Basic Wine Characteristics + Food & Wine Pairing Tips & Suggestions

Basic wine characteristics

The five basic wine characteristics are:

Sweetness:Any residual sugar remaining from the fermentation process will make a wine taste sweeter. If two wines have the same amount of sugar in them, the wine with lower acidity will taste sweeter than the higher acidity wine.
Acidity: Acidity in wine comes from tartaric, malic, and citric acid from the grapes. Acidity is responsible for the perceived tartness or crispness in wine. As grapes ripen, they become less acidic (and more sugary). Therefore, wines from cooler climates are typically more acidic because the grapes have a difficult time ripening in the cooler temperatures.
Tannin: Tannin is a polyphenol found in grape skins and seeds. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins, it has tannins whereas white wine does not. Tannins create a mouth-drying feeling on the tongue or gums, which helps with palate cleaning.
Alcohol: Alcohol is made from yeast converting grape sugar into ethanol. Alcohol adds body to wines, with bigger bodied wines typically having higher alcohol contents. Alcohol also registers as a burning sensation in the throat.
Body: The difference between a light and full-bodied wine is similar to the difference between skim and full milk. Lighter wines tend to be more acidic, lower alcohol, less tannic, and less sweet whereas bolder wines tend to be less acidic, higher alcohol, more tannic, and more sweet.

Food and wine pairing tips

Acidic Food:match with high-acid wines. Lower acidity wines will taste flat.
Rich Food:match with high tannin reds or high acid whites for their palate cleansing effects with fat.
Spicy Food:match with low alcohol or sweet wines to reduce the burning sensation in your mouth.
Bitter Food:match with low to no-tannin or sweet wines. Tannic wines will increase the bitterness.
Sweet Food:match with sweet wines. Sweet food will often make a regular dry wine taste more bitter.
Salty Food:match with acidic or fruity wines.

When pairing, go for balance between your food and wine pairings. Pair lighter wines with lighter dishes and bolder wines with heavier dishes. Match weight with weight, intensity with intensity, and aromatics with aromatics.

Wine pairing principles

There are two main theories behind pairings: congruent and complementary. In congruent wine pairings, there is a strong overlap of flavour compounds between the food and wine, which intensifies the overlapping qualities. In complementary pairings, there are only a few shared flavour compounds between the food and wine, which means you’re going for contrast and balance.

Wine pairing examples

Congruent Wine Pairing: A creamy sauce with pasta paired with an oaked Chardonnay from California. The buttery flavours from the oak aging create a soft wine that supports the creaminess in the dish. If an unoaked Chardonnay that was very crisp and acidic was chosen instead, this would create a complementary wine pairing.

Complementary Wine Pairing: Pairing the same creamy pasta dish above with an unoaked Chardonnay or a bright New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The bright crispness and acidity in either of these wine pairings would contrast with the fat from the sauce, giving the tongue two very different flavour profiles and mouthfeels.

Another great option for wine pairings is to pick wines based on the region of the cuisine. For example, if you are cooking a Moroccan chickpea dish, try a wine from Spain, Italy, or the southern coast of France. Spices of a particular region tend to develop around what the climate makes available, which also holds true for the grapes that grow nearby. That being said, don’t feel like you need to automatically rule out any United States, Australia, or Eastern European wines with your Moroccan chickpea dish. Wines from similar climates the world over can likely pair nicely with your dinner.

White wine pairing

Old school wine pairing rules emphasised red with meat and whites with veggies. This mantra is largely outdated and it’s better to focus on sweetness, acidity, and body of the wine and how it interacts with the dish. White wine is incredibly diverse, spanning from crisp or heavy to honey or lemon to bone dry or sweet. Below is an overview of main white wines:

Albariño pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Spain / Portugal
Flavours: lemon, grapefruit, nectarine, melon
Pairs well with these foods: Thai, Moroccan, Indian cuisine

Chardonnay pairing

Body: full
Acid: medium
Origin: France
Flavors: yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, butter, chalk
Pairs well with these foods: butter or cream sauce dishes

Chenin Blanc pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: France
Flavors: lemon, yellow apple, pear, honey, chamomile
Pairs well with these foods: apples and apple desserts, Chinese cuisine, fried foods, Mexican cuisine, salad, spicy dishes

