Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Yeah, yeah, I know this is a very subjective and difficult question, but a TN I saw in CT got me thinking. I'm wondering what people think is the best food wine. In other words, what wine is only so-so most of the time, but absolutely blossoms when paired with food? I know there will always be outliers (e.g. I had THIS Chianti Classico that was amazing on it's own, but was also amazing with food...) and exceptions, but I'm curious what others think. I have my hunch of what will win (even if I don't agree necessarily): Champagne. I voted for Chianti. To me, it's a supremely versatile food wine and is mostly good but not great on its own (unlike Champagne, which is often epic on its own and also with food), but is awesome with the right food.
B. Redman
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I mean you can't really choose a region like this. Good acid and moderate abv are +++, heavier, higher abv, more extracted wines limit you and also you just can't drink as much of those! Champagne and Chianti are the most likely (and versatile) choices for me.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I would have said Beaujolais for red and Kabinett for white, and then saw the comment in your post about the wine that is “so-so” on it’s own and then blossoms with food. These wines are excellent either way. I’m not aware of a wine that is only good with food, at least I don’t drink a wine that cannot be very good to excellent on its own.
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Kenny H (circa 2015)
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
No Riesling kabinett? For shame
Edit: bah, pre-empted![truce [truce.gif]](./images/smilies/truce.gif)
Edit: bah, pre-empted
![truce [truce.gif]](./images/smilies/truce.gif)
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Yes. I don’t eat much meat so Kabinett for me. And Champagne. Obviously.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Gruener Veltliner - matches with almost everything
Gerhard Pr@esent
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I voted for Champagne because of course it is, but White Bordeaux gets a hat-tip from me, too.
ITB...or at least on my way...
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Sorry but the question as posed makes no sense at all. The best food wine is whatever you happen to like with whatever you happen to be eating. And it changes from day to day.
There's no characteristic that makes one wine food-friendly and another food-antagonistic. And it's an extremely limited selection, which means "other" has to be the default. None of those are wines I drink with any frequency. And Champagne is probably the last thing I'd reach for. In thirty plus years, I've never bought a bottle for myself.
There's no characteristic that makes one wine food-friendly and another food-antagonistic. And it's an extremely limited selection, which means "other" has to be the default. None of those are wines I drink with any frequency. And Champagne is probably the last thing I'd reach for. In thirty plus years, I've never bought a bottle for myself.
G . T a t a r
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I think you're the outlier here....

![[neener.gif] neener](./images/smilies/neener.gif)
$ _ € ® e . k @
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Greg, I largely agree with this though I might tweak it a bit. Prefaced with 'it depends on the food and person's palate', I do think there are some characteristics that matter. For example, big, gloopy, alcoholic messes of wines don't pair with much, in my experience. They can just overwhelm the food, even a big steak.GregT wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 11:50 pmSorry but the question as posed makes no sense at all. The best food wine is whatever you happen to like with whatever you happen to be eating. And it changes from day to day.
There's no characteristic that makes one wine food-friendly and another food-antagonistic. And it's an extremely limited selection, which means "other" has to be the default. None of those are wines I drink with any frequency. And Champagne is probably the last thing I'd reach for. In thirty plus years, I've never bought a bottle for myself.
Certain characteristics 'can' be food-friendly; well-structured wines to cut the fat in a steak, for example. Or a bit of residual sugar to pair with spicy food (but, of course 'not in all cases').
In that regard I think the part that of the OP that doesn't make sense is it's maybe the wrong question. Because it's less about regions and more about styles/characteristics, and those can cross region.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Champagne is the most versatile, but the question makes little sense...
The only thing that I generally try to avoid is high alcohol. For me that's anything north of 14.5%. I can look past that for a zin to go with my burger, but in most cases, high alcohol mars food - or at least mars me such that I can't taste the food.
The only thing that I generally try to avoid is high alcohol. For me that's anything north of 14.5%. I can look past that for a zin to go with my burger, but in most cases, high alcohol mars food - or at least mars me such that I can't taste the food.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Maybe Champagne is the choice without too much fantasy ...Ben M a n d l e r wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 9:42 pmI voted for Champagne because of course it is, but White Bordeaux gets a hat-tip from me, too.
