada. If you prefer beer, a dark Mexican beer like a Negra Modelo can complement the smoky and savory beef.

Tacos de Pescado (Fish Tacos) - Sauvignon Blanc or Wheat Beer

Originating from Baja California in Mexico, fish tacos consist of grilled or battered and fried fish (like cod or tilapia) placed on a corn tortilla and topped with a variety of garnishes such as cabbage, crema (a Mexican-style sour cream), and fresh salsa. A light and zesty white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio pairs well with fish tacos, enhancing the lightness of the fish and the tanginess of the toppings. A wheat beer or a light pale ale can also be a refreshing choice.

Tacos de Carnitas - Amber Ale or Mezcal

Carnitas tacos are made with pork that is braised or simmered in oil or lard until tender and then shredded or chopped. The meat is then often crisped up before being served in tortillas with various toppings. An amber ale or a German-style Märzen beer pairs nicely with the richness of carnitas, balancing the pork’s fattiness with their malty sweetness. A smoky Mezcal or an Añejo Tequila can also complement the richness of the meat.

Tacos de Barbacoa - Syrah or Stout

Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican cooking method where lamb, goat, or beef is slow-cooked until incredibly tender, typically with seasonings, and then shredded. The meat is then served on tortillas with onions, cilantro, and salsa. For barbacoa tacos, consider a full-bodied red wine like Syrah or a Tempranillo, which can stand up to the bold flavors of the meat. A dark, roasty stout or porter can also match the meat’s richness and smokiness.

See also: Wine, beer and other pairings for Mexican food

Top image credit: Jeswin Thomas