The Best White Wine Food Pairings: Cheese, Seafood & More

Creating white wine food pairings is an art. It requires experimentation, research, and skill to mix and match flavours to find a pairing that works. But, when done successfully, the right white wine and food combination can elevate your dinner parties or white wine gifts into a true culinary masterpiece.

In this guide, we will explore what makes a great white wine and food pairing that will impress even the most seasoned connoisseur.

Principles of Successful White Wine Pairings

White wine is incredibly versatile. Even bottles of the same variety can come in different styles and boast their own distinct flavour profiles.

The problem is that white wine can pair well with a wide range of dishes, but not all white wines pair equally with every meal. Choosing the right bottle of white for the dish is paramount for the enjoyment of both.

The basic principle behind wine pairing is to complement or contrast the flavours and characteristics of the wine and food. You do this through four key factors:

Acidity

Pairing your white wine with the dish starts with its acidity. You have to find the right balance, and your wine should always be more acidic than your food. This helps cut through the rich fats and creamy sauces to isolate the delectable food flavours underneath.

At the same time, you don't want your wine's acidity to get carried away, and you should avoid pairing it with citrus or vinegar-rich foods, as the combined acidity can be overpowering.

Sweetness

One of the best ways to find a complementary wine for the dish is to match the sweetness of the food. For instance, dessert wines, like a late harvest Riesling, are often lighter wines best served alongside sweeter dishes. They pair remarkably with pies and cakes, which can typically make drier whites taste too bitter.

Flavour Intensity

The benefit of properly pairing a white wine to the dish is that it brings out the variety of flavours in each. As such, you want to avoid a wine pairing that overpowers the dish and vice-versa.

The best way to do this is to make pairings based on similar taste profiles. A herbaceous dish requires an equally herbaceous wine, like Sauvignon Blanc. Meanwhile, a creamy pasta dish is better suited for a creamy Chardonnay.

Weight

The final aspect you should always consider when pairing your food and wine is the weight. Finding combinations based on how both sit in your stomach enhances the entire wine-pairing experience.

As a good rule of thumb, light-bodied wines pair better with lighter dishes, while full-bodied white wines are better suited for rich and fatty meats.

Cheese Pairings for White Wine

Compared to their red counterparts, white wines are generally easier to pair with cheeses. While there are definitely some great red wine cheese pairings, full-bodied reds often overpower most cheeses.

White wines, however, feature lighter tannin structures and a high acidity that cuts through the richness of the cheese without taking centre stage. Still, you need to ensure you are pairing the right white wine with the proper cheeses.

Here are some good guidelines to follow for the proper pairings:

• Fresh and soft cheeses (e.g., Ricotta, Chèvre): Pair with light-bodied wines like Sauvignon Blanc.
• Semi-soft cheeses (e.g., Havarti, Asiago): Go well with a light-bodied wine like Riesling
• Soft-ripened cheeses (e.g., Brie, Camembert): Best suited for a full-bodied white wine, like Chardonnay.
• Semi-hard cheeses (e.g., Gruyère, Fontina): Accentuate fruit notes of light-bodied whites, like Viognier.
• Hard cheeses (e.g., Parmesan, Aged Cheddar): Require bold, full-bodied white wines like an Oaked Chardonnay.

Cheese and Wine Pairing Chart

Pairing Wine	Pairing	Why They Work
Sauvignon Blanc	Goat Cheese	Sauvignon Blanc's high acidity cuts through the creaminess of the cheese to highlight the earthy flavours.
Chardonnay	Havarti	An Oaked Chardonnay complements the richness of the cheese, accentuating the smokey, toasted flavours.
Pinot Grigio	Gouda	Pinot Grigio's full body matches the bold flavours of the cheese while enhancing the wine's fruity notes.
Riesling	Blue Cheese	Riesling's versatility is well-matched to pair with blue cheese, which can vary from soft and creamy cheeses to firm and crumbly.

6 Other Popular White Wine and Food Pairings

Pairing cheese with white wine is always a great platter for any social gathering. But sometimes, the occasion calls for something a little more refined. Here are a few essential white wine and food pairings to make any dinner party a moment of celebration.

1. Lobster: The Best Food Pairing with Chardonnay

As far as white wine and food pairings go, it doesn't get much better than a fresh lobster and a good Oaked Chardonnay. Boasting distinct citrus notes, Chardonnay enhances any shellfish dish with natural lemon or lime flavours. And when you add the oak-aging process, you create a wine that is as equally creamy and delicious as the main course lobster.

2. Spaghetti Carbonara: The Best Food Pairing with Pinot Grigio

Pinto Grigio, or Pinot Gris, comes in a variety of styles. Still, the varietal's lighter-bodied wines tend to have a higher acidity and a crisp, refreshing taste that is well suited to creamy pasta dishes.

Spaghetti Carbonara is a particular delight to serve alongside a nice Pinot Grigio, with the wine's zest and fruity aromas enhancing the salty, cheesy palate of the dish.

3. Caesar Salad: The Best Food Pairing with Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a light-bodied white wine with a distinctly herbaceous flavour profile. It promises a subtle sipping experience well-suited for enjoying a lighter dish, like a Caesar salad.

The wine's herbal notes complement the herbs and vegetables of the dish while not overpowering the delicate nature of the romaine lettuce. This is the perfect pairing when you are looking for a refreshing meal.

4. Grilled Chicken: The Best Food Pairing with Pinot Blanc

As a medium-bodied wine with a pronounced acidity, Pinot Blanc can pair with a wide range of dishes and cooking methods. Grilled or roast chicken is often a great food pairing, as the wine's high acidity cuts through the fatty skin of the dish, accentuating the juicy meat flavours underneath.

5. Crab Cakes: The Best Food Pairing with Viognier

Crab cakes are both fatty and sweet. They require a delicate touch. And there is no better wine pairing better suited for the task than Viognier. Viognier is a light-bodied, acidic wine that can cut through the fatty crab meat while accentuating the creamy, sweet deliciousness of the dish.

6. Apple Pie: The Best Food Pairing with Riesling

The great thing about white wine is that you can find the perfect pairing for any course of your meal. A sweet Riesling is one of the best dessert wines and can elevate almost any sweet treat.

Still, a classic apple pie is its perfect match, with the citrus, ginger, and lychee notes of the sweet wine bringing the cinnamon, apple, and crust of the pie to a whole new level.

Experiment with Wine Club Canada

Still can't decide which food and wine pairing you want to try first? Or maybe these have sounded so good that they have inspired you to try your own combinations. If so, there is no better way to explore white wine's culinary potential than with Wine Club Canada.

Sign up for a monthly subscription and receive new and exciting bottles from across Canada that are sure to ignite your culinary imagination.