Very odd because I’m guessing I’m one of the very few with a wine collection that is vegetarian. Maybe not? But any good suggestions on pairings? I love Asian food but soy sauce and tofu don’t go well with an 82 Margaux…
I’m quite sure that you’re not alone. I know a winemaker who is a vegetarian and has been for 30 years or so…
As far as pairing, it totally depends on the food.
I certainly know vegetarians who are into wine. I never have trouble devising dinner plans if they come over. I’m a carnophiliac, but we do meatless Monday without stress. Tonight I did tofu with a kecap manis/sesame/ginger marinade, wouldn’t serve with an '82 First growth but pretty tasty with a Foillard Cote du Py (today is Pi day afterall)
Absolute tons of great vegetable dishes with white wines. Reds can be trickier. First thought is mushrooms are your friend (grilled or roasted, or maybe wild mushroom risotto with aged Nebbiolo). Also things that are grilled/seared (Maillard effect) help with red wines. I think Cabernet based are hardest matches, but can be done easily. Experiment (not with first growths)
I think the richness, the aromatics, the umami, the sweetness all play into the pairing. Not like I’m saying anything earth shattering.
The classic off-dry Riesling with Thai/Vietnamese is an example that is irrespective of the presence of meat. Champagne works well with almost anything.
Old world Syrah is an easy pairing with richer dishes, and I would easily pick a cab with a vegetarian chili. I am dreaming now of a Ch Musar with an aromatic Persian pilaf/pulao followed by an old Barolo with truffle risotto… 
My ovo-lacto days ended long ago but while making dishes for other red wines wasn’t a problem, I never really found something that worked well with cabs or Bdx.
Yeah, I should have mentioned I don’t drink white. Love reds, Cabernet mainly. Champagne isn’t as hard to pair. And I do love bubbly!
For red wines, mushrooms often fill the void. Perhaps not for Boreaux, but Pinot Noir and Syrah do well. Pinot Noir does surprisingly well with lentils and sweet potatoes(not mixed together).
Dairy opens up a range of wines but I am not sure that that’s the need in the OP.
My strategy: pair white wines with food, red wines with everything else.
Just kidding, but I definitely have to make an effort to load up on gamay, lighter pinots, trousseau etc in the red section since this is so much easier to pair with meals than cab/syrah/sangiovese/zin (despite the fact that I love these too)
For Cabs and blends try roasted potatoes, root vegetables, and onions with herbs and olive oil. That is what I usually have with grilled steak, and honestly, sometimes I feel like I can do without the steak (almost).
P Hickner
Vegan, or do you eat eggs and dairy?
Mushrooms work well with a lot of big wines that are cab or merlot based.
Also. I hope Loren Sonkin chimes in; he is a vegetarian who loves drinking big wines.
My wife is a vegetarian and I have always made wines understanding that they would have to pair with her cuisine.
Lighter, more acid, less oak, etc.
Best, Jim
I don’t see any challenges, big reds with mushrooms , veg stews with lentils, aubergine dishes, most Meze … There are so many!
Our family is vegetarian. We tend to drink a lot of Champagne and Burgundy. Bigger reds for heavier dishes or on their own. For Asian and Mexican dishes we usually drink beer. We tend not to worry about pairing too much and just drink what we feel like.
This - I’m a pescetarian who only eats fish about once per week, tries hard not to eat eggs and generally only eats cheese on pizza. Never felt like my food/wine pairings were deficient for lack of meat.
Vegan… Just say vegetarian because I’m used to people either not knowing vegan or thinking I’m crazy. And I know the whole issue with wine and a lot not being vegan.
This may be problematic without thorough research.
Wine, although made from grapes, may have been made using animal-derived products. During the winemaking process, the liquid is filtered through substances called “fining agents.” This process is used to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness, “off” flavors and colorings, and other organic particles. Popular animal-derived fining agents used in the production of wine include blood and bone marrow, casein (milk protein), chitin (fiber from crustacean shells), egg albumen (derived from egg whites), fish oil, gelatin (protein from boiling animal parts), and isinglass (gelatin from fish bladder membranes).
Before matching foods, make sure you wine meets your dietary standards! This can be a real job to do, but there are info sources for who makes vegan wines.
Let us know how that goes!
Regarding wine pairings, for nice whites with some RS, Google Rasoi Magic “No onion, no garlic.” It is an all vegan line of Jain foods that is delicious and can be made dairy and egg free! with rich flavors!
Start at Patel Brothers’ website, and if you have any difficulty finding product please post here and I will try to be helpful!
I have been one for 16 years. Grilled veggies work great with big reds. Obviously mushrooms (portobella, etc.) but also peppers, broccoli and others. Indian food and Alsatian wines is great but so is Thai and Chinese food. Tofu of course depends on the marinade. There are some nice "beef’ bourgogne recipes that are made with seitan that work great with Pinot. Orange wines and cinnamon risotto is a great pairing. Eggs and champagne works well especially Quiche’s.
Frankly, I would happily eat/drink soy sauce and tofu with 82 Margaux. Not every meal is a perfect match.
Both of my kids are vegetarian and therefore most of our meals are too. In addition to what’s been mentioned (mushrooms with reds, spicy food with whites), beans and legumes are particularly wine friendly - lentils with Pinot (or Syrah), black beans with Zin, etc. And if the main course has a tomato based sauce - bring on the Italian and Spanish reds.
I think any umami-rich protein (mushrooms, lentils, beans, tempeh) prepared with a European flavor profile rather than an Asian one, works well with a variety of reds. I do a vegetarian version of Coq au Vin (heresy, I know) where I substitute tempeh and the fake bacon tempeh (vegetarian junk food, but the dish can use the salty and smoky flavors; alternatively, you can put in liquid smoke and soy sauce if you don’t like to use a processed food product). It requires a bit more flavor to be added than the original recipe calls for, and I use quite a bit of vegetable stock (2 cups, usually) in addition to a full bottle of red wine, as well as putting in a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. I add butter for richness, but I’ve done it vegan with coconut oil instead, which worked fine. You have to cook it down for a long time and season it to taste, but it comes out great when you get the hang of it, and it goes perfectly with many old world reds, particularly Northern Rhone and Bordeaux.