All The Top Red Wines, Paired…
Look no further than this concise and can’t-go-wrong guide you can use to pair our top red wines with the cuisines, they best gel with.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Far and away the world’s most top of mind red, the Cab is planted and sold on every continent. This French native has floored palates not just as the dominant grape of Left Bank Bordeaux blends but also a single varietal of many expressions across the New World, most notably South Africa and Chile. This wine nearly always does well with red meat that absorb and soften its tannins while the red’s ripe fruit palate amplifies the meat’s flavours. Burgers and mushroom topped pizzas also pair well.
Pizza
Pasta
Lamb
Syrah
Syrah is a thick skinned grape that’s a Rhone Valley original but claims most of the world’s vineyards where it grows, thrives and ferments into ripe red wines. In most of the new world, it actually goes by another name. While Syrah drinks peppery with subtle fruit and moderate tannins, Shiraz can be full bodied, ripe and super tannic. Yet, when it comes to food pairings, both the expressions work nicely with grilled meats such as pork, lamb and chicken. On the vegetarian end, lentils and mushroom dishes are a good choice.
Soft Cheese
Chicken
Mushroom
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir occupies a rarefied space in the red wine kingdom as a ferment of elegance and charming fruit. This light bodied resident of Burgundy has converted millions into red wine aficionados. Pinot Noir is an exciting food companion given its light body and juicy acidity. This versatile red matches well with chicken and lamb as well as interestingly, seafood like salmon and shrimp.
Salad
Seafood
Chicken
Merlot
Merlot matches consummately with a range of cuisines, especially comfort foods. We love our pastas, pizzas and assorted barbeque and so does Merlot. Merlot’s balance of fruit expression with soft rounded tannins allow it to enhance rather than clash with most dishes.
Pasta
Pizza
Malbec
Malbec’s contrasting nature of full body and soft tannins gives the wine the bandwidth to pair with a range of meats including pork and lamb as well as while mushroom and eggplant dishes, namely Mediterranean. The Argentine champ also lifts up a range of comfort foods – the universally loved mac and cheese is a winner with Malbec.
Mushroom
Mac & Cheese
Lamb
Sangiovese
The Italians don’t do food without red wine so when it comes to Italy’s most planted grape, one can only imagine how many dishes Sangiovese can pair with. Tomato based dishes splendidly elevate this expressive red, elevating flavour and acidity. Hearty meat dishes and red sauce pasta are excellent companions.
Tomato
Pasta
Chicken
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a delectably food friendly wine given its classical balance of hearty ripe fruit and spicy tones, bright acidity and firm tannins. Anything from grilled vegetables and meats to Tex Mex fare like burritos and tacos and comfort favourites including pizzas and pastas will do just fine with Tempranillo. The Spanish themselves love pairing their Tempranillo with an assortment of tapas (small plates) of cured meats and veggies. Tempranillo’s juicy acidity can also slice through the spice barrier of curries and gravies with ample weight to match their richness.
Tacos
Pizza
Curry
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is a big wine and absorb and elevate a range dishes so why not plump for the most comforting and delicious. So bring on generously creamy white and red sauce pastas, especially ravioli and spaghetti. Roasted and grilled meats like lamb and chicken immersed in heavy sauces that Nebbiolo’s high acidity and tannins cut through with consummate ease.
Pasta
Lamb
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most versatile wines to pair with food due to its spiciness, fresh attributes and the myriad of different levels of depth and textures. Grenache pairs perfectly with grilled, stewed and braised meats and moderately spiced Asian cuisine.
Chicken
Curry
Satay
Pinotage
Pinotage works best with food that reflects its style. So you can go with a whole range of smoked barbeque meats and veggies, preferably marinated in sauces that match the flavours of Pinotage. Rice dishes, especially biryani with gamey flavours would be a good match as would rustic pizzas with generous meaty toppings.
Pizza
Lamb
Biryani
Corvina
Now Corvina is clearly a red wine but light character and acidity lends the wine to dishes one would only really pair with whites. So seafood is certainly on the menu as are salads and grilled veggies. You can also enjoy moderately spiced curries and creamy pastas and pork ribs.
Salad
Hard Cheese
Curry
