Wines are so fun to explore! This outline will give you some general suggestions for food pairings and the characteristics of the various wines. However, it is good to remember that you may LOVE a merlot from one winery and really not enjoy one from another winery or part of the world. The particular growing region and the style of winemaking employed make a tremendous difference in the final product. In addition to the varieties listed in this table, it is good to know that there are dozens of other, lesser known varietals to explore. There are also thousands of blended wines that use two or more of the listed grapes to provide a unique experience!
So, the best advice I can give you on wine is to be bold in your exploration! There are so many gems out there to discover. And, when it comes to food/wine pairings, remember that these are general guidelines, but the style of cooking and spice profile also influence which wines will taste great with your particular dish. The experienced staff at Parkway Wine & Liquor will be delighted to help you in your selections. Just ask!
White Wines
Medium straw in color; deepens to rich gold with age
Nose:
Exotic fruit salad - melon/peach and tropical fruit with oak integration
Tasting Notes:
Dry, full-bodied and mouth filling with a broad flavor. When developed takes on a nutty buttery richness in taste.
Food Pairings:
Full flavored seafoods, cream soups, white meats, pasta, veal, light cheeses and salads.
Pale straw in color
Nose:
Herbaceous, grassy, apple
Tasting Notes:
Fresh and fruity with a slightly oily, crisp finish.
Food Pairings:
Shellfish or Asian food
Straw to yellow, and in older wines deep golden
Nose:
Subtle and grassy, occasionally with oak. Rich vanilla toast and honey with age.
Tasting Notes:
Creamy texture, "grassy" flavors, becoming nutty with cellaring. Can be made in a sweet style
Food Pairings:
Turkey, fish, ham, port, soups, lighter flavored cheeses and seafood.
Green to light straw in color
Nose:
Lime, honey and flower aromas can be found. Herbaceous, grassy, floral
Tasting Notes:
Usually a "drink now" style of wine. Dry to medium dry. Herbaceous, clean, fresh, high in acid. Some examples age well, developing "honeyed" characters.
Food Pairings:
Oysters, shellfish, grilled or poached fish. Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, cream soups, simple seafoods, veal, port and ham.
Pale straw to yellow
Nose:
Intense, grassy, herbaceous with tropical fruits
Tasting Notes:
A crisp, dry wine with pronounced varietal flavor that clearly reflects the grape. Medium bodies. High in acid.
Food Pairings:
Asian foods, all seafoods and fried foods. Asparagus, smoked salmon, oysters, chicken, antipasto
Pale, green/gold in color
Nose:
A variety of aromas from tropical fruit to nuts
Tasting Notes:
Sleek texture, a very pleasing flavor ranging from apricot, pineapple, passion fruit to hazelnuts. Full-bodied
Food Pairings:
Fish, cream sauce pasta dishes and risotto
Pale straw often with a grayish tinge
Nose:
Lightly perfumed, violets honeysuckle
Tasting Notes:
Mid-weight with mineral overtones, often with a smokey or steely character.
Food Pairings:
Lighter dishes such as marinated chicken and salad or tuna.
Pale straw often with a grayish tinge
Nose:
Spicy, smokey aroma
Tasting Notes:
Mid-weight with rich tropical fruits such as pineapple and honey
Food Pairings:
White meat dishes with rich sauces
Mid straw when young
Nose:
Intensely perfumed with peaches, apricots, orange blossom and musk
Tasting Notes:
A fuller, oily texture with good acidity and length of flavor.
Food Pairings:
Light Asian dishes and seafood Risotto, creamy pastas
Red Wines
Deep purple red color
Nose:
Mint and blackcurrant aromas, usually with new oak. Capsicum/tomato leaf in cool climate examples.
Tasting Notes:
Medium to full bodied style with a berry flavor and lingering firm finish. Firm tannin and acidity indicates good ageing potential
Food Pairings:
Venison, buffalo, beef, lamb; also excellent with French cuisine. Mature vintages are an excellent complement to cheese.
Light to medium plum red
Nose:
Spicy, floral, raspberry and plummy
Tasting Notes:
Soft, fleshy mouth feel, with subtle fruit flavors such as strawberry and stewed plum
Food Pairings:
Rich pastas, pigeon, game dishes such as rabbit, Italian sausage, roast capsicum
Deep red to brick red in color
Nose:
Earthy spice aromas with the influence of oak
Tasting Notes:
A full flavored wine with a spicy flavor and soft tannin finish. Shiraz wines are usually given wood maturation. Medium dry - usually softer and rounder than Cabernet
Food Pairings:
Beef, veal, game, Greek, Italian and mature cheeses.
Light cherry to medium plum red/purple
Nose:
Intense berry fruit aroma-herbs, strawberries and cherries. Fresh and aromatic. Develops earthy, "barnyard" characters.
Tasting Notes:
Light-bodied, silky wine, but with intense flavor and velvet tannins. Clean and fresh lingering finish. Best when young, although some cool climate examples are particularly well.
Food Pairings:
Duck, white meats, pates, terrines, pasta dishes, veal and lamb.
Dark inky purple
Nose:
Floral notes (violet) are common, along with earth, spice and tobacco
Tasting Notes:
Plum and raisin notes with strong tannins. Full bodied with a lingering finish. Fig-like flavors, mocha and mineral notes along with a unique gamey quality that often rolls out with smoke, pepper and tobacco spice
Food Pairings:
Roasted and stewed beef or game, braised lamb, sausage, mushrooms, and spice-laden sauces, Malbec has the versatility and spice-affinity to handle a stunning array of food combinations and ethnic cuisines.
Medium-deep red
Nose:
Ripe, perfumed berry aromas, fresh and fruity
Tasting Notes:
Rich, fruity flavor. Soft, low in acid/tannin - often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon
Food Pairings:
Italian, Greek, cheese and red meats. Strongly-flavored fish dishes.
