Wine with Vegetables
The days are long gone when vegetables were just a side dish - they have become a main event. There are trillions delicious vegetarian dishes with terrific depth of flavours, and you can really elevate your meals with the right wine choice. Many vegetables are high in natural sugars, like onions, parsnips and carrots. Others are high in acidity like tomatoes. Foods that fall into these two categories are usually best with white wines because if you fail to match the acidity or sweetness in the food to that of the wine, what you are eating will taste dull and flabby.
Remember that higher acidity is found in wines from cooler climates, both from the Old and New World, and that some white varieties have naturally higher acidity, like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.
Some vegetables on the other hand, have a rich, meaty quality, like mushrooms and aubergines. These pair very well with red wines as they match their meatier textures, and they can handle the tannin. Generally very sweet wines are to be avoided.
Vegetables can be divided into the following categories:-
- Root Vegetables that grow underground e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes and beetroot.
- Leafy Greens e.g. spinach, chard, kale, cabbage and salad leaves.
- Cruciferous Vegetables e.g. broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
- Stem Vegetables e.g. asparagus and celery.
- Bulb Vegetables e.g. onions, shallots and leeks.
- Seed Vegetables e.g. peas, beans and sweetcorn.
- Fruit Vegetables e.g. tomatoes, avocados, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, globe artichokes marrows, squashes, pumpkins and courgettes. Although botanically fruits, for culinary purposes these are all eaten as a vegetable.
- Fungi - all mushrooms.
But do remember to consider how you are serving your vegetables - in a cooked dish and the method of cooking, or raw or in a salad when the dressings and accompaniments you are serving them with come into play.
Root Vegetables
Potatoes
The taste of this staple root depends on the variety of potato [waxy or floury] and how they're cooked - and they can be prepared in a huge variety of ways. Boiled and mashed potatoes taste mild, baked and roasted taste nutty - everyone loves a spud! And wine pairings are as versatile as the humble potato itself.
Any potato dish involving cream and cheese will be great with a buttery Chardonnay that has seen some oak. There are plenty to choose from both the Old World and the New.
Potato salads, smothered in mayonnaise often contain fresh herbs, and zesty herbal wines like Sauvignon Blanc or an English Bacchus will echo the aromatic fresh and green elements in the dish.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah will pair nicely with more savoury potato dishes.
Chips with their crisp exterior and soft fluffy inside are superb with white sparkling wines; their acidity cuts through the fatty richness and cleanses the palate - Champagne, Crémants, Cava and bottle fermented English sparkling wines are all winners - not a fan of sparkling wines? Try a zesty Albariño or Picpoul instead, as chips are often sprinkled with salt the saline edge of these grape varieties will compliment them.
Sweet Potatoes
Rich, earthy and creamy, roasting enhances their inherent sweetness, imbuing them with a caramelized deliciousness. They pair well with richer white wines like Viognier, white Rhône blends, Pinot Gris, white Rioja or spicy and aromatic Gewürztraminer. For a red option choose a light-bodied and fruity Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. This vegetable is a staple at Thanks Giving dinners in The States - so you could also try a fruit-driven Zinfandel or its Italian counterpart Primitivo.
Carrots
This vibrant root vegetable can be eaten cooked in a variety of ways or raw in salads. They have a mild and sweet earthy flavour. When cooked their flavour becomes richer and their sweetness more pronounced due to their natural sugars caramelizing. Raw carrots are crunchy and taste more earthy.
In salads they pair well with fruity mineral whites like Vermentino from Sardinia, Tuscany, Corsica the Pays d'Oc or even Australia! In cooked dishes they can take richer, honeyed wines - try a Viognier, Chenin, Alsatian Pinot Gris or a fruity red like Barbera, Beaujolais and Grenache.
