Wine Pairings For Vegetarian Dishes
Pairing wine with steak? Super easy — a big cabernet. A plate of pasta Bolognese? Think about a top barolo. But veggies? Well, that's where wine-pairing gets trickier. With the Meatless Monday initiative gaining momentum, we suggest you consider the veggies and ingredients in your dish, then make a match from there. Here are a few veggie and wine suggestions to get you started.
Asian Stir-Fry or Spicy Thai Veggies
Our Meatless Monday match for a spicy dish like a stir-fry and brown rice dish is a unique five-grape white blend that's great before dinner or with it.
Caymus Conundrum White Blend 2010 (California) $19
Vegetarian Lasagna
Usually the fattiness of the meat in lasagna makes wine pairing easy, so with veggie lasagna, consider one main ingredient, like mushrooms, and pair according to that. Chianti will work, but pinot noir is also an option. Match the weight of the wine with the weight of the lasagna.
Rex Hill Pinot Noir 2010 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) $35
Salads
It's difficult to suggest just one wine for salad, because salad has many different interpretations. When pairing a salad with wine, consider the ingredients. A grassy sauvignon blanc is a good choice for an herb-based salad. If your salad has cheese, consider a sleek wine like sparkling wine to counterbalance the creaminess of the cheese. And some advice concerning vinegar. Make a vinaigrette with citrus juice in place of vinegar for the best possible pairing with wine.