Gewürztraminer pairing

Body: medium
Acid: low
Origin: Germany and France
Flavors: lychee, rose, grapefruit, tangerine, guava
Pairs well with these foods: Asian, Indian, Thai cuisine, smoked foods, curries, aged cheese, desserts

Grüner Veltliner pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Austria
Flavors: yellow apple, green pear, green bean, white pepper, lime
Pairs well with these foods: Aromatic and Japanese cuisine

Muscadet pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Loire, France
Flavors: lime, lemon, green apple, pear, seashell
Pairs well with these foods: pickled foods, fried foods, salad, citrus vinaigrettes

Pinot Grigio pairing

Body: light
Acid: medium
Origin: France and Italy
Flavors: lemon, yellow apple, melon, nectarine, peach
Pairs well with these foods: salad, smoked cheese, spicy food, grilled vegetables

Riesling pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Germany
Flavors: lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, petroleum
Pairs well with these foods:Indian, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine, spicy foods, blue cheese, summer fruit, salad, desserts

Sauvignon Blanc pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: France
Flavors: gooseberry, green melon, grapefruit, grass, white peach, passionfruit
Pairs well with these foods: cheese (Brie, Feta, Goat), Mexican cuisine, salad

Soave pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Veneto, Italy
Flavors: preserved lemon, honeydew melon, salt, green almond
Pairs well with these foods: goats cheese, salad, pesto, lighter pizzas

Viognier pairing

Body: medium
Acid: low
Origin: Southern France
Flavors: tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle, rose
Pairs well with these foods: butter and cream sauces, curries, Indian cuisine, Thai Food

Red wine pairing

Red wine is typically a heavier wine – fuller bodied and higher alcohol content – which pairs nicely with traditionally heavier dinner meals and meat dishes. Below is an overview of main red wines:

Beaujolais pairing

Body: light
Acid: medium to high
Origin: France
Flavors: huckleberry, raspberry, violet, soil, banana
Pairs well with these foods:cheese (goat, Brie, cheddar), pasta with light sauces, curries, pizza, spicy dishes, roasted vegetables

Bordeaux blend pairing

Body: full
Acid: medium
Origin: France
Flavors: plum, black currant, violet, graphite, cedar
Pairs well with these foods:barbecued food, aged cheese (Cheddar or Gouda)

Cabernet Franc pairing

Body: medium
Acid: medium to high
Origin: France
Flavors: strawberry, roasted pepper, red plum, gravel, chili pepper
Pairs well with these foods: red sauce pasta, pizza, tomato, roasted vegetables

Cabernet Sauvignon pairing

Body: full
Acid: medium
Origin: France
Flavors: black cherry, black currant, red bell pepper, baking spices, cedar
Pairs well with these foods:cheese (Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola), dark chocolate, burgers, mushroom risotto,

Grenache pairing

Body: medium
Acid: medium
Origin: Spain
Flavors: dried strawberry, grilled plum, grapefruit, leather, licorice
Pairs well with these foods:barbecue, pizza, Moroccan cuisine, spicy dishes

GSM blend pairing (grenache-syrah-mourvèdre)

Body: medium
Acid: medium to high
Origin: Côtes du Rhône, France
Flavors: raspberry, blackberry, dried green herbs, baking spices, lavender
Pairs well with these foods:Mexican cuisine, root vegetables

Malbec pairing

Body: full
Acid: medium
Origin: Southwest France
Flavors: red plum, blueberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, cocoa
Pairs well with these foods: barbecued foods, chili, fajitas, Indian cuisine, pizza, spicy dishes

Merlot pairing

Body: medium
Acid: medium
Origin: France
Flavors: raspberry, black cherry, sugar plum, chocolate, cedar
Pairs well with these foods:blue cheese, cranberries, tomato sauce pasta

Montepulciano pairing

Body: medium
Acid: medium to high
Origin: Southern Italy
Flavors: red plum, oregano, sour cherry, boysenberry, tar
Pairs well with these foods: pasta with tomato or mushroom sauce, pizza, mushroom risotto