![snort.gif [snort.gif]](./images/smilies/snort.gif)
I agree with GregT that the best wine is the one one likes best ... but that doesn't fit with any poll ...
Gerhard Pr@esent
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Champagne or rose champagne or rose is what I reach for when I need to pair with food
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
With these three words, you have pretty much nailed what I especially enjoy in a wine: I can enjoy a glass or two (maybe more) by itself, and the wine is just as enjoyable when paired with a pretty wide range of food. As to your specific recommendations, I am "on the learning curve" with both, but can already see your point.Robert.A.Jr. wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 8:27 pmI would have said Beaujolais for red and Kabinett for white, and then saw the comment in your post about the wine that is “so-so” on it’s own and then blossoms with food. These wines are excellent either way. I’m not aware of a wine that is only good with food, at least I don’t drink a wine that cannot be very good to excellent on its own.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
With respect, I’m struggling with the concept here. The results will be biased by what foods people like.
I also don’t see why wines that are good without food should be discounted. Yes there are specific wines that could be meh on their own but come alive with food (we had a Greek rose the other day that filled that brief). It’s a useful thing to know of an individual wine. But I’m not sure I’d apply the concept to a whole category. I struggle with the thought of white burgundy not being good on its own for example.
Many categories missing. Rioja. Rhône. Alsace. Sherry. Dry Riesling. To name but a few.
I also don’t see why wines that are good without food should be discounted. Yes there are specific wines that could be meh on their own but come alive with food (we had a Greek rose the other day that filled that brief). It’s a useful thing to know of an individual wine. But I’m not sure I’d apply the concept to a whole category. I struggle with the thought of white burgundy not being good on its own for example.
Many categories missing. Rioja. Rhône. Alsace. Sherry. Dry Riesling. To name but a few.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Robert A. Alfert Jr. is right (again).Robert.A.Jr. wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 8:27 pmI would have said Beaujolais for red and Kabinett for white, and then saw the comment in your post about the wine that is “so-so” on it’s own and then blossoms with food. These wines are excellent either way. I’m not aware of a wine that is only good with food, at least I don’t drink a wine that cannot be very good to excellent on its own.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Please jump on the shoe thread and help me out there as well. I am dealing with Birkenstock-wearing style-heathens. It's crushing.Scott Brunson wrote: ↑July 11th, 2019, 7:14 amRobert A. Alfert Jr. is right (again).Robert.A.Jr. wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 8:27 pmI would have said Beaujolais for red and Kabinett for white, and then saw the comment in your post about the wine that is “so-so” on it’s own and then blossoms with food. These wines are excellent either way. I’m not aware of a wine that is only good with food, at least I don’t drink a wine that cannot be very good to excellent on its own.![]()
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I voted Bordeaux because I drink Bordeaux with food nearly every day.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
High acid
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Barbera Can be a
good food companion.but it very much depends of what the dish is.
good food companion.but it very much depends of what the dish is.
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Flawed poll. The OP is an idiot.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?

Was that one of the poll options?
(Jk)
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
This part makes no sense to me.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Magical wine.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Brandon, I agree with you and I have had wines like this. Chianti is a great example.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=156058&p=2619940&hi ... t#p2619940
An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Yeah I know. There's a lot of love for it! But while it's OK, I never buy it - seems too much like a cross between beer and wine that can't quite decide what it wants to be. And I'm not a fan of beer, which I've been told is un-American!
But seriously, the alcohol level doesn't really matter if the wine is good. I've had some shockingly high-alcohol wine that turned out to be really good and had I looked at the ABV beforehand, I might have had a bias that wasn't merited. A lot of people have alcoholic drinks with dinner and they seem pretty happy.
