Thoughtful wine pairing doesn’t have to be saved for special occasions only.
Thinking a little about your wine choices to accompany food can enhance the meal all round.
And it’s not too ‘high brow’ an activity for a weekend takeaway.
Whether you’re going all in on the beige food, or something more flavourful like a curry, there’s a wine to work best with it.
Bert Blaize, co-author of Which Wine When, a wine guidebook for all kinds of meals, tells Metro.co.uk that ‘pairing wines with takeaways is where the book started – the original working title was Juice & Junk as it was going to be junk food with natural wine pairings’, so he’s well versed in elevating a classic takeaway.
‘Takeaways are normally greasy and spicy (well the best ones are), so high acidity wines work really well,’ he says, recommending Albarino, Chablis, Riesling and Vinho Verde.
‘Think of throwing vinegar or fresh lemon over your fish and chips – the wine does the same thing and cuts through the grease. The freshness also keeps your palate going and salivating with spicy foods,’ he explains.
‘You also can’t go wrong with Italian reds and pizza. Especially like fruit forward wines like Valpolicella, Dolcetto d’Alba and Frappato.
‘You can find all the wines I’ve mentioned in most supermarkets and corner shops. So the best way for people to get into food and wine matching is to get stuck in and get messy.’
Sam Caporn, known as ‘the mistress of wine’, has paired wines from Aldi with popular go-to takeaway options to take some of the guesswork out, for when time is of the essence.
Fish and chips
Sam recommends Veuve Monsigny Brut NV (£12.99, 75cl), saying: ‘This bubbly bestseller and highly acclaimed award-winner is a bubbly blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
‘The acidity cuts through the richness of the batter and the freshness works like a squeeze of lemon with the fish.’
Kebab
Go for Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, (£9.99, 75cl), she suggests.
‘For a lamb kebab, the minty notes in Cabernet Sauvignon, are a great match with lamb (think roast lamb and mint sauce).
‘The fatty meat softens any tannins from this smooth and fruity wine, making it the perfect wine partner.’
Pizza
Keep it red with Specially Selected Maremma Toscana (£7.99, 75cl).
‘The adage of “what grows together goes together” is so true when it comes to Italy and so look no further than a snazzy Sangiovese based blend such as the Specially Selected Maremma Toscana for pizza nights.
‘The medium to full bodied red gives notes of black cherry and blueberry that are fabulous with a slice of pizza.’
Curry
Sam recommends going for Australian Durif (£8.99, 75cl), though she says there are ‘so many different beverages that work with a classic Indian curry’.
‘This is an excellent accompaniment to a curry thanks to its layers of dense, spicy black fruit and a rich, long finish.’
Beef burgers
Go for Argentinian Malbec (£9.99, 75cl), which will work with dessert too.
‘It not only pairs perfectly with a burger but is also brilliant with a chocolate brownie to finish off,’ Sam says.
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