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Unpolished Grape | A Wine Education Magazine

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Kiana Keys 🍇

DipWSET | Wine Educator

Wine and Food Guide

A easy guide to wine and food pairing, explaining how wine flavors, texture, and intensity create balanced combinations at the table.

The Secret of Wine + Food

The secret to wine and food pairing is to find a combination that enhances how a wine tastes. Wine rarely makes a food taste bad, but a bad combination can make a wine taste terrible! Contrarily, the right dish can make a wine taste 10 times better than it does on its own. There are rules of thumb to follow in order to create wine/food combinations that work in concert.

The best food pairing is one that makes a wine taste juicy, fruity, full and well-balanced. In order to achieve that outcome, you have to find foods and wines that compliment each other.

Wine and Food Pairing Examples

Click below to see pairing examples for each food category:

Sweet


Chocolate Cake (dark chocolate)

Cheesecake

Apple Pie

  • Late-Harvest Riesling
  • Icewine
  • Tokaji Aszú

Brownies

Crème brûlée

Fruit tart

Carrot Cake (w/cream cheese)

  • Spätlese Riesling
  • Vin Santo (Italy)
  • Oloroso Sherry

Pecan Pie

Tiramisu

  • Vin Santo
  • Madeira (Bual)
  • Late-harvest Marsala

Milk Chocolate

Umami (Savory)

 

Mushroom Risotto/Mushrooms

Soy Sauce

Aged Cheese

Steak/Beef

Meat & Tomato Sauce

Charcuterie (prosciutto, salami, ham)

  • Lambrusco (dry)
  • Barbera
  • Fino or Amontillado Sherry

Canned Anchovies/Sardines

Korean BBQ

Miso dishes

  • Grüner Veltliner
  • Chablis
  • Riesling (dry)

Caramelized onions/French onion soup

Acidic

 

Lemon Tart/Lemon Dessert

Tomato Sauce (pasta, pizza, etc.)

  • Chanti (Sangiovese)
  • Barbera
  • Lambrusco (dry or off-dry)

Goat Cheese

Civiche

Greek Salad (tomato, feta, lemon)

Pickles

Acidic Salad (vinaigrette, balsamic)

Fried Chicken (and buttermilk dishes)

Citrus Chicken/Fish

Pad Thai/Curry/Chutney

Salty


French fries/Potato chips

Popcorn

Fried Chicken

Olives

Cured Meats (prosciutto, salami, ham)

Cheeseburger

Salted Nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews)

Anchovies/Sardines (tinned)

Soy Sauce Dishes

  • Riesling (off-dry)
  • Grüner Veltliner
  • Sparkling wine (Brut)

Pizza

Bitter


Dark Chocolate (70%+)

Arugula Salad

Radicchio (grilled or raw)

Grapefruit

Endive/chicory

Kale

Brussels sprout (roasted)

Coffee/espresso desserts (tiramisu, coffee ice cream)

Negroni or Compari-based dishes

  • Lambrusco (dry)
  • Barbera
  • Riesling (off-dry)

Bitter greens and garlic

Spicy


Green Curry

  • Riesling (off-dry)
  • Gewürztraminer (off-dry)
  • Sparkling (Brut or Extra dry)

Buffalo Wings

Jerk Chicken

Spicy tuna/spicy mayo

Pad Thai

  • Riesling (off-dry)
  • Vouvray demi-sec (Chenin Blanc)
  • Lambrusco (slightly chilled)

Spicy ramen/chili noodles

Indian vindaloo

Spicy tacos (chipotle, habaero, salsa)

Sichuan dishes

  • Riesling (dry to off-dry)
  • Champagne (Brut)
  • Grüner Veltliner

Nashville hot chicken

Sweet Foods

When pairing sweet foods with wine, the simplest rule is this: the wine should be as sweet as—or sweeter than—the food. If the wine is less sweet, the dessert will make it taste thin, tart, or even bitter. The best matches usually lean toward wines with natural sweetness (i.e. sweet wines made from noble rot), bright acidity, and sometimes a touch of richness or oxidative character to balance sugar and intensity.

