This guest post was written by Adam Stevens of Corr Chilled exclusively for Social Vignerons.

Properly pairing wine with food can truly transform a meal. A simple sea bass paired with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc is delightful, or even better, a beautiful steak paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ve found throughout our research that chocolate (as well as artichoke, asparagus, Brussel sprouts and green beans), despite what many people think, is difficult to pair with wine. People think that chocolate is great with red wine but the bitter flavours in the chocolate combine with the bitter tannins in the red wine makes the pairing too bitter.

The pairings suggested in the infographic are mere guidelines, there are no set in stone rules for wine pairings, everyone’s taste buds are different and matching food and wine is a matter of personal taste. That being said we have paired food and wine based on the technicalities of both the food group and the wine. For example, the tannins in a Cabernet Sauvignon combine with the protein in steak to create a lush, flavourful taste, and the steak’s proteins soften the Cabernet’s tannins.

The infographic above, created by Corr Chilled, gives you an overview of which types of food to pair with which wine as well as what temperature to serve these different wines at.

For even more deliciousness, try our Top Suggested Matches:

Bubbly pairs pairs beautifully with a nice brie, smoked salmon or fruit-based dessert.

Whites:

A nice hard cheese goes well with dry white Sauvignon Blanc, and fresh shellfish, especially freshly caught prawns go really well with an Albariño.

If you happen to find a new style Riesling pair it with a Thai green curry or chicken korma, but if you find a sweeter Riesling you should drink it with apple crumble and vanilla ice cream.

Another sweet white wine, Gewürztraminer, is beautiful alongside fruit tarts and creamy blue cheeses. The rich white wine, Chardonnay, is ideal for a joining a roast chicken or turkey at the dinner table.

Reds:

Probably the most popular red wine of all, Pinot Noir goes well with roasted chicken or pasta dishes, the more tannic Pinot Noirs are great with game birds and casseroles.

Zweigelt is the perfect light red to bring to your next barbecue; it is the perfect counter to the richness of many grilled foods while never being overpowering.

Merlot, another really popular red wine, is well suited for chicken and light meats as well as lightly-spiced dark meats. the same goes for Cabernet Sauvignon.

The bold red Malbec is the wine to have with steak and other dark meats alongside a nice piece of farmhouse cheddar.

Dessert:

Port and Sherry are very popular. Port is lovely with a cheese board or a chocolate dessert while Sherry is the ideal pairing for charcuterie boards and don’t forget the apple pie for sweeter Sherry’s.

In the comments we’d love to hear from you, which food and wine pairing is your favourite? Do you love a Pinot Noir with a charcuterie board or are you more of a salmon side and Chardonnay type of person?

Find out all of Social Vignerons posts and Infographics about Wine & Food Matching including some of the most popular ones below (click to read):

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