How many times have you sat down at a restaurant and purchased a glass of wine without any thought about the meal that will eventually come with it? Or cooked a homemade meal, just to remember that hidden bottle of wine that’s been sitting on the counter for the past few months? You could be missing out on a tasteful palate experience. Reds, whites, and pinks, everything has a match with their own style of food. It’s time to stop mixing meals and wines, and time to start impressing friends and families with your new found wisdom.
Sparkling
Start your night off by offering a platter of gruyere cheese, before serving a simple seafood and sausage paella to your hungry and waiting guests. Finish with a stylish creme brulee and watch your guests enjoy the first break of melted sugar on top.
Dry White
Play it more casual serving gouda and bread from a local bakery during cocktail hour, then shock guests with avocado and tuna tapas. For dessert, don’t hold back and show off your baking skills with a sweet and tangy lemon tart (or the skills of another baker, we won’t tell).
Rich White
It’s picnic time with soft and creamy camembert cheese, followed by an easy-to-make pasta salad full of vegetables. Take dessert on the go and become the hero of the group by handing out extra thick and fudgey homemade brownies.
Sweet White
Break out the brie, your guests will need something soft to chase away the spice in your slow cooker spicy chicken curry. If they’re still suffering from a hot mouth, pull out the tray of strawberry cream cheese tarts for their delight.
Light Red
Easy to serve swiss cheese accompanied with crackers will start the evening, and for dinner, nothing sounds better than a quick wild mushroom risotto. Keep the simplicity going with grilled sweet cherry and apricot kebabs with saffron honey.
Medium Red
Offer up a light salad for your guests to enjoy their gorgonzola while you prepare rich braised beef with melting onions that are sure to make everyone want more. Pull out an intense chocolate blackout cake as your finale.
Bold Red
Splurge on some nice cheddar and lay the slices out so they’re easy to grab, maybe even suggest that your guests hold off and mix it with their Italian beef tortellini stew. Right as everyone is about to state they can’t have another bite, showcase a bold peach and cornmeal upside-down cake.
Dessert
What can we say about dessert wine other than it goes well with dessert? Skip the pleasantries of a fine meal and lay out a selection of crumbly stilton cheese, snacks, chocolates, and pastries. Choose from the above desserts, or flip into a Hershey cookbook to find your next best creation.