Wine pairings 101

Learn about the West's most popular wines and the foods that goes best with them

  • Share
  • Yahoo BuzzFacebookTwitterDigg
  • |
  • Email
Text size:AAA
Farmed rainbow trout

Fish buying guide

What's sustainable and what isn't? Is salmon still okay to buy? Here's our guide to making the best choices ― and 100+ great recipes

more

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon: the king of reds

The king of reds; a big-structured, dark-fruited wine, the best of which become even more elegant with age

more

Chardonnay: rich and complex white

Chardonnay: rich and complex white

With complex fruit flavors and often a rich, creamy texture; the most popular white wine in the U.S. to date

more

Dry rose: rich and refreshing

Dry rosé: rich and refreshing

Crisp, pink wine that combines the rich fruit of red wine with the refreshing, low-tannin nature of white ―not to be confused with white Zinfandel

more

Merlot: soft tannins, dark fruit

Merlot: soft tannins, dark fruit

The most popular red wine in the U.S. (the Sideways effect notwithstanding), Merlot has dark fruit flavors like Cabernet Sauvignon, but is generally a little rounder and softer

more

Mac 'n' Gris

Pinot gris/pinot grigio

Pinot Grigio is usually crisp, light, and steely, with great acidity; Pinot Gris (the same grape) is often made into a rounder, more complex wine

more

Riesling: crisp and aromatic

Riesling: crisp and aromatic

A crisp, aromatic wine, considered the noblest white of all by much of the wine world, that goes with just about everything

more

Sauvignon Blanc: crisp and refreshing

Sauvignon Blanc: crisp and refreshing

A lean, crisp, white wine that's extremely flexible with food, and a great alternative to Chardonnay

more

Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine: great with food

Made primarily from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, good-quality sparklers are made with the traditional Champagne method, where the bubbles are created in individual bottles

more

Syrah

Syrah:  earthy and fruity

Pair with lamb, sausages, and grilled meats of all kinds

more

Viognier: exotic and aromatic

Viognier: exotic and aromatic

An exotic, full-bodied, rich-textured white wine

more

Zinfandel: jammy and spicy

Zinfandel: jammy and spicy

The most American wine of all (it's grown almost nowhere else) ― a juicy, jammy, spicy red wine that can turn your teeth purple

more
Sunset > To Go
  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Newsletters
  • Wine Club
Add Sunset to:
My Yahoo! My Google My MSN My AOL

Advertisement


Most Popular > Sunset
1
10 easy slow-cooker dinners

These easy slow-cooker dinner recipes make hearty meals. Set your slow cooker in the morning and come home to inspired stews, succulent pork, and more.

Hearty slow cooker meal of beef stew with mushrooms served over mashed potatoes.