Food & Wine Pairing

Thai food has a robust array of spices that begs for a crisp, bright wine to complement and enhance its complex flavor palate. We asked our panel of experts what they’d recommend to sip alongside thai food : Thai food and aromatic wines from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris are the more obvious...

Camembert cheese is a cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and a bloomy white rind. It begins as a relatively mild semi-soft wheel, but grows runnier and more robustly flavored with age. We asked our panel of experts what they’d recommend to sip alongside this exceptionally rich French cheese:

Beef Bourguignon is a French staple. From rustic peasant origins, this rich stew of beef braised in red wine has evolved to win a place among the most widely known traditional dishes of French haute cuisine. We asked our panel of experts what they’d recommend to sip alongside this hearty, robust dish:

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to recommend the best wine to pair with a Caesar Salad: In the boxing match of food and wine pairing , Caesar salad defeats wine nine times out of ten. There’s hardly a menu item out there that is more wine unfriendly. Salad in and of itself is always a challenge to pair, but one that is comprised of a creamy sauce made of eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese and anchovies inevitably makes most wines taste awful. But I recently discovered one contestant who can step up to Caesar’s punch. Domaine Patrick Coulbois makes a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley’s Pouilly-Fumé region called Find "Les Cocques" “Les Cocques,” The grapes for this wine come from 50-year-old vines grown on silex soil. Les Cocques has gorgeous notes of fresh herbs and citrus which work quite well to complement the salad, and its racy acidity allows it to stand up to the intensity of the dressing. Moreover, a slight hint of minerality from the soil works in harmony with the briny anchovies. Caesar salad has finally met its match! - Kareasa Wilkins , Wine Consultant for Weimax Wines & Spirits in Burlingame, CA and an IntoWine Featured Writer

Spanish red wines are popular around the world. In fact, Wines From Spain reports that 43 million people around the world say they drink Spanish wine "often," according to a recent study.

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to suggest a great wine to pair with barbecue chicken: Barbecue chicken can be prepared in a variety of ways, of course. If a sweet barbecue sauce is used, Zin is a reliable pairing. The ripe fruitiness of the Zin is echoed by the sweet fruitiness of the sauce. A good choice for Zin to pair with this style of barbecued chicken would be one of the delicious old vine Zins currently available—from Bedrock, Bucklin, Limerick Lane, Nalle, Robert Biale, Scott Harvey or Vino Noceto. I like barbecue chicken best when it is marinated in herbs, helping to preserve its juiciness. A good match for herbed barbecue chicken is a Côtes du Rhone. Thanks to the terroir—the climate, soils and locations where the grapes for these wines are grown—these typically Grenache-dominated blends tend to show the same sort of “garrigue” or Provençal herb characteristics that are prized in the Rhone’s top southern appellations–Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras. These herbal aromas and flavors include lavender, rosemary, bay leaf and licorice. There’s also often a pepper and/or tar component, owing to the Syrah and Mourvèdre in the blend. Some of the best Côtes du Rhône wines are made by producers who make highly regarded wines from the top appellations, names like Auguste Clape, J.L. Chave, and Pierre Usseglio. Others are blended from selected lots by negoçiant merchants, like Chapoutier and Guigal. Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com.

