Morelli's Wine & Food Matching Chart

Morelli’s Wine & Food Matching Chart

Food	Preparation	Ingredients	Wine Ideas
Soups		Cream	Dry Oloroso Sherry
		Stock	Dry Riesling
Foi Gras			Sauternes
Chicken	Grilled	Lime, lemon, garlic, salt	Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Pinot Grigio, Rosè
	Barbequed	Smoked	Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone Villages
	Baked	Cream Sauce	Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc
	Baked	Tomato sauce with herbs	Barbera, Zinfandel
	Roast	Garlic pepper, paprika	Merlot, Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay
	Fried	Batter	Rosè, Beaujolais
	Stir Fried	Vegetables, ginger, soy sauce	Riesling, Gewurztaminer, Chardonnay
	Poached	Champagne, citrus juice	Champagne, White Bordeaux
Turkey	Roasted	Sage, dressing	Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay
Fish	Grilled	Citrus	Savignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sparkling wine
	Poached	Light sauce, herbs	Dry Riesling, Champagne
	Sautéed	Batter, Cajun style	Chenin Blanc, off-dry Riesling, Sparkling wine
	Pan Fried	Lemon butter	Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Semillion, Sancerre
Salmon	Poached	Medium herbs	Pinot Noir (red), Pinot Gris (white)
	Poached	Cream sauce	Viognier
	Grilled	Glaze coating or dried herbs	Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Blanc de Noirs
Scallops	Grilled	Citrus, butter	Chardonnay, Sancerre, dry Riesling
Lobster	Steamed	Butter	Chardonnay, Sparkling wine
	Steamed	Citrus	Pouilly-fume, Sancerre, Chablis
Mussels, Clams	Steamed	Butter, garlic	Chardonnay, Pouilly-fume, Semillion
Lamb Leg	Roasted	Rosemary	Cabernet Sauvignon
	Roasted	Garlic	Zinfandel
Lamb Stew	Baked	Vegetable, herbs	Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
Steak	Grilled	Dried herbs	Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel
Pork Loin	Roasted	Herbs	Chianti, Zinfandel
Prime Rib	Roasted	Salt and pepper	Pinot Noir, Burgundy
Pasta		Meat sauce	Chianti, Barolo, Barbera, Zinfandel
		Clam sauce	Sauvignon Blanc
		Arabiatta	Rosè
Game	Roasted	Mild herbs	Syrah, Petite Syrah, Bordeaux
Duck	Baked	Al'Orange	Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Gewurztraminer
	Roasted	Herbs	Pinot Noir, Zinfandel
Hamburger or Meat Loaf	Baked	Herbs	Young Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chianti
Steak Tartare		Herbs	Beaujolais
Short Ribs	Baked	Tomato Sauce	Pinot Noir, Zinfandel
Mild Cheeses			Chardonnay, Riesling
Medium Cheeses			Young Pinot Noir
Hearty, Ripe Cheeses			Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Port

A FEW GENERAL RULES

Either a complement or a contrast should be considered.
The main flavor in the main dish is usually matched to the main flavor in the wine. For example, roasted lamb leg with rosemary classically would be matched with red bordeaux. If garlic is the main flavor in the lamb, aim for a spicier wine, such as a very ripe zinfandel.
Beef isn't always prepared the same way. A spencer roast is similar to prime rib and would be complemented by a medium-framed pinot noir. However, if the roast is covered in herbs and garlic, perhaps a syrah is better.
When in doubt, California sparkling wine and quality rosè wines are classic all-purpose matches for a wide variety of cuisine's.
With Asian foods, keep in mind the heat and the sweetness. If the main dish is either fairly sweet or hot, choose an off-dry wine, preferably with lower alcohol, such as a German riesling.
With salty foods, pick an off-dry wine with flowery character, such as a gewürztraminer.
Chilled dishes usually have less overt flavors and thus a delicate wine would work well. Try a pinot gris or pinot blanc from Italy.
Don't try to match wine with foods containing noticeable amounts of vinegar, such as salads, though salads with cream dressing work well.
Finally, in hot climates, and 90 degrees and higher is not uncommon in many states, avoid wines with high alcohol contents when dining outdoors. How about just a cold beer. Bon appetite.

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