Parsnips
Nutty and slightly sweet, parsnips have a starchy, creamy texture. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness which is lovely with honeyed wines like Viognier and Pinot Gris, fragrant Marsanne, Roussanne or white Côte du Rhônes, and for something different try one of the intriguing white wines from the Lebanon.
Jerusalem Artichokes
Technically a tuber, these unique vegetables have more depth of flavour than potatoes and are not starchy. They have a delicate, slightly sweet and earthy-nutty taste and are surprisingly versatile; you can cook them in a variety of ways or eat them raw in salads. White wines are the best options. Creamy dishes pair well with Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnays that have seen some oak - try a white Burgundy. Accompany roasted Jerusalem artichokes with a wine that will contrast with, and balance their richness - choose wines with high acidity like an Albariño/Alvarinho, Grüner Veltliner or Sauvignon Blanc.
Beetroot
Rich and earthy, in general beetroot pairs better with red wine than white. Fruity reds like Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, Spanish Mencia, and Italian Dolcetto are good options. For roasted beetroot dishes try one of the Eastern European wines recommend to accompany beetroot soup; Georgian Saperavi, Hungarian Kadarka, North Macedonian Kratosija, Slovenian Vranec, Croatian Teran or Armenian Areni or Karmrahyut - these will assure a lively conversation!
Leafy Greens
These are wine enemies - nothing seems to go with them because they have any inherent bitterness.
Wines with high acidity are your friend here, so white is the way to go, especially those with “green” flavours and fresh herbaceous notes, like Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Verdejo and Vermentino - and avoid tannic red wines!
Spinach
With Spinach try an unoaked Chardonnay or Riesling as this vegetable has the tendency to make red wines take on a rusty flavour, emphasising the tannins, so if you do want a red wine, make sure that this too is unoaked - perhaps a Beaujolais, Grenache or something young and fruity from the New World like a Chilean Merlot.
Chard
Tastes a bit like spinach in that it is earthy and slightly bitter, but it has a milder flavour without that distinctive iron taste. The bitterness diminishes when it's cooked, giving it a sweeter flavour. Pair as for Spinach.
Kale
The robust, earthy and bitter flavours of kale can make wine taste metallic. Fruity rosés [there are lots to choose from Provence] are a good bet because they balance out bitter flavours. Kale's unique flavour profile can also make wines taste sweeter than they actually are, so crisp white wines with high acidity are the go-to here - try Sauvignon Blancs, Grüner Veltliners, dry Rieslings and unoaked Chardonnays. Avoid tannic red wines as these emphasise bitterness and go for high acid examples like Pinot Noir and Chianti. For something different try an Orange Wine, we have some from France and the USA.
Cabbage
Raw cabbage has a slightly peppery flavour and a crunchy texture. Cooked cabbage tastes mild with a subtle sweetness. Fruity wines from the Southern Rhône and dry rosés are a good bet.
Red cabbage, that Christmas staple has a more robust and assertive flavour than its green counterpart and is often cooked with spices - so choose wines that have spicy profiles like Syrah/Shiraz and Zinfandel/Primitivo.
With sauerkraut a white, crisp and acidic wine is a good option to balance the slightly sour, tangy and salty flavour profile - try a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Muscadet or Grüner Veltliner. This fermented dish is beloved in Alsace and Germany, so also look to those countries for your choice with either a dry, or off-dry Riesling, Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer or even a Crémant d'Alsace. If you prefer a red, then a fruity wine low in tannins is the answer with a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir - try a German option!
Salad Leaves
Because lettuce, rocket, watercress and other salad leaves are usually served dressed - look to the ingredients of the dressing to make your wine choice.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Contain a sulphur compound that makes them smell pungent and taste slightly bitter, but this usually diminishes when cooked.
Broccoli
This versatile brassica has subtle earthy and grassy flavours with a hint of bitterness. A wine low in acidity like a Chardonnay, is especially good with creamy and lemony dishes. Other low acid wines include Sémillon, Viura, Fiano and Grenache Blanc.
