WHICH WINE IS BEST FOR EACH FOOD? LET’S REVIEW THE BASICS

In terms of wine, personal preference is key. But it is true that each type of wine, given its particular flavours and aromas, pairs better with some foods than with others. If you have a special celebration coming up and want to get ready, read on! We’ll tell you which wine goes best with each type of food.

Whether you’re eating at home or in a restaurant, knowing which wines pair best with different types of food is very useful for getting the most enjoyment out of the experience. You’ve surely heard that you should have red wine with meat and white wine with fish and, although that’s true, we’re going to delve a bit deeper than that sweeping generalisation. We’ll tell you which wine goes best with all sorts of foods. That way you’ll know which to choose for any occasion. There’ll be no dish too hard!

Are you planning to have some snacks like nuts, olives or pickles? We recommend a light wine that contrasts with the sour, salty taste of the food. Our El Coto Semidulce would be a great option, with the citrus and pineapple aromas typical of the Chardonnay grape, bringing a touch of sweetness to your snacks. If you prefer a drier wine, you can also go for El Coto Selección Viñedos Sauvignon Blanc.

Oh cheese! If you’re like us and love this delicious creation, you’ll need to know which wines to pair with it. There are loads of types of cheese, so the key is to think about its flavour, which depends on how it has been aged. So, younger cheese pairs best with white wine, aged cheese with Crianza red like El Coto Crianza and blue cheese with young red wine to offset the intensity of flavour.

Salads and vegetable dishes are great with wines that have a touch of acidity, such as whites and rosés. One good option is El Coto Rosado made with Tempranillo and Grenache grapes. Its fresh flavour pairs perfectly with this type of recipe.

Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, served with other foods and a wide variety of sauces. So, to pair these dishes properly you have to focus on the main flavour. For example, for pasta with a tomato-based sauce like Bolognese, with a strong, acidic flavour, you’ll do best with a young or Crianza red wine. A seafood pasta, however, will pair beautifully with white or rosé. If cheese is the main flavour, use the tips above based on the type of cheese.

Rice is similar to pasta. For seafood rice dishes, the best pairing is a dry white wine. Our barrel-fermented 875 m Chardonnay goes great with a seafood paella, with its luscious butteriness. On the other hand, rice dishes with meat or other strong flavours pair perfectly with red wine.

There’s no question that the best wine for seafood is white. However, it can also pair well with rosé wines with some acidity. In our case, we recommend the 875 m again, or our El Coto Blanco. You won’t go wrong with either one! We recommend checking the tasting notes, though, so you can pick the one that best suits your preferences.

As we said at the beginning, fish is normally associated with white wine. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. It depends on the type of fish and how it is prepared. White fish done simply is best with a white wine. However,  if the fish is stewed or served with a sauce, it could be paired with a fuller wine, like a rosé or a red. For oily fish, though, you can also consider pairing the dish with red wines like the ones from Rioja.

White meat like chicken goes best with white wines or light reds, depending on the recipe. For game birds, however, like duck or squab, it is much better to choose a powerful red like our Coto Real Reserva or Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva.

Red meat and red wine, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, are a match made in heaven, enhancing the flavour of the meat. But who says it doesn’t work with whites, too? For example, our Coto Imaz Reserva Blanco, with its complex aromas and butteriness, is great with game, red meat and beef.

Finally, it’s time for dessert! That sweet bite that some dream of throughout the whole meal. Which wine would be the perfect pairing? A semisweet like ours is perfect for the sweetest desserts and those with more acidity, from fruit, or bitterness, from cacao.

And now that’s clear, it’s time for the fun part: toasting and enjoying the meal. Bon appétit!