This is HOW TO PAIR WHITE WINE with just about ANYTHING!

No more guessing about white wine pairings. In this video, we're going to talk about what foods go with which white wines. A long time ago, I made a video called Wine Pairing 101 that did really well, but I figure it's time to 1. update that video and 2. expand on it. Now, in our full episodes of V is for Vino, which you can find on our page, we always have a segment where we pair dishes with foods at a local restaurant, which is a great way to put some of the theoretical knowledge that we're going to talk about in this video to good use, so make sure to check those out. But in this video, we're going to chat about some of the basic principles of wine pairing, and then apply those to four different styles of white wine. Why white wine? Well, the truth is that white wines are actually a little easier to pair with food than red wines for reasons we're going to get into. But for instance, if you're ever lucky enough to go to a really nice fine dining restaurant, you know one of those places where you'll get a dozen small courses of fancy food. Chances are, if there's 12 courses, more of them are going to be paired with white wines than red. White wines are just more versatile with food. Now don't get me wrong, there's plenty of red wine pairings that are amazing, and I'll be doing a separate video about that. But today, we're talking whites. Just one quick thing before we get started, hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification bell. I've got so many exciting videos coming out in the next few months, and I don't want you to miss any of them. Now earlier I said that white wines are more versatile when it comes to food pairings, and there's one very clear reason for that. Acid. White wines just tend to have more acidity than red wines. I have another video where I talk all about what acid is, but the short answer is acidity is the element in wine that gives it focus, poppiness, brightness, and lift. It makes your mouth salivate. Some examples of high acid foods are citrus fruits, Greek yogurt, vinegar, and tomatoes. It's in the same vein as tart or sour, but a little different, as ripe wines can still have lots of acidity. Think about a lemonade that's bright because of the tart lemons, but still balanced because of the sweetness. The reason we like acidity in pairing is because acidity acts as a palate cleanser. The acid cleanses flavors and fats and oils from your mouth and makes each bite of food taste fresh again. This is similar to sparkling water, which is the reason it's often served at upscale restaurants. This is a pairing chart that we use in our full episodes of VS For Vino, and you can see just how many different types of foods acidic wines can pair with. It's why so many sommeliers like high acid wines. A few other factors we want to take into account when pairing are matching the weight of the wine to the weight of the dish and matching or contrasting the food with the flavors in the wine. Alright, without any further ado, let's talk about four different styles of white wines and what foods we would pair with each of them. Style number one is perhaps the most versatile style of wine on the market, sparkling wine. There isn't much sparkling wine can't pair with. I always say if you're invited to a dinner party and you don't know what they're cooking, just bring sparkling wine. Champagne, a champagne method wine like Cremant de Bourgogne, or Cava from Spain, or Francia Corta from Italy, or even Charmant method wine like a Prosecco or a German Sekt. Because they're typically from colder climates and have bubbles, the acidity is through the roof, which means that that palate cleansing effect is really strong. Strong enough that I would say as long as your food isn't super sweet or super spicy, you can pair literally anything. But there are a few pairings that are better than others. In the cheese category, sparkling wines like salty cheeses like feta or parmesan, acidic cheeses like goat, and fatty cheeses like brie, which not coincidentally line up with our pairing principles. For proteins, sparkling wines are great with shellfish like oysters and clams because their citrus and acid character kind of act like a squeeze of lemon on your shellfish and complement the briny saltiness of the food. And for some reason, the savory shellfish helps enhance the fruitiness of the wine, as I found out in my Riesbeiges episode. But you're just skipping a step, really. Cheers, brother. Cheers. That's so fun. Oh my gosh, that's cool. Is that so fresh? No. The fruitiness of the wine like explodes. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so cool. Fried or salty foods like bacon or fried chicken are also an amazing pairing with sparkling wines. