FOOD & FINEST WINES

White wines

Beerenauslese/Trockenbeerenauslese Biscuits, peaches, greengages. Desserts made from

rhubarb, gooseberries, quinces, apples.

Supreme white burgundy (Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne) or equivalent Graves Roast

veal, farm chicken stuffed with truffles or herbs under the skin, or sweetbreads; richly sauced

white fish or scallops as above. Or lobster or poached wild salmon.

Very good Chablis, white burgundy, other top-quality Chards White fish simply grilled or

meunière. Dover sole, turbot, halibut are best; brill, drenched in butter, can be excellent. (Sea

bass is too delicate; salmon passes but does little for the finest wine.)

Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Hermitage Blanc V. light pasta scented with herbs and tiny peas or

broad beans (fava beans).

Grand cru Alsace: Riesling Truite au bleu, smoked salmon, or choucroute garni.

Pinot Gris Roast or grilled veal. Or truffle sandwich (slice a whole truffle, make a sandwich

with salted butter and gd country bread – not sourdough or rye – wrap and refrigerate

overnight. Then toast it in the oven.

Gewurztraminer Cheese soufflé (Münster cheese).

vendange tardive Foie gras or tarte tatin.

Old vintage Champagne (not blanc de blancs) As an apéritif, or with cold partridge, grouse,

woodcock. Evolved flavours of old Champagne make it far easier to match with food than the

tightness of young wine. Hot foie gras can be sensational. Don’t be afraid of garlic or even

Indian spices, but omit the chilli.

Late-disgorged old wines have extra freshness plus tertiary flavours. Try with truffles,

lobster, scallops, crab, sweetbreads, pork belly, roast veal, chicken.

Rosé Pigeon.

Sauternes Simple crisp, buttery biscuits (eg. langues de chat), white peaches, nectarines,

strawberries (no cream). Not tropical fruit. Pan-seared foie gras. Lobster, chicken with

Sauternes sauce. Château d’Yquem recommends oysters. Experiment with blue cheeses.

Rocquefort is classic, but needs a powerful wine.

Supreme Vouvray moëlleux, etc. Buttery biscuits, apples, apple tart.

Tokaji Aszú (5–6 puttonyos) Foie gras is recommended. Fruit desserts, cream desserts, even

chocolate can be wonderful. It even works with some Chinese, though not with chilli – the

spice has to be adjusted to meet the sweetness. Szechuan pepper is gd. Havana cigars are

splendid. So is the naked sip.

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FOOD & FINEST WINES

Red wines

Red Bordeaux and other Cab Sauv-based wines (v. old, light and delicate wines: eg. pre-1959,

with exceptions such as 1945). Leg or rack of young lamb, roast with a hint of herbs (but not

garlic); entrecôte; simply roasted partridge or grouse or sweetbreads.

Fully mature great vintages (eg. Bordeaux 59 61 82 85) Shoulder or saddle of lamb, roast with

a touch of garlic, roast ribs or grilled rump of beef.

Mature but still vigorous (eg. 89 90) Shoulder or saddle of lamb (incl kidneys) with rich sauce.

Fillet of beef marchand de vin (with wine and bone marrow). Avoid beef Wellington: pastry

dulls the palate.

Merlot-based Bordeaux (Pomerol, St-Émilion) Beef as above (fillet is richest) or well-hung

venison.

Côte d’Or red burgundy Consider the wine’s weight and texture, which grow lighter/more

velvety with age, and its character: Nuits is earthy, Musigny flowery, great Romanées can be

exotic, Pommard renowned for its four-squareness. Roast chicken or capon is a safe standard

with red burgundy; guinea fowl for slightly stronger wines, then partridge, grouse, or

woodcock for those progressively more rich and pungent. Hare and venison (chevreuil) are

alternatives.

great old burgundy The Burgundian formula is cheese: Epoisses (unfermented); a fine cheese

but a terrible waste of fine old wines.

vigorous younger burgundy Duck or goose roasted to minimize fat. Or faisinjan (pheasant

cooked in pomegranate juice). Or smoked gammon.

Great Syrahs: Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Grange; Vega Sicilia Beef (such as the super-rich,

super-tender, super-slow-cooked ox cheek I had at Vega Sicilia), venison, well-hung game;

bone marrow on toast; English cheese (esp best farm Cheddar) but also hard goats milk and

ewes milk cheeses such as England’s Berkswell and Ticklemore.

