We often tend to create elaborate meals for our dinner parties but forget to think about the wine we will pair them with. Picking the right wine for a dinner party is not such an easy task. In fact, choosing the right wine is almost like an art. When we choose right, the undertones of the wine will bring out the flavors of all courses and make them a real treat. However, the opposite is also true. Wrong wines can ruin the entire dinner party and make all the effort put into cooking wasted.
Therefore, to make sure any gathering goes off without a hitch, here is a quick guide on how to choose wines for your dinner party. We don’t have to be sommeliers to charm our guests; we just have to pay attention to perfect pairings.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is a great way to start a dinner party with a bang! However, not all of us love champagne, but a lovely Prosecco or a Crémant wine will go splendidly as an aperitif. For those aiming for something different and special, we suggest an English sparkling wine.
Sparkling wines go lovely with a cheese plate. However, they also heighten the flavors in pastries, fish, and vegetables. Therefore, if you’ve prepared hors d’oeuvre or just some canapes for people to snack on while they mingle and chat, offer your guests a dainty sparkling wine with them and they’ll surely be eager for more.
White Wine
White wine is commonly paired with fish and white meat — everyone knows that. However, how do we choose the right white wine out of a plethora of available labels and types?
A good rule of thumb is to pair courses with the regions those recipes originated in. Therefore, if you’ve prepared a French cuisine-inspired meal, we suggest sticking to French wines. What’s more, a great, bright French wine is always a sound choice.
Complex, heavy wines usually aren’t a good choice for a starter course. Appetizers like some lightly roasted vegetables, a smooth soup or a heavy potage call for more classic wines — an opulent Sauvignon Blanc or a sharp Pino Grigio.
On the other hand, meatier starters will pair wonderfully with a sweeter wine like a Moscato.
Red Wine
Traditionally, red wines are a fantastic choice for hearty meals where red meat is the star of the dish. If you’re unsure what your guests would prefer, we suggest sticking with a medium red, like a Merlot, or a light red like Pinot Noir. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can go for rich, oaky reds like a Shiraz or a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Medium reds and light red wines are an excellent choice for a white meat main course. The chicken will taste even better paired with aromatic red wine, like the Italian Brachetto or the Zinfandel.
You don’t have to stick to traditional rules if you don’t want to. Just remember that body and acidity are the factors you need to consider when choosing wines for a dinner party. For example, heavier foods call for richer wines with more body. Meanwhile, sweet foods call for more acidic wines.
Still, you can be as adventurous as you’d like. You may want to go off the beaten path and pair your spicy and salty entrées with sparkling wine.
Sweet Dessert Wine
And finally — the dessert, the pièce de résistance. Traditionally, the dessert is served with a sweet dessert wine like the Sauternes, the famous French luscious wine sweetened with peaches, apricots, and other delicious fruit.
However, wines that are a bit more acidic also go great with desserts. If we’ve chosen a simple fruit plate or an elaborate fruit dessert, like poached pears, a moderately sweet wine like the Moscato d’Asti will elevate the entire dish to an unbelievable level.
For fans of a strong finish — chocolate desserts — a simple choice of a strong Port will leave the entire dinner on a high note. Young, fruit-heavy reds are also great wines for strong chocolate desserts like mousse and chocolate ganache.
