Wine & Food Pairings

Pairing food and wine correctly is fun and rewarding so here are some guidelines.
Check out our Recipes . . .

White Wines

Bland protein with spices: Japanese foods like Sushi; Thai foods like Lemongrass Chicken or Shrimp in Chili Sauce. Mexican foods like salsa, guacamole and quesadillas.

Flavorful protein with cream sauces: Crab Cakes, scallops, fish with various cream sauces. Creamy soups, salads with strong dressing like Louie or Cesar. Complex salads involving fruits like pear with goat cheese.

Flavorful protein with dill sauces: Ahi, scallops, raw oysters with vinaigrette or pickled onions.

Raw or cooked fruit and curry dishes: Grilled peaches or apricots in salads or desserts, nuts, curried dishes such as Indian or Thai curry. Viognier works well with Sushi such as spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail, sashimi and nigiri as well as managing the heat of wasabi ginger, rice vinegar and soy sauce.

Simple, non-spiced foods with a single delicate flavor like Rack of Lamb, Fillet Mignon, Roasted Eggplant, or Chocolate Tort.

Likes foods with a single, delicate flavor that might include cream. Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine, couscous with ground lamb, vegetable pizza, braised lamb shanks, short ribs or lamb stew. Almost all meats, red or white, especially creamy dishes such as stroganoff or crème brulée.

Definitely a red meat wine. New York and T-bone steaks with just a little pepper and salt, garlic or blue cheese butter or Béarnaise sauce.

Definitely a big red meat wine. Pair it with roast beef, rib-eye steak and prime rib. It also goes well with roast turkey and chicken and will stand up to spicy Mexican, Cajun, Indian and Italian foods, especially those with rich tomato based sauces. Outstanding with sausage pizza topped with chili or barbecue sauce. Try with slow-cooked brisket or braised beef short ribs and always include a little Tango in the au jus.

Complex, non-spicy foods with lots of flavors like Lasagna, Osso Buco, Coq au vin, casserols and stews.

Grilled foods and spicy foods involving black pepper. Steak au Poivre, Pepperoni Pizza, etc. Great with any kind of open flame or smoked barbeque.

A wide range of simple, direct foods with either fairly neutral spices or multiple spices. Hamburger, steak, dense white fish and white meats, like chicken or pork.

Simple, non-spiced foods with a single delicate flavor that have been caramelized. Grilled meats and shellfish, such as charred prawns or scallops, especially if wrapped in a protein-rich food such as bacon or prosciutto.

Rosé will generally work with pâtés, pasta & risotto paired with soft foods like marinated olives, pissaladies, sun dried tomatoes and salmon or chili pork tenderloin.
Our Rosé is perfect paired with popcorn, butter and our Truffle Salt while watching the game or an old movie.
At brunch, serve Rosé to accompany scrambled egg with smoked salmon or Quiche Lorraine.
As a first course, try a 50/50 blend of Rosé and champagne (Fizz, naturally) to accompany oysters or a recipe like our Aussie Seafood Salad

Somewhat direct flavored food dishes such as Peking Duck, Spring Rolls, Mu Shu Pork and Barbecued Pork with Hoisin Sauce. Cheeses such as Truffle Tremor and most single flavor foods spiced with mushrooms or truffle flavoring.

Complex food dishes with multiples of earthy flavors such as Mushroom Ravioli in a Truffle Cream Sauce, Cedar Planked Salmon, Chicken Paillard and dishes with cherries or cranberries in the sauce.

Here is a list of foods that might work well with our Rapture and Passion Pinot Noir wines.

Cured meats in a charcuterie plate like pork, ham, prosciutto, sausage, bacon and pâtés.
Pasta & risotto with a pesto sauce, perhaps including tuna or salmon.
Fowl like chicken, turkey duck, goose, squab and pheasant.
Mushrooms, beans, lentils, wild rice.
Mild lamb and veal dishes.
Shellfish in a pink sauce like lobster bisque.
Venison including elk, antelope, ostrich, buffalo or rabbit.

Works well with most foods spiced with the broad-spectrum spices or "condiment" spices such as, mustard, horseradish or barbecue sauce, examples of such dishes include Pork Spare Ribs with Barbecue Sauce, Beer Bratwurst with Mustard, Pulled Pork Sandwich or Roast Beef with Smokey Onion Mustard. Excellent with Prime Rib or Roast Beef with Creamy Horseradish. Also works well with the flavors in Chinese foods and spices such as Szechuan peppers, ginger, duck sauce and five-spice powder.

Very food-friendly blend of Cabernet and Shiraz,so can be enjoyed with a broad range of light dishes including fish, veal, and poultry. Even rich southern French cooking is a great pairing such as Spit Roasted Chicken.
Rich spices like ginger and tarragon flavors are a natural match, as is a slight smokiness. Vegetables, lightly spiced with onion, pepper and nutmeg will work well. Elate will also work with fermented and aged foods such as cheeses, shrimp pastes, soy and teriyaki sauces, etc.

A "wine lovers wine" this Châteauneuf-du-Pape style wine pairs with complex foods, sharing lots of flavors. Enjoy with anything from a rich winters casserole to a Carnitas Burrito with Salsa Verde and Sour Cream.
A wonderful food wine it should complement pleasant "brothy" or "meaty" tasting foods, rich in umami taste such as fish, cured meats, vegetables such as mushrooms, ripe tomatoes, together with broth and bouillon made of bones, meats and vegetables having a complex taste.