Rioja Gran Res, Pesquera… Richly flavoured roasts: wild boar, mutton, saddle of hare, whole

suckling pig.

Barolo, Barbaresco Risotto with white truffles; pasta with game sauce (eg. pappardelle alla

lepre); porcini mushrooms; Parmesan.

Amarone Classically, in Verona, risotto all’Amarone or pastissada. But if your butcher doesn’t

run to horse, then shin of beef, slow-cooked in more Amarone.

Great vintage Port or Madeira Walnuts or pecans. A Cox’s orange pippin and a digestive

biscuit is a classic English accompaniment.

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WINE & CHEESE

The notion that wine and cheese were married in heaven is not borne out by experience. Fine red wines are slaughtered by strong cheeses; only sharp or sweet white wines survive. Principles to remember (despite exceptions): first, the harder the cheese, the more tannin the wine can have; second, the creamier the cheese, the more acidity required in the wine. Cheese is classified by its texture and the nature of its rind, so its appearance is a guide to the type of wine needed to match it. Below are examples. I try to keep a glass of white wine for my cheese

Bloomy rind soft cheeses, pure-white rind if pasteurized, or dotted with red: Brie,

Camembert, Chaource, Bougon (goats milk “Camembert”) Full, dry white burgundy or

Rhône if the cheese is white and immature; powerful and fruity St-Émilion, young Australian

(or Rhône) Shiraz/Syrah or Grenache if it’s mature.

Blue cheeses Roquefort can be wonderful with Sauternes, but don’t extend the idea to other

blues. It is the sweetness of Sauternes, esp old, that complements the saltiness. Stilton and

Port, preferably Tawny, is a classic. Intensely flavoured old Oloroso or Amontillado Sherry,

Madeira, Marsala, and other fortified wines go with most blues.

Fresh, no rind – cream cheese, crème fraîche, mozzarella Light, crisp white – simple

Bordeaux Blanc, Bergerac, English unoaked whites; rosé: Anjou, Rhône; v. light, young, fresh

red: Bordeaux, Bardolino, or Beaujolais.

Hard cheeses, waxed or oiled, often showing marks from cheesecloth – Gruyère family,

Manchego and other Spanish cheeses, Parmesan, Cantal, Comté, old Gouda, Cheddar

and most “traditional” English cheeses Particularly hard to generalize here; Gouda,

Gruyère, some Spanish and a few English cheeses complement fine claret or Cab Sauv and

great Shiraz/Syrah wines. But strong cheeses need less refined wines, preferably local ones.

Sugary, granular old Dutch red Mimolette or Beaufort are gd for finest mature Bordeaux. Also

for Tokaji Aszú. But try white wines, too.

Natural rind (mostly goat’s cheese) with bluish-grey mould (the rind becomes wrinkled when

mature), sometimes dusted with ash – St-Marcellin Sancerre, Valençay, light, fresh Sauv

Bl, Jurançon, Savoie, Soave, Italian Chard, lightly oaked English whites.

Semi-soft cheeses, thickish grey-pink rind – Livarot, Pont l’Evêque, Reblochon, Tomme de

Savoie, St-Nectaire Powerful white Bordeaux, Chard, Alsace Pinot Gr, dryish Ries, southern

Italian and Sicilian whites, aged white Rioja, dry Oloroso Sherry. But the strongest of these

cheeses kills most wines.

Washed-rind soft cheeses, with rather sticky, orange-red rind – Langres, mature Epoisses,

Maroilles, Carré de l’Est, Milleens, Münster Local reds (esp for Burgundy): vigorous

Languedoc, Cahors, Côtes du Frontonnais, Corsican, southern Italian, Sicilian, Bairrada.

Powerful whites: Alsace Gewurz, Muscat.

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DESSERTS

Apple pie, strudel or tarts Sweet German, Austrian, or Loire white; Tokaji Aszú or Canadian

Icewine.

Apples, Cox’s orange pippins Vintage Port (and sweetmeal biscuits) is the Saintsbury [wine]

Club plan.

Bread-and-butter pudding Fine 10-yr-old Barsac, Tokaji Aszú or Australian botrytized Sem.

Cakes and gâteaux See also CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, GINGER, RUM. Bual or Malmsey Madeira,

Oloroso or Cream Sherry.

cupcakes Prosecco presses all the right buttons.

