Locavore Network Wine Pairing recommendations
Wine selection is generally a matter of personal preference and favorites may certainly vary based on your tastes, however the table below provides a basic pairing of food with a great choice for matching wine.
| Category | If you are serving . . . | May we suggest . . . |
| Beef | Chili | Pinot Noir, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin |
| Beef | Grilled steak | Zinfandel, Rioja |
| Beef | Steak, Hamburgers,Beef dishes | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Bordeaux |
| Beef | Veal | Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc |
| Cheese | Baby Swiss | Asti Spumanti |
| Cheese | Bleu | Madeira, Sherry |
| Cheese | Boursin, Caraway, Chevre, Swiss | Gewurztraminer |
| Cheese | Camembert | Chenin Blanc |
| Cheese | Cheshire, Colby, Edam, Gouda, Monterey Jack | Riesling |
| Cheese | Cream Cheese | White Zinfandel |
| Cheese | Goat Cheese | Sancerre,Vouvray |
| Cheese | Gorgonzola | Sauternes |
| Cheese | Havarti | Bordeaux |
| Cheese | Mild Cheddar, Gruyere, Provolone | Chardonnay |
| Cheese | Muenster | Zinfandel,Pinot Noir,Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaujolais,Riesling -Dry |
| Cheese | Strong Cheddar, Gruyere | Sauvignon Blanc , Champagne,Chardonnay |
| Cheese | US Brie, Camembert, Strong Cheddar, Danish Blue | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir |
| Cheese | US Brie, Feta, Muenster | Beaujolais,Riesling -Dry |
| Cheese | Vintage Brie | Sherry, sweet |
| Cheese | Vintage Brie, Mild Cheddar, Chevre, Colby, Edam, Gouda | Champagne |
| Desserts | Angel food cake | Apricot wine |
| Desserts | Apricot Tart or Apricot Cheesecake | late harvest Riesling |
| Desserts | Cannoli or cream desserts | Blueberry |
| Desserts | Chocolate Desserts | Red Raspberry |
| Desserts | Creme brulée | Niagara |
| Desserts | Chocolate | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Merlot, Port |
| Desserts | Dessert Wines | Sweet Riesling, Port, Fruit wines |
| Lamb | Lamb | Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir |
| Other | Appetizers | Gewurztraminer |
| Other | Fruit, cheese, appetizers | Riesling, Rosé/Blush wines, Champagne, Fruit wines |
| Other | Pizza | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir |
| Other | Salads | Rosé/Blush wines |
| Other | Salty foods (i.e. caviar, cheeses) | Champagne, Port |
| Other | Soups | Champagne |
| Other | Spicy Food | Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir, Villard, Cayuga Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Zinfandel, French Colombard |
| Other | Vegetables | Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cayuga |
| Pasta | Pasta with Red Sauce | Zinfandel,Pinot Noir,Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay ,Beaujolais,Riesling -Dry |
| Pasta | Pasta with White sauce | Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaujolais, Riesling -Dry |
| Pork | Ham | Rosé/Blush wines, Pinot Noir, |
| Pork | Pork dishes | Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Foch, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Pinot Noir, Cherry wine |
| Poultry | Chicken | Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Beaujolais, Champagne, Chenin Blanc |
| Poultry | Eggs | Champagne |
| Poultry | Turkey | Rosé, Cranberry wine, Beaujolais, Riesling -Dry, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Seafood | Oysters | Champagne,Sauvignon Blanc , Chardonnay |
| Seafood | Shrimp | Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne, Chardonnay |
| Seafood | Crab | Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne, Chardonnay |
| Seafood | Grilled Fish | Sauvignon Blanc , Champagne,Chardonnay |
| Seafood | Lobster | Champagne, Dry Riesling,Chenin Blanc |
| Seafood | Seafood | Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Champagne |
| Seafood | Seafood with cream sauce | Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc |
Wine Storage Temperature
52°F is the widely recommended storage temperature for wine, but in reality, anything between 40°F and 65°F will be sufficient for most wines (assuming there is no great temperature variation over a relatively short period of time). Higher temperatures increase the rate of oxidation in a wine, so a bottle of wine stored at 65°F will gradually get “older” than the same wine stored at 52°F.
However, a constant 59°F is far kinder to a wine than erratic temperatures that often hit 52°F, but fluctuate between 40°F and 65°F from one day to the next. Rapid changes in temperature cause the cork to shrink and expand, which can loosen the closure’s grip on the inner surface of the bottle’s neck, rendering the wine liable to oxidation through exposure to the air.