email this pageQ. As a vegetarian, I get frustrated with the way wine pairings are almost always based on meat, fish or poultry main dishes. What are your suggestions for matching wines to vegetarian cooking?
A. Fortunately, many of the same concepts apply no matter what sort of food we’re pairing wines with. Just like meat-based meals, vegetable dishes run the gamut from sweet to tart, light to hearty, and mild to spicy, in a panoply of combinations. Finding wines that complement each of those characteristics without overpowering sometimes delicate vegetable flavors, is the key. Here are a few favorite veggie pairings:
Green salads—Verdejo, dry sparkling wine
Fresh tomato salad—Albariño
Grain salads—Chenin blanc, Riesling, Spanish rosé from Navarra
Fresh green vegetables—New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, Grüner Veltliner
Corn dishes—Chardonnay, white Burgundy
Mushroom dishes—Oregon Pinot Noir, red Burgundy
Hearty beans and grains—Chinon, good Beaujolais (such as Brouilly or Fleurie)
Tomato-based pasta dishes—Italian Dolcetto or Barbera
Roasted root vegetables—Pinot Gris, Viognier, Valpolicella
Grilled or roasted vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini—Rioja, red Zinfandel, Shiraz
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