Cheesecake Sweet white: Vouvray, Anjou, or fizz – refreshing, nothing special.

Chocolate A talking point. Generally only powerful flavours can compete. Texture matters. Bual,

California Orange Muscat, Tokaji Aszú, Australian Liqueur Muscat, 10-yr-old Tawny Port;

Asti for light, fluffy mousses. Experiment with rich, ripe reds: Syrah, Zin, even sparkling

Shiraz. Banyuls for a weightier partnership. Médoc can match bitter black chocolate, though

Amarone is more fun. Or a tot of gd rum.

and olive oil mousse 10-yr-old Tawny Port or as for black chocolate, above.

Christmas pudding, mince pies Tawny Port, Cream Sherry or liquid Christmas pudding itself:

Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Asti or Banyuls.

Coffee desserts Sweet Muscat, Australian Liqueur Muscats, or Tokaji Aszú.

Creams, custards, fools, syllabubs See also CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, GINGER, RUM. Sauternes,

Loupiac, Ste-Croix-du-Mont, or Monbazillac.

Crème brûlée Sauternes or Rhine Beerenauslese, best Madeira or Tokaji Aszú. (With concealed

fruit, a more modest sweet wine.)

Crêpes Suzette Sweet Champagne, Orange Muscat, or Asti.

Fruit blackberries Vintage or LBV Port.

dried fruit (and compotes) Banyuls, Rivesaltes, Maury. Tokaji Aszú.

flans and tarts Sauternes, Monbazillac, sweet Vouvray, or Anjou.

fresh Sweet Coteaux du Layon or light, sweet Muscat.

poached, ie. apricots, pears, etc. Tokaji Aszú, Sweet Muscatel: try Muscat de Beaumes-de-

Venise, Moscato di Pantelleria or Spanish dessert Tarragona.

salads, orange salad A fine sweet Sherry or any Muscat-based wine.

Ginger flavours Sweet Muscats, New World botrytized Ries and Sém. Or late-harvest Gewurz.

Ice cream and sorbets Fortified wine (Australian Liqueur Muscat, Banyuls). Pedro Ximénez

Sherry, Amaretto liqueur with vanilla; rum with chocolate.

Lemon flavours For dishes like tarte au citron, try sweet Ries from Germany or Austria, or

Tokaji Aszú; v. sweet if lemon is v. tart.

Meringues Recioto di Soave, Asti or top vintage Champagne, well-aged.

Mille-feuille Delicate sweet sparkling, ie. Moscato d’Asti or demi-sec Champagne.

Nuts (including praliné) Finest Oloroso Sherry, Madeira, Vintage or Tawny Port (nature’s match

for walnuts), Tokaji Aszú, Vin Santo, or Setúbal Moscatel.

salted nut parfait Tokaji Aszú, Vin Santo.

Orange flavours Experiment: old Sauternes, Tokaji Aszú. California Orange Muscat.

Panettone Jurançon moelleux, late-harvest Ries, Barsac, Tokaji Aszú.

Pears in red wine Pause before Port. Or try Rivesaltes, Banyuls, Ries Beerenauslese.

Pecan pie Orange Muscat or Liqueur Muscat.

Raspberries (no cream, little sugar) Excellent with fine reds, which themselves taste of

raspberries: young Juliénas, Regnié.

Rum flavours (baba, mousses, ice cream) Muscat – from Asti to Australian Liqueur, according

to weight of dish.

Salted caramel mousse/parfait Late-harvest Ries, Tokaji Aszú.

Strawberries, wild (no cream) Pour over Red Bordeaux (most exquisitely Margaux).

Strawberries and cream Sauternes or similar sweet Bordeaux; Vouvray moelleux or vendange

tardive Jurançon.

Summer pudding Fairly young Sauternes of a gd vintage.

Sweet soufflés Sauternes or Vouvray moelleux. Sweet (or rich) Champagne.

Tiramisú Vin Santo, young Tawny Port, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Sauternes or Australian

Liqueur Muscat.

Trifle Should be sufficiently vibrant with its internal Sherry.

Zabaglione Light-gold Marsala or Australian botrytized Sém or Asti.

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VEGETARIAN DISHES

SEE ALSO FIRST COURSE LIST 

 Baked pasta dishes Pasticcio, lasagne and cannelloni with elaborate vegetarian fillings and

sauces: an occasion to show off a grand wine, esp finest Tuscan red, but also claret and

burgundy. Gavi if you want white.