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl once described KFC and champagne as the greatest pairing he ever had. From a vegetable perspective, fried veggies like french fries and fall vegetables like pumpkin or squash work great. So think roasted squash or pumpkin soup. And for our other category, I'd say sushi. Prosecco and sushi is one of my favorites. Also, bubbles are often served with hors d'oeuvres like stuffed mushrooms or salty snacks on toast, which I think works great. By the way, if you're enjoying this video, do me a favor. Just give it a quick like for the all-important YouTube algorithm so more people can find us and we can keep making videos for you. Okay, the next type of wine are light-bodied white wines. These are light, crisp wines typically made in cool climates from grapes that do well in cool climates. There's a whole bunch, but some examples include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling, Greek Assyrtiko, Albarino, Gruner Veltliner. I'll also add to this medium-bodied whites like Cool Climate Chardonnay from places like Ghibli or Northern Italy or New Zealand. I want to add a quick side note here. These are general guidelines. We can't take into account every exception to the rules. I'll give you an example. There's a place called Alsace in France that makes really big, rich styles of Riesling. Or some Sauvignon Blancs can be heavy if they're made with oak fermentation, a style popular in California called Fumé Blanc. So if you're ever unsure about the style of a wine that you're buying, consult the staff at the wine shop you're buying it from. And if you want to know why and how to buy wine at wine shops, make sure to watch our How to Buy Wine video. Okay, now back to it. These light-bodied wines still have the acidity we love, so they go well with a lot of the same things sparkling wines go well with, the same cheeses and similar proteins. Shellfish are still great with these wines, but I'd also add to the list most white fish, things like sole, trout, halibut, scallops, and cod. And these wines often have a lot of green flavors. Green apple, green herbs, lime, and grassiness. So they go well with green vegetables for a nice congruent pairing. Think all types of salads, especially ones with citrusy dressings or seafood on them. Apple walnut salad, tropical shrimp salad, or tuna niçois. Avocado toast or guacamole is good because the acid cuts through the fat. And anything else with green herbs. Mediterranean food that has lots of parsley and citrus, like tabbouleh. Spring vegetables like zucchini, peas, asparagus. And in my other category, how about pesto or oil and citrus sauced pasta and fish tacos. Our third category is our medium plus and fuller-bodied whites. What are full-bodied whites? Wines and grapes made in warmer climates, and wines that use oak influence or malactic fermentation. These are usually rich, more weighty, riper styles of wine. The most famous wine in this category is Chardonnay. Especially most California Chardonnays. But some Burgundies and most Chardonnays from other places around the world as well. Also Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsan, Roussan, and White Rhone blends. And White Rioja. In cheeseland, buttery cheeses still work like brie and mozzarella, but so do nutty cheeses like Gruyere or Comté. Our proteins start to change. While shellfish still works, the big flavors in the wine can stand up to big flavors. Like shellfish in heavier sauces or grilled shellfish. Grilled shrimp for instance. Hardy fish like salmon, halibut, and sea bass are great with these. Also white meat proteins like roast chicken, pork, and veal. Especially if they're done in cream sauces. Save the tomato sauces for the red wines. For vegetables, onions are great with these. Notably things with caramelized onions. And mushrooms. Grilled mushrooms. Mushroom pastas or risotto. Mushroom pizza. Anything with truffle. And things that combine creamy vegetables and buttery flavors. For my other category, I'll throw in mild curries. Note the mild, it can't be too spicy. And paella. And that leads us to wine style number four. Off dry and aromatic whites. These are wines that can vary in their body and richness. But either have a little bit of residual sugar in them. Or are super over the top floral, herbaceous, or fruity. Examples are off dry and sweet Rieslings. Vignes. Gewurztraminers. Tarantes. And Muscats. These are fun wines with funky cheeses like blue cheese. For proteins, similar to full-bodied whites. These go with hardy fish, shellfish, white meats. Green vegetables or fall vegetables go well too. But it's in my other section where things get exciting. Wines with a little bit of residual sugar are perfect with spicy foods. Thai food and off dry Riesling is one of my favorite pairings of all time. And even if the wines are dry, aromatic wines are able to match the over the top flavors of a lot of Asian cuisines. Spiced Indian or Vietnamese or Chinese dishes. Spiced coconut curries. Things with ginger. Saffron. Coriander. Baking spice like allspice and mint and cilantro. These are great wines to pull out when other wines simply aren't up to the task. And that's it. White wine pairings in a nutshell. I hope this helped you pair white wine a little better at home. And if you have any questions about specific dishes and you need pairing advice, put it in the comments and I'll try and answer. By the way, I want to talk to you briefly before we go about our vino VIP club. If you start getting into the channel and it's providing you value, please consider supporting the small business that provided it and joining vino VIP. It's our membership club and not only does it support us, but we give a ton of benefits in exchange. If you join, you get early access to our YouTube videos and our episodes, monthly raffles and giveaways. We do quarterly hangouts with me and sometimes guest winemakers and a whole bunch of other benefits. So it's really a lot of fun and a great community. That being said, I hope this helped you pair white wines a little better and we will see you next time. Cheers.