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There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal shared with friends and family. But what could make that dinner party even more delightful? The perfect wine pairing, of course!

Whether you're looking for bold reds to pair with your steak dinner or light whites to complement your seafood spread, we've got you covered. This blog will give you some of the best food and wine pairings to make your next dinner party a hit. Cheers!

Pairing Food and Wine

Entertaining guests is an exciting and rewarding experience, especially if you love hosting dinner parties. Organizing an event involves many tasks, one of which is creating the menu.

However, it may be challenging to think of new dishes to serve every occasion, especially if the dinner menu has a wine pairing, which can sometimes be tricky. You can consider joining a wine club, like the Colorado Wine Club, near your location for this dilemma.

Wine clubs offer different services and perks to members, such as premium wine subscriptions, first dibs on signature blends and new releases, and special discounts. It will let you have a fine collection of wines which you can use as a basis for the dishes you'll serve your party guests.

You can also prepare a go-to list for occasions where you need quick ideas for party food and wine pairing. Here are some food and drink combinations you can consider adding to your collection:

Appetizers

1. Charcuterie Board and Dry White Wine

A charcuterie board is an exciting table piece perfect for any dinner party. The colors of each food item can add to the festive vibe of the occasion. Moreover, the combination of flavors helps set the mood for the rest of the meal. 

You can consider the following items to include in your charcuterie board:

• Cured meat 
• An assortment of cheese
• Fresh and dried fruit 
• Crackers 
• Nuts, seeds, and olives 
• Condiments such as honey, dips, jelly, and jam

When choosing a wine to pair with appetizers, experts usually recommend light and dry variants. This way, you'll be able to leave room for heavier, more flavor-intense dishes later on. For instance, you can pair your charcuterie board with a bottle of light, dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

On the other hand, you can also consider different light-bodied and dry red wines for this pairing. In this case, you can consult with your local winery, such as Colorado Winery, for recommendations.

2. Asian Salad and Dry Riesling

The sweet, salty, and tangy Asian salad dressing is a good match with the bright and refreshing flavors of the dry Riesling. This combination may be on the tart side; it’s ideal if your mains have rich sauces or spicy flavors.

3. French Onion Soup and Viognier

French onion soup is a classic recipe with a light base and heavy toppings. It has the creaminess of cheese and bread and the sweetness of caramelized onions. 

To complement this flavor profile, you can serve your French onion soup with a glass of Viognier. It's a full-bodied white wine popular for its fruity aroma, and its light and dry texture makes it perfect for pairing with an onion soup.

Main Dishes

4. Roasted Duck and Pinot Noir 

Depending on how it's seasoned, roasted duck can be a flavor-intense dish rich with natural fats, aromatics, and caramelized trimmings. Because of the heavy flavors, a Pinot Noir can be an excellent pair for this entrée to cut the richness with its solid acidity. 

5. Seafood Lasagna and Oaked Chardonnay

Seafood lasagna is a pasta dish made with a cream-based sauce and a combination of different seafood items such as crabs, shrimps, and scallops. Because of the richness of this dish, you'll need a medium-bodied dry wine such as Chardonnay to cut into the richness with its citrusy flavor profile.

For this purpose, the best choice would be an oaked Chardonnay variant for a hint of sweetness that best suits pasta dishes. 

6. South-Indian Vegetable Curry and Sparkling Rosé 

The vegetable curry dish from the southern parts of India is considered unique compared with its counterparts because of coconut milk. It makes the dish extra thick and creamy, which is a delightful texture that goes well with the spicy flavors and aromatic spices that it contains as well. 

Because of the rich and intense flavors, it's ideal for pairing this vegan dish with a glass of Sparkling Rosé. This wine is known for its sweetness and fruitiness and is a fool-proof wine pair for most Indian curries. 

Dessert

7. Molten Lava Cake and Port Wine

Molten lave cake is a classic crowd-favorite, especially for chocolate lovers. This decadent chocolate cake is known for its gooey filling in the middle made with ganache.

Because of its sweetness and creaminess, it's best to serve it with Port Wine, which has a combination of fruity and bitter chocolate notes. This full-bodied, sweet red wine complements the decadent dessert and is an excellent way to end a meal as well.

8. Strawberry Shortcake and Champagne 

As a sweet, light, and bubbly way to end the evening, you can consider treating your guests to a slice of strawberry shortcake paired with a glass of champagne.

Strawberries and champagne are perfectly matched in flavor as the sweetness and tartness of fresh strawberries complement the dry and crisp texture of the bubbly drink.

Also, serving champagne at the end of the meal is an excellent way to end the party on a high note. 

Conclusion 

Food and wine pairing can be a fun and exciting experience where you get to showcase your culinary know-how. And if you love hosting dinner parties, you may find it helpful to have a collection of food recipes and drinks that could help you throw a fantastic event that everyone will enjoy.

What do you think is the most important thing to consider when pairing food and wine? Share your thoughts below.

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