Beetroot Mimics a flavour found in red burgundy. You could return the compliment.

and goats cheese gratin Sauv Bl.

Cauliflower cheese Crisp, aromatic white: Sancerre, Ries Spätlese, Muscat, English Seyval Bl,

Godello.

Couscous with vegetables Young red with a bite: Shiraz, Corbières, Minervois; or well-chilled

rosé from Navarra or Somontano; or a robust Moroccan red.

Fennel-based dishes Sauv Bl: Pouilly-Fumé or one from NZ; English Seyval Bl or young

Tempranillo.

Grilled Mediterranean vegetables Brouilly, Barbera, Tempranillo, or Shiraz.

Lentil dishes Sturdy reds such as Corbières, Zin, or Shiraz.

dhal, with spinach Tricky. Soft, light red or rosé is best – and not top-flight.

Macaroni cheese As for CAULIFLOWER CHEESE.

Mushrooms (in most contexts) Gd with many reds. Pomerol, California Merlot, Rioja Res, top

burgundy, or Vega Sicilia. On toast, best claret. Ceps/porcini, Ribera del Duero, Barolo,

Chianti Rufina, Pauillac or St-Estèphe.

Onion/leek tart Fruity, off-dry or dry white: Alsace Pinot Gr or Gewurz, Canadian or NZ Ries,

English whites, Jurançon, Australian Ries. Or Loire red.

Peppers or aubergines (eggplant), stuffed Vigorous red wine: Nemea, Chianti, Dolcetto, Zin,

Bandol, Vacqueyras.

Pumpkin/squash ravioli or risotto Full-bodied, fruity, dry, or off-dry white: Viognier or

Marsanne, demi-sec Vouvray, Gavi, or South African Chenin.

Ratatouille Vigorous young red: Chianti, NZ Cab Sauv, Merlot, Malbec, Tempranillo; young red

Bordeaux, Gigondas, or Coteaux du Languedoc.

Spanacopitta (spinach and feta pie) Young Greek or Italian red or white.

Spiced vegetarian dishes See INDIAN DISHES, THAI DISHES (MEAT, POULTRY, GAME).

Watercress, raw Makes every wine on earth taste revolting. Soup is slightly easier, but doesn’t

require wine.

Wild garlic leaves, wilted Tricky: a fairly neutral white with acidity will cope best.

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MEAT, POULTRY, GAME

Barbecues The local wine: Australian, South African, Chilean, Argentina are right in spirit. Reds

need tannin, but silky tannins are best with sauces.

Asian flavours (lime, coriander, etc.) Rosé, Pinot Gr, Ries.

chilli Shiraz, Zin, Pinotage, Malbec, Chilean Syrah.

Middle Eastern (cumin, mint) Crisp, dry whites, rosé.

oil, lemon, herbs Sauv Bl.

tomato sauces Zin, Sangiovese.

Beef, boiled Red: Bordeaux (Bourgogne or Fronsac), Roussillon, Gevrey-Chambertin or Côte-

Rôtie. Medium-ranking white burgundy is gd, eg. Auxey-Duresses. Or top-notch beer.

Mustard softens tannic reds, horseradish kills everything – but can be worth the sacrifice.

roast An ideal partner for your fine red wine of any kind. Amarone, perhaps? See above for

mustard.

stew, daube, Sturdy red: Pomerol or St-Émilion, Hermitage, Cornas, Barbera, Shiraz, Napa

Cab Sauv, Ribera del Duero or Douro red.

Beef stroganoff Dramatic red: Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, Priorat, Hermitage, lateharvest

Zin – even Moldovan Negru de Purkar.

Boudin blanc (white pork sausage) Loire Chenin Bl, esp when served with apples: dry

Vouvray, Saumur, Savennières; mature red Côte de Beaune if without.

Boudin noir (blood sausage) Local Sauv Bl or Chenin Bl – esp in the Loire. Or Beaujolais cru,

esp Morgon. Or light Tempranillo.

Cabbage, stuffed Hungarian Cab Fr/Kadarka; village Rhône; Salice Salentino, Primitivo and

other spicy southern-Italian reds. Or Argentine Malbec.

Cajun food Fleurie, Brouilly, or New World Sauv Bl. With gumbo Amontillado.