Nebbiolo pairing

Body: full
Acid: high
Origin: Northern Italy
Flavors: rose, cherry, leather, clay pot, anise
Pairs well with these foods: cheese, tomato-based sauces

Pinot Noir pairing

Body: light to medium
Acid: medium to high
Origin: France
Flavors: cranberry, cherry, raspberry, clove, mushroom
Pairs well with these foods: cheese (goat, Brie, feta)

Sangiovese pairing

Body: medium
Acid: high
Origin: Italy
Flavors: red currant, roasted tomato, raspberry, clay pot
Pairs well with these foods:cheese, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, Italian cuisine

Syrah pairing

Body: full
Acid: high
Origin: France
Flavors: blueberry, plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, green peppercorn
Pairs well with these foods: barbecued foods, casseroles, cheese (Gouda, Parmesan), chili, burgers with ketchup, rich pastas, ratatouille

Tempranillo pairing

Body: full
Acid: high
Origin: Spain
Flavors: cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, dill
Pairs well with these foods: beans, cheese, lentils, roasted root vegetables

Sparkling wine pairing

For a long time, I thought sparkling wine was reserved only for fancy occasions. As I’ve learned more about wine, I’ve been happy to be proven wrong. Sparkling wine pairs perfectly with lots of different vegan and vegetarian dishes with its crisp lightness and palate cleansing bubbles. Below is an overview of the main sparkling wines and vegan food pairings:

Cava pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Spain
Flavors: quince, lime, yellow apple, pear, almond
Pairs well with these foods:barbecued foods, Chinese cuisine, desserts, fried foods, Japanese cuisine, salad

Champagne pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Champagne, France
Flavors: citrus, peach, white cherry, almond, toast
Pairs well with these foods:appetizers, asparagus, butter or cream sauces, Chinese cuisine, vegetarian curries, fried food, Indian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, mushrooms, peaches

Prosecco pairing

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: Northern Italy
Flavors: green apple, honeydew melon, pear, honeysuckle, cream
Pairs well with these foods:Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, salad

Dessert wine pairing

Dessert wines range from off-dry to very sweet. They can be fruity when they’re young or develop nutty, honeyed, and caramel flavour profiles as they age.

Madeira pairing

Body: full
Acid: high
Origin: Madeira Island, Portugal
Flavors: burnt caramel, walnut oil, peach, hazelnut, orange zest
Pairs well with these foods:almonds and almond desserts, bananas and banana desserts, milk chocolate, chocolate desserts, custards, pecans and pecan desserts, pumpkin desserts

Port pairing

Body: full
Acid: medium
Origin: Portugal
Flavors: ripe blackberry, raspberry, cinnamon, candied apple, star anise
Pairs well with these foods:blue cheese, cherry desserts, bittersweet or dark chocolate, apples and apple desserts, nuts and nutty desserts

Sauternes pairing (noble rot)

Body: light
Acid: high
Origin: France
Flavors: lemon curd, apricot, quince, honey, ginger
Pairs well with these foods:almonds and almond desserts, cake, custards, fruit and fruit desserts, blue cheese

Sherry pairing

Body: medium
Acid: high
Origin: Spain
Flavors: jackfruit, salt, preserved lemon, brazil nut, almond
Pairs well with these foods:almonds, artichoke hearts, Gouda cheese, creamy chocolate desserts, fried food, green olives, soup, tapenade

6 wine pairing tips

Rosé is delightful with almost any food pairing. If you’re stressing out and don’t know what to do, get a dry rosé.
Pinot Noir is an earthy, light red wine that pairs great with other earthy foods.
Champagne (and other sparkling wines) aren’t just for special occasions. They’re exceptional palate cleaners which means they pair well with fatty dishes where you need to wake up your tongue.
When dealing with extremely vegetal culprits (asparagus, artichokes, avocado), lean into the vegetal, crisp profile of white wines like Sauvignon Blanc to complement and highlight the greenness of the dish.
If you have a heavily spiced or peppery dish, go light and sweet so you don’t increase the mouth burn. Try a crisp, sweet Riesling or Gewürztraminer.
Wines should be more acidic and sweeter than the food. Otherwise, you risk the wine tasting flabby or bitter.