Match weight, not colour
The old red-with-meat rule fails constantly. What matters is weight: a light dish wants a light wine, a rich dish wants a rich one. A grilled salmon handles a full-bodied white or a light red equally well; a heavy Cabernet flattens it either way.
If you remember one thing, remember this one. It resolves most pairing questions on its own.
Acidity cuts fat
Anything fried, creamy or cheesy wants acid opposite it. Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc, which BottlesNow carries, has the crisp acidity to cut through fried chicken, creamy pasta or a cheese board and reset the palate between bites.
This is also why sparkling wine works with far more food than people give it credit for. It is not only a toast drink.
Match sweetness to the dish
A dessert wine must be sweeter than the dessert or it tastes sour. The same principle applies to spicy food: a touch of sweetness in an off-dry Riesling tames heat, where a dry tannic red amplifies it.
When you have no idea
When you do not know everyone's preferences, order one crisp white and one medium red. Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc and Gato Negro Cabernet Sauvignon are the two straightforward BottlesNow picks: the white suits fish, salad and creamy dishes, while the red works with pizza, pasta and grilled meat.
Serving temperature matters more than the pairing. Whites are usually served too cold and reds too warm — twenty minutes out of the fridge for a white and twenty minutes in it for a red fixes both.
Common questions
What wine goes with almost anything?
A dry rosé or a medium-bodied Pinot Noir handles mixed tables better than anything else.
What wine goes with spicy food?
Something slightly sweet and low in tannin — an off-dry Riesling. Tannic reds make heat worse.
How cold should red wine be?
Slightly below room temperature. Twenty minutes in the fridge before serving is usually right.
