With the right match of wine and food, you can elevate your dinner into another realm of deliciousness. I’ve chosen a few wines from a multitude that could work with each dish. Instead of trying to find these specific wines, look to the wine regions that specialize in certain grape varieties like sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley, vermentino from Sardinia, or nerello mascalese from Sicily.
RAW BAR
Oysters, shrimp, mussels, clams, and crab legs take wines with fresh acidity, which act like a spray of lemon on the shellfish. Think sauvignon blanc from the Loire.
Made from organic grapes grown in the Touraine Oisly appellation of France’s Loire Valley, Passerelles Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($30) is extremely aromatic, with floral, apricot, and lychee notes and a refreshing lemon zest acidity on its long finish.
With its 30-year-old vines grown in prized chalky clay limestone marl, Chateau de Thauvenay Sancerre 2023 ($45) has bright perfumes of pineapple, passion fruit, and citrus, and racy minerality. It’s part of Domaine Hubert Brochard, which since 1900 has specialized in showcasing the styles and personalities of the Sancerre appellation.
PIG ROAST
Pig and pinot are the ultimate match. With its flavors of berry fruit, lower tannins, and great nuance, pinot noir pairs well with suckling pig.
Possessing wild berry aromas, cherry and blackberry flavors, and silkiness on the palate, Domaine Paul Blanck Pinot Noir Classique 2022 ($26) is an excellent entry level pinot noir from an Alsace wine estate founded in the 16th century.
From Oregon’s Yamhill-Carlton region, WillaKenzie Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2021 ($60) blends the best blocks of the estate’s certified sustainable pinot noir. With fragrances of dried flowers, cherries, and cranberries, this savory wine shows red and dark fruit on the palate and has vibrant acidity, refined tannins, and spice on the finish.
LOBSTER
Buttery grilled lobster with its rich texture loves chardonnay, especially in Burgundian style.
The Hilt Estate sits on an ocean facing valley in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, and its wind-swept harsh conditions make for concentrated tasty grapes. With mango, honeysuckle, chamomile, and wet gravel aromas, The Hilt Chardonnay 2022 ($50) is energetic and exudes bright fruit flavors with hints of lightly toasted oak. It’s truly Burgundian and will forever change your mind about California chardonnay.
HdV Chardonnay 2019 ($90) has notes of citrus blossom, yellow apple, and gunpowder. Hyde de Villaine is a winery created through the partnership of Aubert de Villaine, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, and Napa Valley’s Hyde family. Made from the oldest vineyard blocks, the wine showcases the legendary Hyde Vineyard terroir and is aged 18 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered, which adds depth, texture, and complexity.
CLAMBAKE
Clambakes—lobster, clams, mussels, chorizo, corn, and potatoes all steamed together in a big pot, or New England-style in a pit on the beach—pair well with most unoaked or lightly oaked whites. Or serve a méthode champenoise sparkling wine, which will elevate the feast into an elegant occasion.
Surrau Sciala Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superior 2022 ($29) is a rich white wine from Sardinia’s first and only DOCG, located near the beautiful Costa Smeralda. From 100 percent vermentino grown in granite and sandy soils rich in marine fossils, the wine expresses pear, grapefruit, and lime flavors with a nice minerality that complements shellfish. Dalla Terra Winery Direct imports Surrau Sardinian wines made by the Demuro family for generations.
A blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Brut Rosé 2021 ($47) has aromas of strawberries and layers of raspberry, nectarine, and ginger on the palate. From the cooler-climate area of Carneros, which spans Napa Valley and Sonoma, this rosé sparkling with extended lees aging is refined and elegant.
BARBECUE
A meaty barbecue with steaks, burgers, ribs, and shish kabob match with red varieties with tannins, which soften the fat in meat and release the flavor.
With its grapes grown 2,000 feet above sea level on the northern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily, Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso ($39) is aromatic with notes of cherry, raspberry, balsamic mint, and star anise. Made from 100 percent nerello mascalese, a variety with moderate tannins grown mostly in Sicily and Sardinia, the flavorful fruity wine is savory with delicate spice. The terraced high-altitude vineyards have diurnal shifts, or temperature fluctuations, which allow the grapes to ripen more gradually and retain their natural acidity and freshness.
With expressive fragrances of cassis, licorice, and sandalwood, Wölffer Caya Cabernet Franc ($37) exhibits plum and dark cherry flavors, refined tannins and a lingering finish. Its slight herbal note goes especially well with shish kabob. Cabernet franc from cool-climate New York state is a winning red grape variety, and a collective of wineries from Long Island and the Finger Lakes banded together in an initiative called “Cab Franc Forward” to highlight their signature grape.
SALADS AND VEGETARIAN DISHES
Except for red wine with strong tannins, vegetable dishes seamlessly pair with whites, rosés, and sparkling wines.
Hailing from the Cotes du Rhône AOC from the master of biodynamic viticulture M. Chapoutier, Belleruche Rosé 2023 ($19) is perfumed with apricot, fennel, and floral aromas. A blend of grenache, syrah, and cinsault, it’s a lovely shade of pink gold and has an irresistible saline finish.
Decibel Organic Pétillant Naturel ($38) is made from chardonnay grown in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and has a refreshingly dry taste. A pétillant naturel or lightly sparkling wine is made in the ancestral method involving bottling the grape juice before it has finished fermenting; this creates a natural carbonation in the bottle. Like all pétnats, which are unfiltered, the fizzy wine takes on a cloudy hue and a delicious natural flavor.