Cauliflower
Milder than broccoli, with slightly sweet and nutty undertones, the subtle flavour of cauliflower goes well with white Rhône blends and Chenin Blanc - choose from the Loire or South Africa. With cauliflower cheese, and anything involving cream and cheese, try a creamy New World Chardonnay or Italian Soave.
Brussel Sprouts
Love 'em or hate 'em? These little cabbage-like spheres seem to divide opinions as they can be bitter, which overcooking emphasises. However, cooking them properly brings out their sweetness and underlying nuttiness. Chenin rounds out their flavours, and Sauvignon Blanc and Vermentino harmonise with their vegetal character. If you prefer a red, then choose a low tannin option like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Barbera, Dolcetto, or for something a little different try a Nerello Mascalese from Sicily!
Stem Vegetables
Asparagus
Notoriously tricky to pair with wine, asparagus has a unique grassy flavour which is slightly earthy and sweet. Sauvignon Blanc is the classic match - Asparagus is fantastic with their fresh citrusy flavours, and you can go Old World or New. Grüner Veltliner and Vinho Verde are other good options, as are crisp Italian whites like Grillo from Sicily and Pinot Grigio from the Veneto. But don't attempt a red as these will clash horribly with the grassy flavours!
Cellery
This crunchy stem has a unique flavour profile because it tastes confusingly mild, but strong at the same time, with a vibrant “green” vegetal character. Choose crisp unoaked whites like dry Rieslings, Chablis, Grüner Veltliners, white Bordeaux and even sparkling white wines.
Bulb Vegetables
Onions and Shallots
Onions have complex flavours of sweetness, savouriness and tanginess. They are sharp and pungent but when cooked, the inherent sweetness of onions lends them to opulent wines like Pinot Gris and Viognier. Beaujolais is great with onions and for other red options try a fruity red Côte du Rhône or Merlot. Shallots don't deliver such a punch as onions and aren't as sharp, but they have a more robust flavour than leeks; again their flavour is enhanced by cooking and they pair with the same suggestions as onions.
Leeks
Are a milder allium with a subtler onion-like flavour that pairs well with un-oaked Chardonnays, white Côtes du Rhônes, Grüner Veltliners and crisp Sauvignon Blancs.
Seed Vegetables
Peas
Mildly sweet and delicate with earthy nuances and a tender texture, peas pair well with grassy, herbaceous wines that compliment their subtle grassy undertones like Sauvignon Blanc, Bacchus, Vermentino, Verdejo and Grüner Veltliner.
Beans
Runner, green, and French beans have a delicate, grassy flavour. Crisp, wines with no oak influence and a flavour profile that matches that grassy component pair well - try subtle Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire like Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Puilly-Fumé a Touraine Sauvignon or the choices for peas.
Legumes like red kidney beans, butter beans and Cannellini beans have a creamy, starchy texture; they go better with richer wines that have seen some oak - try a white with a creamy texture as this will echo the creaminess of the beans; a white Burgundy, New World Chardonnay or white Rioja.
Sweetcorn
Sweet and nutty, juicy and crunchy all at the same time, sweetcorn loves buttery oaked Chardonnays!
Fruit Vegetables
Tomatoes
Vibrant coloured tomatoes need something with zippy acidity to cut through their own inherent sharpness - they are a combination of tangy and sweet flavours with high acidity. The riper they are, the more they develop a savoury umami flavour and cooking them changes their flavour significantly. Matching the acidity of the fruit to what’s in the glass is the key - New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, Australian Rieslings, Picpouls and Albariños are ideal. Of course Italy uses tons of tomatoes in its cuisine - so look there for a terrific choice and take your pick from Grillo, Verdicchio, Percorino, Trebbiano and for something different try Turbiana! Choose Chianti and Sangiovese-based wines for a red choice - but say no to heavy, tannic reds though!