Wines to Pair With Sweet Food

  • As sweet or sweeter
  • Naturally sweet (i.e., Sauternes or Tokaji Aszú)
  • Bright & acidic
  • Rich or oxidative (i.e. fortified like Cream Sherry)

Wines to Avoid With Sweet Food

Umami (Savory) Foods

With umami-rich foods, you want wines with clear acidity, moderate tannin, and often a touch of savoriness or texture. Salt, glutamates, and fermented flavors can make very tannic wines feel harsh, so lean toward bright, mineral, or slightly earthy styles that mirror (rather than fight) the savory depth.

Wines to Pair with Savory Food

Wines to Avoid with Savory Food

Acidic Foods

With acidic foods, you want wine that can meet or exceed that acidity so the pairing feels refreshing rather than shrill. Wines with bright, mouth-watering acidity, or a touch of residual sugar or texture, tend to work best. Fat, bubbles, and subtle sweetness can also soften sharpness and create balance.


Wines to Pair With Acidic Foods

  • Highly acidic
  • Off-dry whites
  • Sparkling

Wines to Avoid With Acidic Foods

Salty Foods

With salty foods, the goal is to refresh, soften, or create contrast. High acidity, bubbles, or a touch of sweetness works beautifully with salt because it cleanses the palate and keeps the pairing lively. Rich, textured whites, dry sherries, and some bright reds are especially reliable.


Wines to Pair With Salty Foods

Wines to Avoid With Salty Foods

Bitter Foods

With bitter foods, you want wines that soften, cushion, or complement bitterness rather than intensify it. Look for wines with ripe fruit, moderate (not aggressive) acidity, gentle tannins, or a touch of sweetness or richness. Very tannic, very dry, or very lean wines tend to make bitterness feel sharper and more astringent.


Wines to Pair with Bitter Foods

  • Ripe, bold fruit
  • Moderately acidic
  • Gentle tannins
  • A touch of sweetness or richness

Wines to Avoid With Bitter Foods

Spicy/Hot Foods

With spicy foods, the goal is to cool, soothe, or create refreshing contrast—not add more heat. Wines with bright acidity, low alcohol, softer tannins, and often a touch of residual sugar work best. Bubbles and aromatic whites are your friends; big, boozy, or highly tannic reds usually make spice feel hotter.


Wines to Pair With Spicy/Hot Foods

Wines to Avoid With Hot/Spicy Foods

White Wine - Pairing Food by Body Type

Light-bodied whites are crisp, delicate, and refreshing, making them perfect companions for fresh salads, delicate seafood, or lightly seasoned dishes. They uplift food without overwhelming it.


Medium-bodied whites carry a bit more richness and structure, allowing them to stand up to creamier pastas, roasted vegetables, and mildly spiced food. Together they create a harmonious balance. 


Full-bodied whites are lush and weighty, often with oak or buttery textures, making them ideal for heartier dishes like poultry, rich seafood, or creamy cheeses. They enhance each other.

Red Wine - Pairing Food by Body Type

Light-bodied reds are gentle and graceful, with subtle tannins and bright fruit. They pair beautifully with roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, or lightly seasoned dishes that let the wine shine without taking over. 


Medium-bodied reds have more structure and depth, making them versatile companions for pastas, pork, or mildly spiced meats, where both wine and food hold their own. 


Full-bodied reds are rich, bold, and commanding, perfect for hearty dishes like braised meats, stews, or strong cheeses, where the wine’s intensity meets the food in a powerful, balanced embrace.

Access More Guides

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New Release: Little Black Book of Wine + Food: 60 White & Red Wines to Make Your Tastebuds Blush


Here, sophistication meets style, and wine education finally feels personal.  This beautifully curated guide explores 60 white and red wines from around the world—each paired with foods that flatter, flirt, and bring out the best in every sip.


This isn’t your typical tasting manual. It’s a mood board for your palate—a mix of fashion, flavor, and feeling. You’ll discover:

  • The personalities of 60 wines, from crisp whites to bold reds

  • Expert pairing tips for salads, seafood, meats, cheeses, desserts, and more

  • Approachable education on body, acidity, tannins, and balance

  • A fresh perspective of wine, blending culture and creativity

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