Cassoulet Red from Southwest France (Gaillac, Minervois, Corbières, St-Chinian, or Fitou) or

Shiraz. But best of all Beaujolais cru or young Tempranillo.

Chicken Kiev Alsace Ries, Collio, Chard, Bergerac Rouge.

Chicken/turkey/guinea fowl, roast Virtually any wine, incl v. best bottles of dry to medium

white and finest old reds (esp burgundy). The meat of fowl can be adapted with sauces to

match almost any fine wine (eg. coq au vin with red or white burgundy). With strong, spicy

stuffing, Australian Shiraz.

Chilli con carne Young red: Beaujolais, Tempranillo, Zin, Argentine Malbec, Chilean

Carmenère.

Cantonese Rosé or dry to dryish white – Mosel Ries Kabinett or Spätlese Trocken – can be gd

throughout a Chinese banquet. Gewurz is often suggested but rarely works; Cantonese food

needs acidity in wine. Dry sparkling (esp Cava) works with the textures. Reds work v. well,

but you need the complexity of maturity, and a silky richness. Young tannins are disasterous as

are overoaked, overextracted monsters. Pinot N is first choice; try also St-Émilion ★★ or

Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I often serve both white and red wines concurrently during Chinese

meals. Champagne becomes a thirst-quencher.

Shanghai Somewhat richer and oilier than Cantonese, Shanghai food tends to be low on chilli

but high on vinegar of various sorts. German, Alsace whites can be sweeter than for

Cantonese. For reds, mature Pinot N is again best.

Szechuan style Verdicchio, Alsace Pinot Bl, or v. cold beer. Mature Pinot N can also work,

but make sure the tannins are silky.

Choucroute garni Alsace Pinot Bl, Pinot Gr, Ries, or lager.

Cold roast meat Generally better with full-flavoured white than red. Mosel Spätlese or

Hochheimer and Côte Chalonnaise are v.gd, as is Beaujolais. Leftover cold beef with leftover

vintage Champagne is bliss.

Confit d’oie/de canard Young, tannic red Bordeaux, California Cab Sauv and Merlot, and

Priorat cut richness. Alsace Pinot Gr or Gewurz match it.

Coq au vin Red burgundy. Ideal: one bottle Chambertin in dish, two on the table.

Duck or goose Rather rich white, eg. Pfalz Spätlese or off-dry grand cru Alsace. Or mature,

gamey red: Morey-St-Denis, Côte-Rôtie, Bordeaux, burgundy. With oranges or peaches, the

Sauternais propose drinking Sauternes, others Monbazillac or Ries Auslese. Mature, weighty

vintage Champagne is gd, too, and handles red cabbage surprisingly well.

Peking See CHINESE FOOD.

wild duck Big-scale red: Hermitage, Bandol, California or South African Cab Sauv,

Australian Shiraz – Grange if you can afford it.

with olives Top-notch Chianti or other Tuscans.

roast breast & confit leg with Puy lentils Madiran, St-Émilion, Fronsac.

Frankfurters German/New York Ries, Beaujolais, light Pinot N. Budweiser (Budvar).

Game birds, young, plain-roasted Best red wine affordable, but not big Aussie one.

older birds in casseroles Red (Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard, Santenay, or grand cru classé

St-Émilion, Napa Valley Cab Sauv or Rhône).

well-hung game Vega Sicilia, great red Rhône, Château Musar.

cold game Mature vintage Champagne.

Game pie, hot Red: Oregon Pinot N.

cold Gd-quality white burgundy, cru Beaujolais, or Champagne.

Goulash Flavoursome young red: Hungarian Kékoportó, Zin, Uruguayan Tannat, Morellino di

Scansano, Mencía, young Australian Shiraz. Or dry Tokaji.

Grouse See GAME BIRDS – but push the boat right out.

Haggis Fruity red, eg. young claret, young Portuguese red, New World Cab Sauv or Malbec, or

Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Or, of course, malt whisky.

Ham, cooked Softer red burgundies: Volnay, Savigny, Beaune; Chinon or Bourgueil; sweetish

German white (Rhine Spätlese); Tokaji Furmint or Czech Frankovka; lightish Cab Sauv (eg.

Chilean), or New World Pinot N. And don’t forget the heaven-made match of ham and Sherry.

See HAM, RAW OR CURED.

Hamburger Young red: Australian Cab Sauv, Chianti, Zin, Argentine Malbec, Chilean

Carmenère or Syrah, Tempranillo. Or full-strength colas (not diet).

