Suggested Food Pairings

For the past 12 years we have built and managed our Italian food and bread web site - The Artisan. This site has become quite popular worldwide, and offers visitors recipes for both food and bread. We offer free technical support and research assistance. The site is totally non commercial and enjoys the popularity that it does due to its straightforward interface, and user friendly approach to food preparation.

Pairing wines with food is an art that anyone can learn. Many aficionados claim that certain wines go with certain foods, and nothing else. They are correct in some cases, but not necessarily correct in all cases. Our advice to folks who love wine, and want to pair it with food is simple. "f you like dish X with wine Y, it is a good match".

There are some basic rules that can help, and for those who have little experience with wine and food pairings these rules can be helpful. We will offer suggestions here that comport with those rules and we will also offer suggestions that seemingly break these rules. We leave the final judgment as to whether the combinations we suggest are good or bad. Certainly if we suggest something not terribly good, we would like to hear from you and learn why we may have made such an idiotic suggestion.

Pinot Grigio: This wine, as we have stated is a very crisp and acidic wine that pairs well with spicy, salty foods. A few dishes that we feel will go well with our version of this varietal are the following:

Dish	Link to The Artisan
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms	http://www.theartisan.net/fiore_di_zucchini_ripiene.htm
Ravioli with Peas and Beans	http://www.theartisan.net/ravioli_di_fagioli_e_piselli.htm
Codfish with Tomatoes & Garlic	http://www.theartisan.net/Cod_Recipe_One.htm

Roussanne: This rich wine can be had as a stand alone glass of wine, or can easily accompany a variety of dishes. We have had this with a variety of antipasti (appetizer) dishes that include prosciutto and melon, roasted peppers in olive oil, stuffed and rolled cold pork roast, as well as a variety of egg dishes. Below are a few other choices.

Dish	Link to The Artisan
Tuna Croquettes & Caramelized Onions	http://www.theartisan.net/polpettone_di_tonno.htm
Pasta with Grilled Quail	http://www.theartisan.net/quaglie_griliata_con_pasta.htm
A Quick Veal Dish	http://www.theartisan.net/Babbo_vitello_rapido.htm

Sauvignon Blanc Our version of this wine is floral rather than grassy. We have paired it with poultry and fish dishes as well as with a variety of cold Summer salads including Nicoise, Tuna, and Caesar Salad either with or without chicken added. This wine is also excellent with a cold salmon salad, or a salad topped with a good sized slice of broiled salmon.

Dish	Link to The Artisan
Shrimp & Red Pepper Bruschetta	http://www.theartisan.net/bruschetta_di_gamberetti_e_peperoni.htm
Pasta with Fried Chicken Breasts	http://www.theartisan.net/pasta_con_pollo_fritto.htm
Farfalle & Zucchini with Goat Cheese	http://www.theartisan.net/Farfalle_e_Zucchine_al_forno.htm

Pinot Noir: A standard wine to be paired with mushroom based dishes, lamb, veal, mildly spiced poultry dishes, as well as with a variety of appetizers.

Dish	Link to The Artisan
Pasta, Peppers, Mushrooms & Chicken	http://www.theartisan.net/Pasta_con_peperoni_con_funghi_e_pollo.htm
Salmon in a Mustard Sauce	http://www.theartisan.net/salmone_e_sugo_di_senape.htm
Pork with Radicchio & Pancetta	http://www.theartisan.net/carne_di_maiale_radicchio_e_pancetta.htm

Syrah: Our Syrah is a fruity and well balanced wine. Consequently it does not necessarily need to be paired with dishes such as Osso Buco, slow roasted pork or hearty beef dish. We recommend it with pasta dishes, either red or white sauces that are flavored with a moderate amount of spice. It can be paired with duck, pheasant or guinea fowl dishes, and complement them nicely.

Dish	Link to The Artisan
Pasta with Duck Breasts	http://www.theartisan.net/Spaghetti_With_DuckBreasts.htm
Stuffed Leg of Lamb	http://www.theartisan.net/Lamb_Stuffed.htm
Chicken Cacciatore	http://www.theartisan.net/pollo_di_cacciatore.htm

The dishes offered above are only a few of the many choices that can be found on The Artisan. Alternatively, many pairings of wine and food can be found on the Internet, or in the many great cookbooks on the market today.