Vegetables may not have the richness and protein of a meat-based dish, but they aren’t the minefield that many worry about! Instead, they are a fun playground of experimentation because of their amazing depth and variety of flavor and the fact that they are rarely cooked/consumed alone. While the variety can make it difficult to find a wine to compliment those flavors and it removes any simple answers (there are no quick tips, like red with red meat or white with white meat), it also frees you up to try a lot of different wines! So, here are list of some of our favorite suggestions for pairing veggies with your wine:
- Use wine-friendly ingredients to season your vegetables. Shallots, garlic, thyme, and olive oil can make most any dish wine-friendly!
- Do you like red wine? Try lighter, softer reds with lots of spice and fruit: Chianti, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Shiraz, and wines made with carbonic maceration.
- Do you like white wine? Try brighter, non-oaky wines, especially aromatic ones: Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pecorino.
- If you love Chardonnay, especially oaky ones, add cream, butter, and cheese to your vegetables and they will pair better with the wine.
- For spicy dishes, avoid big tannic wines and either go slightly sweet and aromatic, like Gewürztraminer, or with a bolder and fruitier wine, like Merlot.
- Don’t be afraid of herbs! They lend a great grassy freshness to your plate that can be paired wonderfully with a equally herbaceous wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.
If you have any questions about any of your wine pairing needs, feel free to ask!
This Week’s Schedule:
- Special Tasting, 5-7p: Soléna Estate
- Beer Thursday, 5-7p:Â James River Brewery
- Wine Friday, 5-7p:Â European Cellars
- Staff Pick, 2-6p:Â Staff Pick Tasting
