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VEGETARIAN WINE PAIRING


Take the mystery out of vegetarian wine pairing.

We all have a friend or relative who prefers eating a vegetarian meal, whether it is their regular eating preference or only occasionally. It can be a challenge at times to find the right wine to pair with vegetables.

Don't be caught up with the fact that the vegetarian dishes are too light and only consist of salad greens. Many vegetable dishes have wonderful flavors to complement the ingredients.

Today we are more aware of serving tasty and interesting foods which always includes vegetable dishes.

We have a few suggestions for preparing delicious vegetable and vegetarian dishes to make them excellent for pairing with both red wine and white wine.


Animal Fats and Proteins

Unfortunately there are no animal fats and proteins in vegetarian dishes as there is in meat dishes which is what helps to tame the tannins of full bodied red wines and oaky whites.

The way to make the dishes work for wine pairing is to use ingredients that will produce strong flavors by making sauces or purées. Or you can add other ingredients such as cheese and nuts. These will make the vegetables stronger and ready to pair with wine.

Some Ingredients That Add Richness

  • Mushrooms (porcini, chanterelle, portobello)

  • Cheese (Parmesean, blue cheese, goat cheese)

  • Polenta made with cheese and butter or in a tomato based sauce

  • Roasting vegetables and caramelizing the juices produces strong flavors

  • Vegetarian Wine Pairing 'How To' For the Garden Menu

    With a vegetable based menu, choose wines that are more mature rather than young wines. They will have less tannins so they won't overwhelm the dish.

    Some wine experts recommend a crisper, lighter white wine with dishes that are prepared with vinaigrette or citrus such as lemon or lime.

    Matching White Wine

    The suggestions below are great ways to enrich the vegetarian dish to accommodate a rich white wine. When you are preparing your recipes try to incorporate some of these suggestions.

  • Rich purée sauces that are cream or butter based

  • Vegetable gratins with crispy toppings

  • Dishes that have almonds or hazelnuts (they pick up the oak flavors)

  • Roasted pinenuts or pumpkin seeds

  • Sweet and rich vegetables such as sweet potato, butternut squash and roasted red peppers



  • Matching Red Wine

    In order to replace the missing proteins from meats we have to add rich flavors to the vegetarian dishes. The following suggestions will definitely add richness and additional flavors to match with red wines.


  • Use warm spices (cinnamon, ginger)
  • Roasting and Grilling vegetables (the caramalized flavors add richness to tame tannins)
  • Miso and soy sauce in the sauces replicates meaty flavors
  • Drizzle aged balsamic vinegar
  • Use mushrooms
  • Add cheese
  • Chestnuts add a special richness



  • Vegetarian Recipes








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