Top pairings | Which foods pair best with Merlot?

Top pairings

Which foods pair best with Merlot?

Merlot has one of the widest ranges of styles of any red wine from the light, quaffable merlots of the Veneto to the grandest of Bordeaux. Obviously one type of food doesn’t go with them all but merlot is your flexible friend when it comes to wine pairing, smoother, rounder and less tannic than cabernet sauvignon with which, of course, it is often blended. Read this post to learn more about about Merlot what foods pair best with this versatile wine.

Why is Merlot Such a Food-Friendly Wine?  

Unlike cabernet you can pair merlot with a range of Italian dishes, especially tomato-based ones and it responds very well to the ‘umami’ (i.e. deeply savoury) tastes you get in foods such as roast chicken, mushrooms and parmesan.

Because a great many merlots are medium-bodied they tend to go well with richly sauced dishes such as steak (or even fish) in a red wine sauce or with casseroles, where a more powerfully tannic wine would be overwhelming. (It’s also a good wine to use when you’re cooking, making a rich base for red wine sauces)

Sides that pair well with merlot are caramelised roast veggies especially those with a touch of sweetness, such roast squash, red peppers and beets and - as mentioned above - fried or grilled mushrooms.

Fruity merlots also pick up on red fruit-based accompaniments such as cranberry sauce and salads that contain red berry fruits

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Comments: 4 (Add)

Valleywines on September 14 2021 at 20:33

Well appointed advice.

Peter Cummings on January 3 2017 at 08:21

Beef Wellington goes well with a 2005 St. Emilion or a 2006 Brunello.
We drink an Alsation Edelzwicker, dry Riesling or Porugiese Vino Verde to quiche. Wine should be white, light, fruity and dry

Fiona Beckett on November 22 2012 at 06:53

You mean with Merlot? It wouldn't be my first choice but these things are always personal. If it's a combination you enjoy, go for it. Depends on the egg dish but with quiche I'd generally go for a dry white like an unbaked chardonnay or a pinot blanc

Diane on November 22 2012 at 01:54

What about egg dishes, like quiche? A strange question I know.

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