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to recommend the best wine to pair with raw or steamed oysters: News Flash: Champagne goes great with oysters. Oh, wait. You mean that isn’t breaking news? Okay, so everybody knows that one of the most classic food and wine pairings of all times is champagne and oysters. Whether you eat them raw on the half-shell, steamed, grilled, or baked to perfection with bread crumbs and mixed herbs Rockefeller-style, nothing compliments the subtle nuanced flavors of oysters like champagne. One explanation for this lies in the soil in which champagne grapes are grown. The Champagne region of France is famous for its chalk soils, which impart an elegance and finesse unmatched by any other sparkling wine producing region. These soils are actually the geological result of an historic sea basin that left behind numerous minerals and sea fossil deposits when the waters receded. It’s only natural that a sparkling wine that has its roots in the sea goes well with the fruit of the sea. The Champagne region is full of big house names that used to be the benchmark of quality. But recently more and more small growers are bottling their own champagnes rather than just selling their grapes to the big houses. While the quality of these champagnes can be varied, Find Moncuit's Brut Blanc de Blanc Nichole and Yves Moncuit of Champagne Pierre Moncuit have consistently made champagnes worthy of top accolades. They have vineyard holdings in the same site as some of the most famous names in Champagne, such as Krug and Salon, but their champagnes cost a fraction of the price. Moncuit’s NV Brut Blanc de Blanc is a study in elegance with its racy minerality, and layered flavors of citrus, brioche, and cream. No oak is used, and it’s purity shines through when accompanied by a plateful of oysters. - Kareasa Wilkins , Wine Consultant for Weimax Wines & Spirits in Burlingame, CA and an IntoWine Featured Writer

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to recommend the best wine to pair with filet mignon: What I particularly enjoy about filet mignon is its rich, buttery texture. I enjoy this cut of meat most when it is wrapped with bacon, to give it an extra shot of savoriness and juiciness. Sautéed mushrooms also complement the meat’s creamy texture and add savory, earthy notes to the meat. When it comes to a wine for this dish, I avoid anything very ripe and fruity, as I feel those kinds of wines dominate the pairing and overwhelm the meat’s more subtle flavors. My favorite pairing with this cut of beef is a mature Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva. The resolved tannins and resulting creamy texture of this wine, along with its tertiary flavors of tobacco, mushroom and leather make it very compatible with the filet mignon, adding interesting notes without overwhelming the subtleties of the meat. Traditional style Rioja Reservas and Gran Reservas that are widely available here include those from Bodegas Hermanos Peciña, La Rioja Alta, López de Heredia, Marqués de Cáceres, Marqués de Murrieta and Muga. Another enjoyable pairing with this dish is one of the more traditional California Cabs, one with balance, good acidity and lower alcohol. This is the style of Cabernet that California made so well back in the 1950s to 1970s, but that went out of style by the mid-1980s. A few producers, however, continued to make Cabs in this style, and they’ve been joined in recent years by a few others who are also aiming for a more balanced style. My go to Cali Cabs in this style that are also good values include Culler Casaeda, Dry Creek Vineyard, Goodland Wines Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Red, Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, and Rubus Old Vine. Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com.

Polarizing fare – you either love it or hate it. The phrase “blue cheese” elicits strong responses from most. I suspect the ribbon of blue, representing nasty mold in naysayers’ minds, may play a greater role than any objectionable taste. The grossout factor cannot be underestimated in analyzing individuals’ culinary rejections. It is just those blue veins, however, coupled with a racy mouthfeel and piquant flavor, that attracts those perpetually looking for more “edge” on their plates and on their palates.

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to recommend the best wine to pair with pork tenderloin: I like to go one of two different ways with pork tenderloin . This tends to be the most delicate, least “porky” portion of the pig, so I want a wine that’s not going to drown out the more subtle flavors of this cut of meat. I’m also looking for wine with a little juiciness, as pork tenderloin can often end up on the dry side. A rich Chardonnay with good acidity works well for me, as does a lighter bodied, juicy red—a Zinfandel or Grenache, preferably one with little or no oak. For juicy, medium bodied Chardonnays with great acidity, it’s hard to beat those that are currently coming out of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria Valley or Sta. Rita Hills appellations. Bien Nacido, Brewer Clifton, Chanin, Clos Pepe, Deovlet, Liquid Farm, Longoria, Melville, Paul Lato, Presqu’ile, Sandhi and Sanford all make wonderful, rich, balanced Chards with great acidity from these appellations. I’d be very happy with any of them as a partner to a perfectly tender pork tenderloin. Going the lighter red route, I’d be delighted with a flavorful, juicy, old vine Zin from the likes of Bucklin, Nalle or Vino Noceto. For a Grenache, I’d recommend a Côtes du Rhone (typically a Grenache blend) or one of California’s best Grenaches, the Tuck Beckstoffer Melee. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com