Hare Jugged hare calls for flavourful red: not-too-old burgundy or Bordeaux, Rhône (eg.

Gigondas), Bandol, Barbaresco, Ribera del Duero, Rioja Res. The same for saddle, or for

hare sauce with pappardelle.

Indian dishes Various options. This year’s discovery has been how well (dry) Sherry goes with

Indian food: a fairly weighty Fino with fish, and Palo Cortado, Amontillado or Oloroso with

meat, according to the weight of the dish; heat’s not a problem. The texture works, too. Or,

medium-sweet white, v. cold: Orvieto abboccato, South African Chenin Bl, Alsace Pinot Bl,

Torrontés, Indian sparkling, Cava, or non-vintage Champagne. Rosé can be a safe all-rounder.

Tannin – Barolo or Barbaresco, or deep-flavoured reds such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape,

Cornas, Australian Grenache or Mourvèdre, or Amarone della Valpolicella – will emphasize

the heat. Soft reds can be easier. Hot-and-sour flavours need acidity.

Japanese dishes Texture and balance are key; flavours are subtle. Gd mature fizz works well, as

does mature dry Ries; acidity, a bit of body and complexity are needed. Umami-filled meat

dishes favour light, supple, bright reds: Beaujolais perhaps, or mature Pinot N. Full-flavoured

Yakitori needs lively, fruity, younger versions of the same reds. See also SUSHI, SASHIMI.

Kebabs Vigorous red: modern Greek, Corbières, Chilean Cab Sauv, Zin, or Barossa Shiraz. Sauv

Bl, if lots of garlic.

Kidneys Red: St-Émilion or Fronsac, Castillon, Nuits-St-Georges, Cornas, Barbaresco, Rioja,

Spanish or Australian Cab Sauv, top Alentejo.

Korean dishes Fruit-forward wines seem to work best with strong, pungent Korean flavours.

Pinot N, Beaujolais, Valpolicella can all work: acidity is needed. Non-aromatic whites:

Grüner Veltliner, Silvaner, Vernaccia.

Lamb, roast One of the traditional and best partners for v.gd red Bordeaux – or its Cab Sauv

equivalents from the New World. In Spain, the partner of the finest old Rioja and Ribera del

Duero Res; in Italy, ditto Sangiovese.

cutlets or chops As for roast lamb, but a little less grand.

slow-cooked roast Flatters top reds, but needs less tannin than pink lamb.

Liver Young red: Beaujolais-Villages, St-Joseph, Médoc, Italian Merlot, Breganze Cab Sauv,

Zin, Tempranillo, Portuguese Bairrada.

calves Red Rioja Crianza, Salice Salentino Riserva, Fleurie.

Meatballs Tangy, medium-bodied red: Mercurey, Crozes-Hermitage, Madiran, Morellino di

Scansano, Langhe Nebbiolo, Zin, Cab Sauv.

spicy Middle-Eastern style Simple, rustic red.

Moussaka Red or rosé: Naoussa from Greece, Sangiovese, Corbières, Côtes de Provence,

Ajaccio, NZ Pinot N, young Zin, Tempranillo.

Mutton A stronger flavour than lamb, and not served pink. Robust but elegant red and top-notch,

mature Cab Sauv, Syrah. Some sweetness of fruit suits it.

Osso bucco Low-tannin, supple red such as Dolcetto d’Alba or Pinot N. Or dry Italian white such

as Soave and Lugana.

Ox cheek, braised Superbly tender and flavoursome, this flatters the best reds: Vega Sicilia,

Bordeaux. Best with substantial wines.

Oxtail Rather rich red: St-Émilion, Pomerol, Pommard, Nuits-St-Georges, Barolo, or Rioja Res,

Ribera del Duero, California or Coonawarra Cab Sauv, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, mid-weight

Shiraz, Amarone.

Paella Young Spanish wines: red, dry white or rosé: Penedès, Somontano, Navarra, or Rioja.

Pigeon Lively reds: Savigny, Chambolle-Musigny, Crozes-Hermitage, Chianti Classico,

Argentine Malbec, or California Pinot N. Or Franken Silvaner Spätlese.

Pork, roast A gd, rich, neutral background to a fairly light red or rich white. It deserves ★★

treatment – Médoc is fine. Portugal’s suckling pig is eaten with Bairrada garrafeira; Chinese

is gd with Pinot N.

pork belly Slow-cooked and meltingly tender, this needs a red with some acidity. Italian

would be gd: Dolcetto or Barbera. Loire red or lightish Argentine Malbec.

