Ask the Matchmaker

The Matchmaker answers your questions about food and wine pairings. To submit a question to the Matchmaker, please send it to matchmaker@wineskinny.com. (We try to respond individually to each and every question, usually within a couple of weeks!)

Matchmaker: I am having a wine tasting and we will be tasting Red Zins. I will be serving a meat lasagna for the main dish. What dessert would you suggest, as we will be tasting to the very end? Thanks, Glo

Glo: Thank you for your email and for reading the Wine Skinny!

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

And Zin often has a very pronounced ripe strawberry flavor, so you might consider going with some chocolate-dipped strawberries or other combination. In fact, you could do a chocolate fondue, with strawberries, pieces of pound cake or angelfood cake, cookies, etc. for dunking.

It might also be fun to do a pie tasting, along with your Zins. Maybe a chocolate silk and some kind of berry pie? Or you could go simpler and do a chocolate tasting. Pick one of the high end chocolate bars on the market these days, and choose different "levels" of cacao percentage -- from milk chocolate to 70+% dark. See what you think matches best with the wines. (Personally, I think Zin fits in best with a chocolate in the 60% range). Cheers! Matchmaker

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Matchmaker: I am having a wine tasting party. We are tasting Chardonnays. For appetizers I will be doing crabcakes, a cheese platter and…? What suggestion do you have for my 3rd appetizer? Thanks, Glo

Glo: Thank you for your email and for reading the Wine Skinny! Here are a couple of ideas for the third Chardonnay-friendly appetizer:

1. Bruschetta or toasts topped with finely chopped mushrooms that have been sauteed in olive oil and flavored with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped Italian parsley.

2. Corn Prosciutto Biscuits

3. Leek & Olive Tart

4. Onion & Bacon Tarts

Cheers! Matchmaker

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Matchmaker: I am having a dinner party and am serving an Indian cuisine meal including tandori chicken. What wine would you suggest pairing it with? Thank you. Kevin

Kevin: I have always enjoyed light French reds with Indian food -- Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages (not Nouveau!), or a simple Burgundy (nothing fancy or pricey). There's something about the good acidity and light berry flavors that just works for me with all kinds of Indian food.

But I also reach for Viognier fairly often, especially when I'm in the mood for a sexy, aromatic white wine. The flavors here are quite similar to many of the mango and other fruity chutnies that show up in some Indian dishes.

Finally, Riesling is always a safe bet when trying to pair any kind of spicy food with wine. You can go dry or off-dry, so find a Kabinett or Spatlese that fits your budget -- ask someone in a local wine store for a recommendation. Hope this helps! Matchmaker

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Matchmaker: I'm hoping you'll have a chance to respond to this before Christmas Eve--I'm from Sweden but live in CA and am hosting a typical Swedish smorgasbord for Christmas Eve. Beer fits best with this kind of a thing, but several guests don't like it, so I'm looking for a red wine. I got advice from Sweden to look for something "soft and berry." The meal centerpieces are ham baked with sharp mustard coat, meatballs, and cooked red cabbage. I'm thinking a Syrah or a Pinot (no Zins, please)? Can you recommend a specific wine, for no more than $20? Thank you so much! Katarina

Katarina: I think a Pinot Noir sounds perfect. Its soft, smooth character and pretty red berry flavors should work nicely with your great-sounding menu. It's difficult to recommend a specific wine, since inventories vary greatly across the country. But here are a few to look for, all should be $20 or less (although, again, prices vary in different markets):

Louis Jadot 2004 Pinot Noir (Burgundy, France)
Sticks 2005 Pinot Noir Yarra Valley (Australia)
Foppiano 2005 Pinot Noir Russian River (California)
Yering Station 2005 Pinot Noir Yarra Valley (Australia)
Villa Maria 2004 Pinot Noir Private Bin (Marlborough, New Zealand)

And as a general rule, you can feel pretty comfortable with any California Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley -- just find one in your price range. There should be a fairly wide selection --particularly in a good California wine store. Cheers! Matchmaker

Matchmaker: Hi, this is so helpful AND in time for Christmas eve and the wine shopping, yay! Thank you so much, really appreciate your help--I don't like feeling unsure of whether I picked the right wine and worry that people won't like it or it won't go well with the food, and you've just helped me out of such a potential situation! Thank you and happy holidays!