best appetizers with wine
Best Appetizers to Pair with Wine
The best appetizers that pair well with wine are rated on the basis of several factors, such as taste, recipe, and levels of hunger that they tend to create. The following article gives some really great appetizers for wine tasting, and guides you with the best paired wine.
Match It Right!
Sweet Wine ~ Sweet, fruity appetizers
Salty accompaniments ~ Red wines, thin wines
Appetizers are conventionally known as Hors d'oeuvre, which is a French word. The term appetizer in common parlance means "something apart from the main course, that boosts appetite." Some of the best appetizers in the world have evolved out of the food recipes of different cultures. Some, however, are consumed with some specific drinks such as wine, champagne, or even beer. For example, strawberry is the best appetizer with champagne, which one can possibly find.
A wine appetizer, as the name suggests, is a preparation or accompaniment served with wine. Wine-tasting experts often comment that an appetizer really helps the drinker enjoy wine's pleasing flavor. It is tedious to pair up the appetizers with the right wine. One must also consider the different wine types to decide the appropriate accompaniment. Some tried-and-tested 'appetizers and wine' pairings are given below to help you.
Appetizers that Go Well with Wine
Prosciutto-wrapped Breadsticks
Why it is apt for wine tasting: Prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks is a salty variant of ham and is commonly served in many Italian restaurants. This Italian appetizer is baked with the help of dough and Parmesan, an Italian cheese. The salt cleanses the tongue and mildly dehydrates the mouth. The dry mouth promotes the drinker to keep and taste the wine in his mouth before swallowing it. This greatly helps the drinker to taste the flavor of the wine and exposes all the taste buds to the wetness of the wine.
Coupling Suggestions: Prosciutto blends well with wines with a piquant flavor. Try white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Gewurztraminer. If red wines is your pick, go for Pinot Noir, Chianti, and Dolcetto.
However, Sauvignon Blanc is the best pick for it is a dry wine that is high in acidity and very crispy. Its intensity matches well with foods like Prosciutto.
Best Paired With: Sauvignon BlancBruschetta
Why it is apt for wine tasting: Another dish that is considered to be the best appetizers with wine is the Italian delicacy, Bruschetta―a preparation of grilled bread, olive oil, red pepper, and tomatoes. This dish is prepared with a lot of pepper and spicy tomato, and the person feels tempted to have the wine. The wine being sweet and soothing to the taste buds is very well appreciated by the drinker. The Bruschetta, being spicy, alerts all the taste buds on the tongue. The alerted taste buds are, thus, thoroughly able to feel the soothing and pleasing effect of the wine.
Coupling Suggestions: Chianti wins the race when it comes to pairing a wine with this popular appetizer. It acidic nature can withstand strong flavors of the ingredients in Bruschetta. If you're looking for a white wine pair, try Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Talking about red wines, Barbera and Zinfandel will go well with this lip-smacking dish. Just make sure you keep away from wines that contain a lot of tannin.
Best Paired With: ChiantiCured Olives
Why it is apt for wine tasting: Cured olives are a well-known appetizer in the Mediterranean regions. The olives are cured using salt, which reduces the amount of water in the olive. The salty accompaniment once consumed, makes a person tempted to drink wine. Again, the sour and salty appeal brings out the taste of wine in a brilliant manner.
Coupling Suggestions: Pairing cured olives with a wine will abate its bitterly intensity and enhance the fruit flavors. The top picks for cured olives will be Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine pairings get difficult with olive when the dish is accompanied with cheese―depending on the type of cheese. For instance, if you're serving olives with cheddar cheese, try Borolo. If you're going for Asiago cheese, look for something like Pinot Grigio.
Bitter foods such as oil-cured olives will diminish the perception of bitterness or astringency from the tannins in young red wines, allowing the full impact of the fruit flavors to come through.
Best Paired With: Pinot GrigioMini Quiche
Why it is apt for wine tasting: Mini Quiches are basically prepared from eggs, cream, pepper, and salt. Mini Quiches can be prepared easily in bulk and taste great with the flavor of wine. The lingering taste of a mini quiche often aptly awakens the taste buds and helps the person to really taste the wine.
Coupling Suggestions: The classic Riesling will be the top pick for mini quiches. The flavor and consistency pairs fantastically with that of mini quiches. The second close choice would be Unoaked Chardonnay. This white wine complements well with the creamy texture of mini quiche.
Best Paired With: Riesling