Deep red
Nose:
Ripe blackberries, raspberries, plums, spice and forest floor aromas
Tasting Notes:
Jammy berry flavors with notes of spice and pepper. Hard tannins and generally higher in alcohol content than most other wines
Food Pairings:
Italian, Spanish, Mexican and Thai foods in particular
White Wines
Medium straw in color; deepens to rich gold with age
Nose:
Exotic fruit salad - melon/peach and tropical fruit with oak integration
Tasting Notes:
Dry, full-bodied and mouth filling with a broad flavor. When developed takes on a nutty buttery richness in taste.
Food Pairings:
Full flavored seafoods, cream soups, white meats, pasta, veal, light cheeses and salads.
Pale straw in color
Nose:
Herbaceous, grassy, apple
Tasting Notes:
Fresh and fruity with a slightly oily, crisp finish.
Food Pairings:
Shellfish or Asian food
Straw to yellow, and in older wines deep golden
Nose:
Subtle and grassy, occasionally with oak. Rich vanilla toast and honey with age.
Tasting Notes:
Creamy texture, "grassy" flavors, becoming nutty with cellaring. Can be made in a sweet style
Food Pairings:
Turkey, fish, ham, port, soups, lighter flavored cheeses and seafood.
Green to light straw in color
Nose:
Lime, honey and flower aromas can be found. Herbaceous, grassy, floral
Tasting Notes:
Usually a "drink now" style of wine. Dry to medium dry. Herbaceous, clean, fresh, high in acid. Some examples age well, developing "honeyed" characters.
Food Pairings:
Oysters, shellfish, grilled or poached fish. Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, cream soups, simple seafoods, veal, port and ham.
Pale straw to yellow
Nose:
Intense, grassy, herbaceous with tropical fruits
Tasting Notes:
A crisp, dry wine with pronounced varietal flavor that clearly reflects the grape. Medium bodies. High in acid.
Food Pairings:
Asian foods, all seafoods and fried foods. Asparagus, smoked salmon, oysters, chicken, antipasto
Pale, green/gold in color
Nose:
A variety of aromas from tropical fruit to nuts
Tasting Notes:
Sleek texture, a very pleasing flavor ranging from apricot, pineapple, passion fruit to hazelnuts. Full-bodied
Food Pairings:
Fish, cream sauce pasta dishes and risotto
Pale straw often with a grayish tinge
Nose:
Lightly perfumed, violets honeysuckle
Tasting Notes:
Mid-weight with mineral overtones, often with a smokey or steely character.
Food Pairings:
Lighter dishes such as marinated chicken and salad or tuna.
Pale straw often with a grayish tinge
Nose:
Spicy, smokey aroma
Tasting Notes:
Mid-weight with rich tropical fruits such as pineapple and honey
Food Pairings:
White meat dishes with rich sauces
Mid straw when young
Nose:
Intensely perfumed with peaches, apricots, orange blossom and musk
Tasting Notes:
A fuller, oily texture with good acidity and length of flavor.
Food Pairings:
Light Asian dishes and seafood Risotto, creamy pastas
Red Wines
Deep purple red color
Nose:
Mint and blackcurrant aromas, usually with new oak. Capsicum/tomato leaf in cool climate examples.
Tasting Notes:
Medium to full bodied style with a berry flavor and lingering firm finish. Firm tannin and acidity indicates good ageing potential
Food Pairings:
Venison, buffalo, beef, lamb; also excellent with French cuisine. Mature vintages are an excellent complement to cheese.
Light to medium plum red
Nose:
Spicy, floral, raspberry and plummy
Tasting Notes:
Soft, fleshy mouth feel, with subtle fruit flavors such as strawberry and stewed plum
Food Pairings:
Rich pastas, pigeon, game dishes such as rabbit, Italian sausage, roast capsicum
Deep red to brick red in color
Nose:
Earthy spice aromas with the influence of oak
Tasting Notes:
A full flavored wine with a spicy flavor and soft tannin finish. Shiraz wines are usually given wood maturation. Medium dry - usually softer and rounder than Cabernet
Food Pairings:
Beef, veal, game, Greek, Italian and mature cheeses.
Light cherry to medium plum red/purple
Nose:
Intense berry fruit aroma-herbs, strawberries and cherries. Fresh and aromatic. Develops earthy, "barnyard" characters.
Tasting Notes:
Light-bodied, silky wine, but with intense flavor and velvet tannins. Clean and fresh lingering finish. Best when young, although some cool climate examples are particularly well.
Food Pairings:
Duck, white meats, pates, terrines, pasta dishes, veal and lamb.
Dark inky purple
Nose:
Floral notes (violet) are common, along with earth, spice and tobacco
Tasting Notes:
Plum and raisin notes with strong tannins. Full bodied with a lingering finish. Fig-like flavors, mocha and mineral notes along with a unique gamey quality that often rolls out with smoke, pepper and tobacco spice
Food Pairings:
Roasted and stewed beef or game, braised lamb, sausage, mushrooms, and spice-laden sauces, Malbec has the versatility and spice-affinity to handle a stunning array of food combinations and ethnic cuisines.
Medium-deep red
Nose:
Ripe, perfumed berry aromas, fresh and fruity
Tasting Notes:
Rich, fruity flavor. Soft, low in acid/tannin - often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon
Food Pairings:
Italian, Greek, cheese and red meats. Strongly-flavored fish dishes.
Deep red
Nose:
Ripe blackberries, raspberries, plums, spice and forest floor aromas
Tasting Notes:
Jammy berry flavors with notes of spice and pepper. Hard tannins and generally higher in alcohol content than most other wines
Food Pairings:
Italian, Spanish, Mexican and Thai foods in particular
