Wine & Spirits Information

Food - Wine Pairing Tips For French and Italian Wines


Many people are intimidated by the task of selecting wine in a fine restaurant. This article is intended to provide a simple guide that will enable anyone to feel confident enough to choose a wine that will impress their dinner guests. The focus is on French and Italian wines.

While there are no set rules for pairing wine with food, generally a full-bodied red wine should accompany rich and seasoned food. White wines are better suited for lighter fare.

These are some of my personal favorite wine and food pairings for French and Italian wines:

Beef = Amarone,
Cheese = Beaujolais,
Chicken = Chardonnay,
Cold Meats = Tavel,
Chile = Grumello,
Chinese Food = Soave,
Clams and Oysters = Champagne,
Duck = Pouilly-Fume,
Fish = Muscadet,
Ham = Pinot Grigio,
Lamb = Saint-Emilion,
Ossco Bucco = Barbaresco,
Pate = Saint-Veran,
Pheasant = Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,
Pork = Pouilly-Fuisse,
Red Sauce = Chianti,
White Sauce = Pinot Grigio,
Sauerbraten = Riesling,
Shell Fish = Gavi,
Steak = Gattinara,
Stew = Barolo,
Veal = Soave, and
Venison = Pomerol

In the end, it is really a matter of personal preference and what suits your palate. If your restaurant does not have these particular recommendations in their wine cellar, you can always ask the sommelier to recommend something comparable.

These suggestions should enable you to at least buy or order to the proper wine to accompany dinner. Of course, there is a lot more to know about ordering wine, wine tasting, wine production, and wine conversation.

Please feel free to email me at sales@thewinebook.com with questions on French or Italian wine. You may also visit my website at www.thewinebook.com for more information.

Angelo Cataldo is an avid wine collector with over 20 years experience in Italian and French wines. He has also travelled extensively in the wine producuing regions of Italy and France.

For those interested in learning more, Mr. Cataldo's book, The Wine Book, is the perfect beginners wine guide: short, easy to read, and small enough to take with you. In addition to food wine pairing examples, it includes wine descriptions you can use in conversation or at wine tasting parties, wine tasting tips, and information on Italian and French wine regions and production. The Wine Book is small enough to carry to a restaurant and refer to discreetly.

The Wine Book also includes checklists for tasting notes. This has made it a favorite give-away for wine tastings and events. Fine New Jersey Restaurants, such as Aldo's, The Brickhouse, and Pane and Vino have provided it to their customers for just that purpose.


MORE RESOURCES:

Earthtimes (press release)

Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. Leads Efforts to Help Chilean Wine ...
Earthtimes (press release)
MIAMI - (Business Wire) Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., the nation's leading distributor of wines and spirits, is pleased to announce that it will ...

and more »


An Open Letter to Warren Buffett, Wine and Spirits Distributor
Vinography (blog)
Congratulations on your purchase of Empire Distributing, and roughly 25% of the wine and spirits distribution business in Georgia and North Carolina that ...



Two bills aimed at loosening rules on sales of beer, wine, spirits
Gunnison Country Times
Imagine filling your gas tank for the weekend and stocking up on libations at the same time, in the same place. That's one argument for allowing convenience ...

and more »


Dallas Observer (blog)

Despite Concerns About New Centennial Planned For Lower Greenville, Hunt Says ...
Dallas Observer (blog)
Turns out, the Dallas-based purveyors of fine wine, spirits and beer are opening a 7800 square foot booze-and-food emporium, complete with walk-in humidor, ...



Blockshopper

Wine, spirits co. district manager selling Huntington Station 3BD
Blockshopper
David H. Kwitko and Ilisha Kwitko have listed for sale a three-bedroom, two-bath home at 19 Oakley Dr. in ...



French wine and spirits exports in record drop
The Associated Press
PARIS — French exports of expensive Champagne and cognacs suffered a record drop last year as people drank less and switched to cheaper brands in the US and ...

and more »


Everyone needs to join the battle against litter
Andover Advertiser
There must have been more than 100 bottles - beer, wine, spirits you name it. The majority of the latter - half bottles of vodka - had caps screwed back on. ...



Benton Evening News

Council OKs liquor fee hike, lot lease transfer
Benton Evening News
For Class A licenses (wine, spirits and beer consumed on the premises, Kraft noted), the state average was $1144 to Benton's $1000 fee; ...



Site Web Archive
Austin 360 (blog)
Wine? Spirits? Yes, yes and yes. Here at Liquid, our cupboard is fully stocked. If you use an RSS reader, here is feed for Liquid: XML. ...

and more »


Whiskey gets another shot
The Tennessean
Finally, the exclamation: "Whew, I think I just grew a couple of hairs on my chest! ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006