Pot au feu, bollito misto, cocido Rustic reds from the region of origin; Sangiovese di Romagna,

Chusclan, Lirac, Rasteau, Portuguese Alentejo, Spain’s Yecla or Jumilla.

Quail Carmignano, Rioja Res, mature claret, Pinot N. Or a mellow white: Vouvray or St-Péray.

Rabbit Lively, medium-bodied young Italian red or Aglianico del Vulture; Chiroubles, Chinon,

Saumur-Champigny, or Rhône rosé.

with prunes Bigger, richer, fruitier red.

as ragù Medium-bodied red with acidity.

Satay Australia’s McLaren Vale Shiraz, or Alsace or NZ Gewurz. Peanut sauce is a problem

with wine.

Sauerkraut (German) Lager or Pils. (But see also CHOUCROUTE GARNI.)

Sausages See also CHARCUTERIE, FRANKFURTERS. The British banger requires a young Malbec

from Argentina (a red wine, anyway), or British ale.

Shepherd’s pie Rough-and-ready red seems most appropriate, eg. Sangiovese di Romagna, but

either beer or dry cider is the real McCoy.

Singaporean dishes Part Indian, part Malay and part Chinese, Singaporean food has big, bold

flavours that don’t match easily with wine. Off-dry Ries is as gd as anything. With meat

dishes, ripe, supple reds: Valpolicella, Pinot N, Dornfelder, unoaked Merlot, or Carmenère.

Steak

au poivre A fairly young Rhône red or Cab Sauv.

filet or tournedos Any red (but not old wines with béarnaise sauce: top New World Pinot N

or Californian Chard is better).

Fiorentina (bistecca) Chianti Classico Riserva or Brunello. The rarer the meat, the more

classic the wine; the more well-done, the more you need New World, fruit-driven wines.

Argentina Malbec is the perfect partner for steak Argentine-style, ie. cooked to death.

Korean yuk whe (the world’s best steak tartare) Sake.

tartare Vodka or light young red: Beaujolais, Bergerac, Valpolicella.

T-bone Reds of similar bone structure: Barolo, Hermitage, Australian Cab Sauv or Shiraz,

Chilean Syrah.

Steak-and-kidney pie or pudding Red Rioja Res or mature Bordeaux.

Stews and casseroles Burgundy such as Nuits-St-Georges or Pommard if fairly simple;

otherwise lusty, full-flavoured red: young Côtes du Rhône, Toro, Corbières, Barbera, Shiraz,

Zin, etc.

Sweetbreads A rich dish, so grand wine: Rheingau Ries or Franken Silvaner Spätlese, grand cru

Alsace Pinot Gr or Condrieu, depending on sauce.

Tagines These vary enormously, but fruity young reds are a gd bet: Beaujolais, Tempranillo,

Sangiovese, Merlot, Shiraz.

Chicken with preserved lemon, olives Viognier.

Tandoori chicken Ries or Sauv Bl, young red Bordeaux, or light north Italian red served cool.

Also Cava and non-vintage Champagne, and dry Palo Cortado or Amontillado Sherry.

Thai dishes Ginger and lemon grass call for pungent Sauv Bl (Loire, Australia, NZ, South Africa)

or Ries (Spätlese or Australian). Most curries suit aromatic whites with a touch of sweetness:

German or Alsace Ries. Gewurz is also gd.

Tongue Gd for any red or white of abundant character, esp Italian. Also Beaujolais, Loire reds,

Tempranillo, and full, dry rosés.

Veal, roast Gd for any fine old red that may have faded with age (eg. Rioja Res) or a German or

Austrian Ries, Vouvray, Alsace Pinot Gr.

Venison Big-scale reds, incl Mourvèdre, solo as in Bandol or in blends. Rhône, Bordeaux or

California Cab Sauv of a mature vintage; or rich white – Pfalz Spätlese or Alsace Pinot Gr.

With a sweet and sharp berry sauce, try a German Grosses Gewächs Ries or a Chilean

Carmenère or Syrah.

Vitello tonnato Full-bodied whites: Chard; light reds (eg. Valpolicella) served cool.

Wild boar Serious red: top Tuscan or Priorat. NZ Syrah.

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