Wine & Food Marriage
Food and wine pairings that work like magic!
Many wines go well with many foods and many food and wine writers offer endless advice on which wines go best with various foods. They rarely speak with one voice. Disagreement abounds.
For example, what wine goes best with Swiss Cheese (Gruyére)? Here's a listing compiled from several sources:
- Champagne (Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs)
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Riesling
- Pinot Blanc
- Beaujolais
- Pinot Noir
- Merlot
- Syrah-Grenache Blend
- Tuscan Sangiovese (Chianti)
- Australian Shiraz
- California Zinfandel
Wow. A Dozen different suggestions. And did any of the sources agree on any of them? Yes, but only one wine: Sauvignon Blanc. It appears that this particular wine may be capable of what food and wine writers call a marriage. That occurs when the wine and the food combine in a magical way to produce a taste sensation considerably better than either the food or the wine enjoyed alone.
Over the months ahead, we will make note of some of these special marriages and pass the good news on to you. Keep in mind, we won't report on satisfactory pairings, like Zinfandel with dark chocolate (the nuptials belong to Cabernet Sauvignon); only those magic pairings that you will find unforgettable.
The first marriage is already in the pipeline, so check back soon. And if you happen to come upon a magic pairing, please let us know.
You can find over two hundred articles in our California Wine archive.
