How do you pair wine with food? Match the weight of the wine to the weight of the dish, then pair to the sauce rather than the meat. Light dishes suit crisp whites, and rich, savory dishes suit fuller reds. Tomato-sauce pizza and pasta take a medium-bodied red. Cream sauces take a crisp white or a rounded Chardonnay, and roast chicken takes Chardonnay. Salmon suits Pinot Noir, steak and burgers suit Cabernet Sauvignon or a red blend, and spicy food wants a white with some sweetness.
The chart below covers weeknight favorites, with a wine style, a bottle from ONEHOPE Wine and, where we have one, a recipe to try.
How do you pair wine with food? Six simple rules
- Match the weight. Salads, white fish and lemony pasta suit light, crisp wines. Steak, braises and cream sauces suit fuller wines.
- Pair to the sauce. Chicken in tomato sauce and chicken in cream sauce want different wines. The sauce usually carries the strongest flavor on the plate.
- Acid with acid. Tomatoes, lemon and vinaigrette make a soft wine taste flat. Choose a wine with at least as much acidity as the food.
- Spice wants less alcohol and a touch of sweetness. Chili heat makes alcohol feel hotter. A white with some sweetness cools the burn instead.
- Match sweetness. With dessert, the wine should be at least as sweet as the food. A drier wine can taste sour and thin next to sugar, the classic clash of a dry sparkling wine with a sweet cake. Our guide to wine and chocolate puts this rule to work.
- What grows together goes together. Dishes from a wine region often suit that region's wines, as tomato-rich Italian cooking suits Italian reds with bright acidity. Treat it as a starting point.
Tannin is the other thing to watch. The firm grip of a young Cabernet softens next to fat and protein, which is why it suits steak. Next to oily fish, the same tannin can taste metallic.
Food and wine pairing chart
Find your dish, then read across. The wine style is the part that matters, so any wine in that style will work.
| Dish | Wine style | Why it works | ONEHOPE bottle | Our recipe or guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margherita pizza or pasta in tomato sauce | Medium-bodied red | Red fruit and acidity match the tomato | Hospitality Pinot Noir | — |
| Pepperoni or sausage pizza | Bold red blend | Ripe fruit and body meet spiced, fatty meat | Vintner Red Blend | — |
| Pasta in cream sauce | Crisp white or rounded Chardonnay | Acidity cuts the cream, or a creamy white mirrors it | Vintner Pinot Grigio or Vintner Chardonnay | Carbonara with spinach and arugula |
| Pesto pasta | Crisp, citrusy white | Citrus and freshness lift basil and garlic | Vintner Sauvignon Blanc | — |
| Lemon pasta | Chardonnay with lively acidity | Lemon in the glass meets lemon on the plate | Reserve Arroyo Seco Chardonnay | Lemon angel hair with pancetta |
| Roast or Dijon chicken | Chardonnay | A creamy palate suits butter and pan sauce | Vintner Chardonnay | Dijon chicken |
| Fried chicken | Sparkling brut | Bubbles cut through a crisp, salty crust | Vintner Sparkling Brut | — |
| Pork chops or tenderloin | Medium-bodied, silky red | Gentle tannins suit lean, mild meat | Hospitality Pinot Noir | — |
| Salmon | Pinot Noir or Chardonnay | Acidity balances rich fish, and soft tannins won't clash | Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir | — |
| Sushi | Sparkling or crisp white | Bubbles and acidity refresh between bites | Vintner Sparkling Brut or Vintner Pinot Grigio | — |
| Shrimp, white fish or oysters | Crisp white | Citrus notes lift delicate seafood | Vintner Sauvignon Blanc | — |
| Steak | Cabernet Sauvignon | Fat and protein soften the tannin | Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon or Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon | — |
| Burgers and BBQ ribs | Red blend or Cabernet | Fruit and body match char, cheese and sauce | Vintner Red Blend | Summer BBQ wine pairings |
| Lamb | Spiced red blend | Dark fruit and spice meet a rich, gamey meat | Field to Table Red Blend | Lamb meatballs with tzatziki |
| Mushroom dishes | Pinot Noir | Earthy notes in the wine echo the mushrooms | Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir | Thyme sautéed mushrooms |
| Roasted beets and root vegetables | Cabernet Sauvignon | Earthy sweetness meets dark fruit | Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon | Roasted beets with horseradish sauce |
| Eggplant parmesan or vegetable lasagna | Medium-bodied red | Bright acidity meets tomato and melted cheese | Hospitality Pinot Noir | — |
| Lentil stew or black bean burgers | Bold red blend | Ripe fruit and body match earthy, hearty legumes | Vintner Red Blend | — |
| Mac and cheese or cheesy gratin | Chardonnay | A creamy palate mirrors the cheese sauce | Vintner Chardonnay | — |
| Green salads | Light, crisp white | High acidity stands up to vinaigrette | Vintner Pinot Grigio | Spring salad with Pinot Grigio |
| Spicy Thai or Indian dishes | Aromatic, sweet white | Sweetness cools chili heat | Vintner Moscato | — |
What wine goes with pizza and pasta? Start with the sauce
Pasta is a blank canvas, so the sauce decides the wine. The same goes for pizza.
Tomato sauce. Tomatoes are high in acid, so they need a red with bright acidity. Our 2021 Hospitality Pinot Noir is medium-bodied, with ripe strawberry, Bing cherry and a touch of cinnamon. It suits a margherita or a weeknight bowl of spaghetti. For pepperoni or sausage, reach for the 2022 Vintner Red Blend. Its cherry, raspberry and cocoa stand up to spiced, fatty meat.
