5 Best (& Worst) Wine Pairings

BY RICCARDO TARABELSI

Oneof my favorite things to do is to pair wine with food. The two go hand-inhand like peanut butter and jelly, Lucy and Ricky, or a horse and carriage. Much like a marriage, wine and food complement each other, making up flavors the other lacks, and sometimes even creating a new flavor together that doesn’t exist individually. I love experimenting with different foods and wines because I like both things, and if you’re anything like me, you learn more from the mistakes you make than the ones you get right. Here are my top 5 best and worst wine pairings to help you out as the kids get ready to go back to school! Note: I selected specific labels as examples and the pairing information should hold true regardless of how much you spend on a bottle. Consult with your local wine store for pricing and other suggestions. Carpe Vino and Mangia!

1. Champagne

Sparkling wines are perpetually foodfriendly. Bubbles wake up the taste buds and Champagne, specifically, is blended from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the lesser-known Pinot Meunier. Veuve Clicquot from Reims (the birthplace of Dom Perignon) is light on its feet, exemplifying the healthy acidity and freshness found in the best bubblies.

WORST PAIRING

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream

A frequent wine-pairing mistake: cake and bubbly. The Champagne is relatively tart, the cake is super-sweet… it’s chaos in your mouth.

BEST PAIRING

Spicy Asian Noodle and Chicken Salad Champagne, when light, dry, and acidic, elegantly cuts through the spices in Asian food; dishes with nuts bring out the nutty flavors in some Champagnes like Pommery.

2. Cabernet Sauvignon

Big Cabs are the giants of the wine world: Be careful, or they will stomp all over your pairing. With strong berry-filled explosions and chewy tannins, Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stag’s Leap District in Napa Valley has tons of cherry flavor and a powerful thickness in texture, typical of high-end Cabs that need careful consideration at the dinner table.

WORST PAIRING

Pan-Seared Sole with Winter Vegetables

Filet of sole, like flounder or any white flaky fish, is delicate, and will not only get lost, it will actively sour when it hits your Cabernet’s dense texture.

BEST PAIRING

Ribeye Steak with Red Wine Sauce

It’s almost a no-brainer, but red wine and beef is a classic match. A big, bold Cabernet helps soften tannins which make the flavor of the steak that much better.

3. Pinot Noir

Ever since the movie Sideways, Pinot Noir has been riding a wave of popularity as the easy-drinking light red. It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like a fruity, lower-tannin wine with a slight hint of earthiness, but that doesn’t mean it can go with everything. Argyle Pinot Noir from Oregon has a nice floral bouquet and an appealing strawberry flavor.

WORST PAIRING

Chicken with Tarragon Vinegar Sauce

The herb vinegar in this dish dampens the wine’s fruitiness. Dishes with acidic finishes do not pair well with Pinot Noir.

BEST PAIRING

Chicken Breast with Squash, Yams, and Apricots

Any recipe with mild, even flavors like this one with fruit and sweet veggies will bring out Pinot Noir’s essential flavors.

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4. Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wins over fans with its tart brilliance. Sileni Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a good example of the bold, grapefruitforward style that works with many dishes—but not all of them. It’s got a long finish, suggesting more serious winemaking than its modest price would indicate.

WORST PAIRING

Brussel Sprouts, Blue Cheese, and Glazed Pecan Salad

Blue cheese is tough with any wine—and the slightly sweet pecans make the wine taste more tart than it really is. You can’t have two bold flavors competing.

BEST PAIRING

Seared Sea Bass with Fresh Herbs and Lemon

This dish has the same citrus and herb profile as the wine, but complementary (the seared skin bits contrast nicely with the fruit flavors).

5. Chardonnay

Burgundian-style Chardonnay—the classic white grape subtly aged in oak—has taken a public relations hit in recent years. Oak is out. But at its best, as in the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, the wood is a fully integrated part of the taste.

WORST PAIRING

Spicy Lamb and Chorizo Chili

The heaviness of meat and the spice’s heat make the wine seem unbearably oaky.

BEST PAIRING

Sautéed Pork Chop with Sage-Cider Cream Sauce

Cream sauces are a great way to blunt the edges of a young and oaky white wine, and the cider evokes this wine’s pineapple fruitiness.

Riccardo and Marybeth Tarabelsi own restaurants in Downtown Sioux Falls: R Wine Bar & Kitchen, Brix Wine Bar, Maribella Ristorante, and Vespa Catering. With their three sons, Dante, Berent (fiancée Molli,) and Jaxon, they will be celebrating Dante and Riccardo’s birthdays this month! Contact Riccardo at riccardo@rwinebar. com for all your wine questions.

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