Wine choices by weight, to match your meal

Drinks newsletter

The goal in finding a wine to pair with a dish should be to match weights, of both what's in the bottle, and the food you intend to serve. Though the list below is general in nature, it is a guide to help choose a wine that will pair well with a meal.

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White wines, lightest to heaviest:

  • Pinot Grigio, Soave, Orvieto
  • Off-dry Riesling (slightly sweet)
  • Dry Riesling
  • Muscadet
  • Sparkling wines and Champagne
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Unoaked Chadonnay, French Chablis
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • White Bordeaux
  • White Burgundy
  • Pinot Gris
  • Gewurtztraminer
  • Chardonnay- barrel aged or barrel fermented

Red wines, lightest to heaviest:

  • Valpolicella
  • Beaujolais
  • Dolcetto
  • Rioja
  • Pinot Noir (California)
  • Burgundy
  • Barbera
  • Chianti Classico
  • Barbaresco
  • Bordeaux
  • Merlot (U.S.)
  • Zinfandel
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (U.S. and Australia)
  • Syrah/Shiraz, Rhone
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, Wine Examiner

Leslie Cramer has worked in the fine wine industry for twenty- something years. Known in some circles as "The Wine Wizardess," she'll cover topics from wine education, to trends o' the day and how to properly propose a toast, to health benefits of the grape.

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