Nor does acid seem to have all that much to do with it although I know it's received wisdom to believe that a wine with high apparent acidity is a better wine for food than another wine. That's another blanket statement that is very dependent on the particulars. Sometimes those wines just suck and you need a strong flavor in your food to kill the taste! And sometimes you just don't want that acidity. Riesling for example. I love the stuff but if I had to drink it every day, or even every week, I'd be pretty unhappy. Many things are like that, chocolate for example - it's good once in a while.
G . T a t a r
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I don't question the conventional wisdom that Champagne is the most flexible pairing.
However, if the question is what wine benefits the most from being paired with food, I find that food improves white burgundy and other high acid dry whites the most.
However, if the question is what wine benefits the most from being paired with food, I find that food improves white burgundy and other high acid dry whites the most.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I'm with Greg here on Champagne or any other sparkling white for that matter. It's not that I won't drink it, but I don't seek it out. I do like beer though.... a lot, although not the generic macro so called lagers which is what brought me to wine in the first place.
Back to the Original question though, there is no single drink or style of drink that works across all the foods I regularly cook and eat so it is pointless being generic.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Riesling Kabinett and Barbera come to mind...
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Riesling covers it all
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Wine with acidity. Ask Bob Mondavi. 

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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
"Generally speaking," Champagne. It is good with just about everything.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Wine that’s dead at retail.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
An almost impossible question to answer, but if I had to choose one wine that would be the only wine I would have available to drink with food it would probably be be a pinot edging out a Kabinett.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Jim: Question, what kind of bear is best?
Dwight: That's a ridiculous question.
Jim: False. Black bear.
Dwight: That's debatable. There are basically two schools of thought.
Jim: Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Dwight: That's a ridiculous question.
Jim: False. Black bear.
Dwight: That's debatable. There are basically two schools of thought.
Jim: Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
エaイdドrリiアaンn (93 pts.)
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
So, the correct answer is 93-point wine?
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Impossible to answer. Totally depends on which reviewer gave the 93 points
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
There's no mention of young Vintage Port. It's much too tannic by itself, but pair it with a steak covered in gorgonzola sauce with caramelized onions and it's heaven.
S t 1 g 0 m a n
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
This explains why your such a miserable cynical person always looking to be critical and belittle people.GregT wrote: ↑July 10th, 2019, 11:50 pmSorry but the question as posed makes no sense at all. The best food wine is whatever you happen to like with whatever you happen to be eating. And it changes from day to day.
There's no characteristic that makes one wine food-friendly and another food-antagonistic. And it's an extremely limited selection, which means "other" has to be the default. None of those are wines I drink with any frequency. And Champagne is probably the last thing I'd reach for. In thirty plus years, I've never bought a bottle for myself.
But some bubbly and cheer up
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Cornalin, which should be planted up and down the west coast.
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
I actually agree with this and understand the op’s question. I’m not generally a big Sangiovese fan, but I think it’s a lot better with food.Jim Stewart wrote: ↑July 11th, 2019, 10:09 amBrandon, I agree with you and I have had wines like this. Chianti is a great example.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=156058&p=2619940&hi ... t#p2619940
Greg Kahn
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
This explains why your such a miserable cynical person always looking to be critical and belittle people.
But some bubbly and cheer up
![wow [wow.gif]](./images/smilies/wow.gif)
Awesome!
But will it affect my spelling, punctuation, and syntax?
G . T a t a r
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Greg, stop teasing Alan, go but some bubbly, and don't worry about being late or the taxes.
Alan, we luv ewe man!
Alan, we luv ewe man!
S t 1 g 0 m a n
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Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
Is that what the youngsters call boofing?
Chris F.
Re: Generally speaking, what type of wine is the best food wine?
![wow [wow.gif]](./images/smilies/wow.gif)
Hey Chris - exit only!
I did have some sparkling Sauv Blanc from New Zealand a couple weeks ago. Didn't but it though.
![cheers [cheers.gif]](./images/smilies/cheers.gif)
G . T a t a r
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]
[i]"the incorrect overuse of apostrophes is staggering these days. I wonder if half the adults these days have any idea what they are for." Chris Seiber, 5/14/19[/i]