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 dietary preference or just occasionally. It can be a challenge at times to find the right wine to pair with vegetables.

Don't believe the nonsense you may have heard that vegetarian dishes are too light and only consist of salad greens. Many vegetarian or vegetable dishes have wonderful flavors which complement its ingredients.

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

So, no need to worry about which wine to serve with your vegetarian dishes. Our suggestions will take you from preparing delicious vegetable and vegetarian dishes to serving a wine that will be a great match.

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 vegetable or vegetarian dishes work for wine pairing is to use ingredients that will produce strong flavors. Do this 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.

Add Richness For Wine Pairing 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.

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

Pair a rich Chardonnay with creamy sauces or dishes with almonds or walnuts.

For the hard to pair artichokes and asparagus try a Sauvignon Blanc. It has the acidity to cut through the flavors which makes a nice pairing. The acidity actually refreshes your palate making for great taste and flavors.

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 and bold cheeses Chestnuts add a special richness

Pinot Noir's lively acidity, Merlot's low tannins, or Beaujolais, a very food friendly wine, are red wines that you can almost bet will be a perfect match for your rich vegetarian dishes.

Remember, it's really just "a matter of taste!"

Are You Looking for More Information? Just type in a search term below.

Please come back to visit us soon!

Search the Web:

Return to Home Page from Vegetarian Wine Pairing

Vegetarian Recipes
Risotto and Pasta Recipes
Goat Cheese Pillows
How to Choose Wine