When it comes to wine and food pairing, contrary to what many think, the white wines aren’t the easiest to pair. Their light, delicate flavours can easily get overwhelmed by even a simple beef stew. But when you get it right, nothing beats a great pairing of wine and food. The right balance of flavours can make the food appears more complex – you’ll taste every pinch of thyme and paprika!
Many tend to default to red wine food pairings because they think these are easier, but once you learn what to pair with white wines, you’ll enjoy a refreshing glass of white wine with almost every meal. As long as you know how to identify and highlight key flavours, most kinds of food go well with different styles of white wine.
There are many great varieties of white wine for sale online or at the local shop, so it’s easy to find one to pair with your favourite food.
Dry Wines
Light, dry white wines bloom when the food they’re paired with isn’t complicated. They pair particularly well with fresh seafood, anything with citrus and meals that have a natural sweetness. The acidity of white wines cuts through sweet flavours, allowing you to taste every single ingredient while preventing your palate from getting overwhelmed by too many sweet flavours at once. But don’t pair this kind of wine with an acid dish. For example, pairing an acid Chenin Blanc with a vinegar-heavy salad will set the wine up to compete with the dish, rather than complement it. Keep in mind that, in the word of wine and food pairing, opposites often attract. Conversely, dry wines don’t go well with sweet foods. For instance, pairing a dry Riesling with a rich slice of cheesecake will cause the wine to taste sours. Instead, pair a light, ultra-sweet white wine with an equally-sweet desert.
Sweet Wines
Sweet white wines go well with slightly acidic to spicy dishes. Let’s take the sweet Chenin Blanc as an example. You might not expect this delicate wine to pair well with a spicy, 20+ ingredient Indian curry, but it can be a fantastic combination. The underlying acidity of Chenin Blank defines the flavour of the curry like no other wine does. This wine is also sweet enough to balance the curry’s tangier, spicer notes.
Sparkling Wine
If I tell you that sparkling wine pairs well with potato chips, you’ll probably be shocked and even a little offended. But once you get to try this combination, you’ll immediately agree that this is a great idea. The saltness of the chips makes the bubbles in the wine much more exciting, while the fruitiness balances out the savoury snack. You may agree that this’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
Sparkling wine not only goes well with fatty snack foods, but it’s also a good pair with Caviar and Thai dishes. The one characteristic that all of these pairings share is the richness or high-fat content. The carbonation of sparkling wines helps keep the food lively even if they are weighed down by deep-fried breading.
Aged Whites
The kind of food that pairs well with aged white wines (those older than 10 years) isn’t the same that goes well with their young peers. The reason for that is, aged wines take on a more subtle personality as they mature, meaning they’re more fragile on the palate. Generally, you won’t need to serve any food with white wines that are older than 25 years, as their flavour is enjoyable enough alone. If you still want something to pair with your most prized bottles, try light cheeses like brie or mild gruyere. The soft nuttiness of these cheeses will complement the toasted nut flavours of an old while wine without overpowering the wine’s soft, cooked fruit.
The Right Temperature to Serve Your White Wine
No matter if it’s a white wine for sale you’ve got or an expensive one, the temperature you serve your wine can have a dramatic impact on the way the wine smells and taste. By serving the wine at its ideal temperature, you ensure the best experience.
Sparkling wines benefit from chilling. Keep them at 5-7° C to help preserve the bottle’s effervescence and bring out the wine’s fresh citrus notes and acidity. With vintage sparkling wines, serve a bit warmer, 7-10° C, to enhance those toast and biscuit notes. Keep your sparkling wine in the fridge up to two hours before serving.
Light, dry wines such as Sauvignon Blanck, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Chenin Blanc, should be served at 7-9° C. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the wine is in colour and style, the colder it should be served to keep its freshness and acidity. Time in the fridge should be about 90 minutes.
Full-bodied whites such as Trebbiano, Chardonnay, Albariño, Viognier, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, should be served at 10-12° C. These are the ideal temperatures to enhance their layered aromatic characteristics and rich flavours. Another rule of thumb to keep in mind is, the less oaky the wine, the closer to 10° C it should be served. Time in the fridge should be about 1 hour.
A Little Bit Of Taste 