Cream sauce. Choose acidity to cut the richness, or a creamy white to match it. In our carbonara with spinach and arugula, the 2023 Vintner Pinot Grigio brings citrus-driven acidity that lifts egg, pancetta and Parmesan. Its ripe stone fruit and light body keep each bite fresh.
Pesto and lemon. Green, herbal sauces suit a crisp white with citrus notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc. Lemon sauces want acidity too. Our lemon angel hair with pancetta pairs with the 2023 Reserve Arroyo Seco Chardonnay, whose lemon and pineapple notes echo the dish.
What wine goes with chicken and pork? It depends on how they're cooked
Chicken and pork are mild, so the cooking method and sauce set the pairing.
- Roasted, buttery or Dijon chicken: Chardonnay. The 2023 Vintner Chardonnay brings green apple, bright citrus and vanilla, with a rich, creamy palate. We pair it with our Dijon chicken, a one-pot dish simmered with shallots, garlic and thyme.
- Grilled chicken with lemon and herbs: Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp acidity and citrus brighten the marinade.
- Fried chicken: sparkling brut. Vintner Sparkling Brut brings green apple, luscious pear and a lively palate. Its tasting notes also suggest fish and chips and potato chips, so crisp and salty suits it.
- Pork chops or tenderloin: a medium-bodied red such as Hospitality Pinot Noir, whose silky finish suits lean meat.
- Pulled pork or ribs in barbecue sauce: a bold red blend with enough fruit to match the sweet, smoky sauce.
What wine goes with salmon, sushi and seafood?
Salmon is rich enough for a light red. Pinot Noir has the acidity to balance its oils and the soft tannins to avoid a metallic clash. The 2022 Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir offers dried cranberry, cherry, sassafras and umami. Prefer white? A rounded Chardonnay works too. See our salmon pairings by how you cook it.
Sushi wants something crisp and clean. Sparkling brut refreshes between bites of rice and fish, and a light Pinot Grigio stays out of the way of delicate fish. See our guide to wine with sushi, roll by roll.
For shrimp, white fish and oysters, pour a crisp white. The 2023 Vintner Sauvignon Blanc brings lime, lemon, guava and star fruit, a bright match for oysters.
What wine goes with steak, burgers and lamb?
Red meat suits reds with structure. Fat and protein soften tannin, so the wine tastes smoother with each bite. Making a pot of chili? See what to pour with chili.
Steak: Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2023 Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon carries dark berries, toffee and hints of vanilla, and its tannin softens beside a beef filet. For a bolder bottle, the 2024 Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is densely structured, with dried herbs, vanilla and chocolate. We pair it with a blue cheese stuffed flank steak. See our guide to wine with steak, cut by cut.
Burgers: a red blend or Cabernet. The Vintner Red Blend has the fruit to stand up to a grilled bacon burger or BBQ ribs. Firing up the grill? Our summer BBQ wine pairings cover ribs, grilled salmon and vegetables too.
Lamb: a red with spice and dark fruit. The 2021 Field to Table Red Blend offers dark cherry, integrated oak, spice, leather and dried rose petals. Try it with our lamb meatballs with lemon mint tzatziki, where the yogurt sauce keeps the pairing bright. See our guide to wine with lamb, cut by cut.
What wine goes with mushrooms and vegetarian dishes?
Mushrooms are earthy and savory, which makes Pinot Noir a natural match. Its earthy notes echo the mushrooms, and its red fruit balances them. See it in our thyme sautéed mushrooms with Pinot Noir.
Roasted root vegetables can handle more structure. Our roasted beets with horseradish sauce pair with Cabernet Sauvignon, and Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon's dark fruit meets their earthy sweetness too.
Green salads need acidity to meet the vinaigrette. Vintner Pinot Grigio, with high acidity and a light body, suits our spring salad with Pinot Grigio.
What wine goes with spicy food?
Heat changes the rules. Alcohol and tannin both make chili burn hotter, so bold reds are a tough match. A white with some sweetness works better.
The 2021 Vintner Moscato is aromatic and sweet, with nectarine, orange blossom, candied lemon and citrus zest. That sweetness cools the heat of Thai curries and spicy Indian dishes. A crisp, unoaked white such as Pinot Grigio is a drier option. For taco night, see our guide to wine with tacos.
What about holiday dinners?
For turkey and all the sides, see our Thanksgiving wine pairings.
Planning a Christmas roast? See our Christmas dinner wine pairings.
Find your bottle
Building a cheese board? See our wine and cheese pairing guide.
Find more bottles in our red wine collection and white wine collection. ONEHOPE wine also gives back.
Frequently asked questions
What wine goes with pizza?
A medium-bodied red with bright acidity suits tomato sauce. Hospitality Pinot Noir works with a margherita. For pepperoni or sausage, Vintner Red Blend has the fruit and body to match the meat.
What wine goes with pasta in a cream sauce?
A crisp white such as Vintner Pinot Grigio cuts through the richness. A rounded Chardonnay mirrors the creamy texture instead. Both work; it comes down to taste.
What wine goes with salmon?
Pinot Noir is the classic red choice, because its acidity balances the fish and its tannins are soft. Chardonnay is the white alternative.
What wine goes with steak?
Cabernet Sauvignon. The fat and protein in steak soften its tannin, which is why Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon suits a beef filet.
What wine goes with spicy food?
A white with some sweetness, such as the aromatic Vintner Moscato. Avoid bold, tannic reds, which make chili heat feel stronger.
Can you drink red wine with fish?
Yes, with the right fish and the right red. Light reds with soft tannins, such as Pinot Noir, suit salmon and tuna. With delicate white fish, a crisp white is usually the better match.