Avocadoes
Also known as alligator pears, rich and creamy avocados have a mild flavour and a buttery texture. Try crisp, zesty wines that will cut through that velvety richness, like Sauvignon Blancs, Portuguese Vinho Verdes, Albariños/Alvarinhos, Pinot Grigios and unoaked Chardonnays.
Peppers
Peppers, also known as bell peppers, are crunchy and sweet [they become sweeter when cooked] with slightly fruity undertones. They come in a variety of vibrant colours - red [the sweetest], orange yellow and green. For red, orange and yellow choose Riesling, either Australian or German. They use a lot of coloured peppers in Mediterranean cuisine, so also try a rosé from Provence - Bandol for a more robust Provençal option or a Tavel from the Rhône. The richer the dish - the richer the wine, and you can go reds with Merlots, Malbecs, Tempranillo and red Côte du Rhônes.
Green peppers are less ripe and can taste bitter - choose wines that echo their “greenness” like Sauvignon Blancs, Bacchus, Vermentino, Verdejo and Grüner Veltliner. For a red wine choose one with “green” nuances, like young New World Cabinet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carménère.
Aubergines
Also known as eggplants, aubergines have a spongy texture which becomes creamy when cooked. The taste of their flesh is mild with a hint of sweetness and they often have smoky notes, but their skin has a bitter quality reminiscent of tannin. You most often see them used in moussaka, ratatouille and Midden Eastern dishes. Aubergines pair well with red fruity and juicy wines like Zinfandel/Primitivo, Barbera and Valpoicella. You could also try a Greek red [we have a nice selection to choose from], after all this dish is the home of moussaka! Or go the Middle Eastern route with something intriguing from the Lebanon!
Cucumber
These juicy members of the melon family are usually eaten in salads. They have mild, slightly sweet tasting flesh which is a refreshing combination of crisp and watery, but there can be a bitter element in their skins - for this reason avoid tannic wines as the tannin will enhance this bitterness.
Light and refreshing wines with high acid that won't overpower their delicate flavours will work well here. Try a Verdejo, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc [either Old or New World], Grüner Veltliner or Portuguese Alvarinho/Spanish Albariño and for something different, try an Argentinian Torrontés!
Globe Artichokes
These are wine enemies as they contain a chemical called cynarin which enhances the taste of sweetness, and steer clear of anything with oak in it as cynarin reacts with oak and makes the wine taste strangely sweet. So choose something incisive and bone dry - there are plenty of options from Chablis, Assyrtiko, Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Vermentino, Albariño and Grüner Veltliner. For something different try a Txakoli from the Basque country! And for the adventurous, Orange Wines seem to match well with “difficult vegetables”.
Marrows, Squashes, and Pumkins
Sweet and earthy with a rich and creamy texture, roasting and barbecuing these vegetables brings out their natural sweetness, giving them a richer taste. So you can pair these with New World Chardonnays with oak influence, Australian Sémillon, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne and white Côte du Rhônes. Fruity reds like Pinot Noir and Barbera are good with lighter dishes and heavier, spicy reds like Syrah/Shiraz and Zinfandel/Primitivo are good choices with more robust fare. And don't forget Orange Wines for another unusual and surprising option!
Courgettes
Courgettes or zucchini, are similar to aubergines in that they have a mild flavoured flesh, but a bitter quality in their skins, however, they pair better with white wines. Beloved in Italian cooking, look to this country for some ideas, and there are plenty of options! Arneis and Gavi from Piedmonte, Falanghina and Fiano from Campania, and you could also try a Spanish Verdejo.
Mushrooms
Earthy and intensely savoury, with rich umami flavours that become more pronounced when they are cooked - mushrooms love Pinot Noir and Rioja. With wild mushrooms, try a Chianti, or if you want to push the boat out, a Barolo. Prefer a white? Full-bodied Chardonnay is the answer; try white Burgundies and Chardonnays from the New World - the USA have some fabulous examples.