Picking Out The “Right” Wine

I’m often asked this question: “Andrea, how do you pick the right wine?” And despite the conversation that follows, my answer always includes the same question: “What kind of WINE do you tend to like?”

Now, that being said, there are some basic guidelines that I share too. For example, red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. Pretty basic, but not a bad guideline to follow. Is that set in stone? No way! You want a glass of white wine with your steak, by all means do so!

Here are some tips to help you out:

• Bubbles: basically go well throughout any part of a meal — a great way to kick off a meal (appetizers), a nice alternative to go with a main dish like turkey or chicken and always fun for dessert!
• White Wines: something like a Chardonnay tends to pair better with chicken or seafood (again, the white meats) and pasta. Lemony dishes go well with unoaked/stainless white wines (i.e. Pinot Grigio), while creamier dishes go better with your oaked whites (i.e. Chardonnay). Something sweeter, like Riesling, works well with spicy foods (think Thai dishes).
• Red Wines: Light reds, like a Pinot Noir, tend to work well with leaner red meats and a variety of cuisine in general, but even some white meats (like chicken) and some veggie-based dishes like portobello mushroom burgers. Heavier reds go better with beef (something with a little fat in it) and rich sauces (yum, pasta!!).
• Dessert wines: make sure the wine is a little sweeter than the dessert itself. If the food is too sweet, it’ll take the sweetness/fruitiness out of the wine.

Of course there are other suggested guidelines for picking the “right” wine, but bottom line is this: whatever wine YOU enjoy most is the right wine for you! Cheers!