Best Wines to Pair with Vegetarian Dishes
Matching wine with vegetarian dishes might appear challenging initially, but it's certainly not unachievable. This concise guide will assist you in selecting the perfect wine to pair with your vegetarian courses.
Let’s begin with some basic guidelines.
- Vegetarian wine pairing doesn’t follow strict guidelines.
- The selection of wine will vary based on the kind of vegetable and how it is prepared.
- If unsure, opting for a dry white wine usually proves to be a more prudent selection compared to choosing a red wine.
Categorization of Vegetarian Dish Pairings:
- Vegetables
- Suggested wines: Crisp, flavorful white varieties with high acidity.
- Examples: Muscadet, Chablis, Menetou-Salon, Sylvaner, Jacquère wines
- Summertime substitute: crisp Provence-style Rose
Hint: Avoid using too much vinegar in your vinaigrette, since it might overshadow the harmonious balance with the wine.
2. Green vegetables
- Recommended wines: dry whites
- For instance: White wines from Provence (such as Bellet, Côtes-de-Provence, Bandol), crafted using the Rolle grape (also known as Vermentino).
Special cases :
- Alba white asparagus can be paired with dry Riesling, dry Vouvray.
- Green Asparagus: Dry Alsace Muscat, Condrieu
- Artichokes pair well with very dry, minerally white wines such as Muscadet or Alsatian Sylvaner.
3. Potatoes
- Simple preparations: Dry whites (Chablis, Chignin, Sylvaner) or light reds (Beaujolais, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil)
- Smooth-textured varieties: Creamier options (Chardonnays from Mâconnais or Jura, Savoy white wines).
4. Simmered vegetables with tomatoes
- Recommended wines: Southern reds
- Examples: Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, wines from Provence with red hues, specific vintages from Languedoc
- Alternative for summer: fruity rosés (such as Tavel, Roussillon rosé)
5. Carrots and mushrooms
- Carrots: Fruity, low-tannin reds (such as Beaujolais, generic Burgundies, and Loire Valley wines made from Gamay or Pinot Noir)
- Mushrooms :
- Ceps: Matured Bordeaux red wines (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion)
- Chanterelles: Robust white wines from Burgundy (Côte de Beaune)
- Morels: Oxidative Jura wines
Conclusion
Even though pairing wines with vegetable-based meals can be intricate, numerous methods exist to elevate your vegetarian cuisine. Feel free to explore and discover your preferred matches.
(MH with LpR - Source: idealwine / Image: Loes Klinker via Unsplash)
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