Exciting Wine Pairings for Vegetarians

VeggieWine pairing guides often favour dishes that include meat, but fret not wine loving vegetarians because Rosehill Wine Cellars has put together a wine pairing guide for you! A vegetarian diet can be full of exciting recipes and, of course, some great wine pairing opportunities as well.

Veggie Pasta Dish

Pesto is a great pasta dish that is also vegetarian. There are also a lot of pesto recipes and a lot of variations involving pesto. These pastas pair nicely with Sauvignon Blanc because of its herbaceous flavours. A nice red pesto can also pair well with Merlot or Sangiovese.

Vegetarian or Cheese Pizza

Pizza can be the perfect vegetarian meal, and making it at home can be a lot of fun! A nice and simple pizza with cheese and tomato sauce is the perfect companion for a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais. If you’re enjoying a veggie pizza without tomato sauce you can also try a nice light sparkling wine like a Prosecco.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are ideal protein sources for any vegetarian diet. And the good news is because mushrooms have earthy flavours they tend to pair easily with wine. Therefore, red wines usually pair nicely with mushroom recipes. This includes wines made from grapes like Syrah or Zinfandel.

Eggs

Eggs are also great! And there’s so much you can do with them! From omelets to quiche to huevos rancheros there’s a whole world of wonderful recipes involving eggs. Egg recipes usually pair well with sparkling wine, especially if you’re having brunch! Eggs with mushrooms can also pair with light red wines like Pinot Noir.

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Explore wine and cheese pairings with friends

Explore wine and cheese pairings with friends

Wine and cheese pairings are magical!

Wine and cheese parties are a great way to spend time with friends while tasting new and exciting flavours. By mixing, matching and complementing the nuances of the wine you pour to the cheese you serve you can turn the ordinary get together into an extraordinary event. Here is a quick guide on how to pair wine with cheese from Rosehill Wine Cellars.

Hard Cheeses: It’s so Gouda!

Hard cheeses can be categorized as sharp tasting and salty. In addition, hard cheeses are usually aged. Examples include Cheddar, Emmenthaler (“Swiss”), Gouda, Gruyere, Parmesan, Provolone, Pecorino, and Manchego. These cheeses usually pair nicely with a bit of tannin. Therefore, red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Rioja compliment these cheeses nicely.

Hard cheese and grapes on board

Soft and Fresh Cheeses: Spreading the Joy!

Spread soft cheeses over crispy crackers. Light, easy going cheeses such as Ricotta, fresh goat cheese (chèvre in French, cabra in Spanish), Neufchâtel, Champlain, and Boursin pair well with white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc. If you are feeling adventurous you can also pair a bottle of Beaujolais with feta cheese (brined goat and/or sheep cheese). Other soft, creamy cheeses – Brie, Camembert, Triple Crème – pair nicely with Chardonnay and sparkling wines: French Champagne, Spanish Cava, or Italian Prosecco.

Cream cheese spread on cracker

Blue Cheese: Don’t be Blue, there’s Wine!

Blue cheese has a very strong flavour. It’s sharp and tangy and its salty bite  pairs beautifully with sweet wines, including dessert wines. The likes of Italian Gorgonzola, French Roquefort, English Stilton, and Danish Danablu bode well with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Moscato, Vin Santo, Icewine, Port and Sherry. The strong taste of the cheese accentuates the sweetness of the wine and balance the flavours.

Tip 1: If you really want to bring your cheese plate to life add some fruits and nuts!

Tip 2: Peanuts pair perfectly with crisp, sweet, fruity and herbal wines such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon or sparkling. The menial snacking of peanuts while drinking beer goes luxe when the brew is subbed in with prosecco or Champagne.

Glass on wine sits on a table next to dish of peanuts