How Important Is Wine Food Pairing?

It’s an ongoing debate in the world of wine. Does wine food pairing really matter and which wine goes with which food?

If you’ve been drinking wine for long, you already know that wine food matching preferences are very individual. However, it is undeniable that certain food groups simply pair better with certain wines types. And, when you discover that near perfect match, it truly does enhance both your food and your wine.

Today’s wines, both red and white, are so varied in flavor and texture, that it’s impossible to pinpoint with 100% accuracy the best wine food match.

Instead, look for a wine with the flavors, aromas and weight that most closely match the characteristics of your meal. It’s all about balance.


In most cases it makes more sense to match your meals’ sauces to a wine, rather than the protein. For example,
a blackened (spicy) fish will go better with a Syrah (red) than a Chardonnay (white).

One of the most important aspects of wine food pairing is matching the body of your wine with the level of intensity in the flavors of your food.

You don’t want to pair a light wine with with a meal containing heavy foods and sauces. Conversely, you don’t want to pair a full bodied wine with a meal containing light, delicate foods.

See our pages on wine types and wine tasting to become more familiar with the body (weight) of different wines.

Wine food matching can also be done by region. For example, choose an Italian wine, perhaps a Chianti, to go with your pasta dishes.

You’ll quickly learn what doesn’t go well together and will have had fun figuring it out. We recommend writing down your observations about different wines as you go.

And, do not underestimate the power of Cream of Mushroom Soup with French Burgundy or Dark Chocolate with California Cabernet.

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