Salad and Wine Pairings, How to Do it Right.
We’ve all heard about wine and food pairings. Yes, the right combination of food and wine can make your meals more memorable. And although pairing wine and food might sound intimidating, it really isn’t.
Look for tips for pairing food and wine, and you’ll surely find a few pointers, but few sources talk about salad and wine pairings. That’s a bummer because salads are now more exciting than ever!
Here’s what you need to know about pairing salads with wine. We’ll also introduce you to our favorite salad wine: PairME Wines “The Wine for Summer Salads.” Let’s get started!
Types of Salads
Before discussing what wine types go well with salads, let’s understand salads. There are three types of salads and knowing them might give us hints on how to pair them.
Tossed salads. As the name suggests, these salads are made by throwing the ingredients into a bowl. Lettuce, leafy greens, tomatoes, avocado, nuts and dried fruits are all common ingredients in these salads. The Caesar salad and the Greek salad are good examples. A salad dressing brings tossed salads to life.
Compound salads. These salads are not tossed randomly but carefully arranged. You might start with a lettuce base and top it with corn, roast chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or other ingredients. The Caprese salad, wedge salad and Cobb salad are great examples.
Bound salads. These are messy combinations of ingredients held together by cream, mayo or other thick dressing. The chicken salad and Waldorf salad are good examples.
The good news? The type of salad matters, but not that much when choosing the right wine for them – they all share a unique trait; they’re light.
The Perfect Wine for Salads
If you’re wondering how to pair wine with salads, here’s what you need to know. Salads, even the heartiest ones, are on the light side of things food-wise. They can be filling, complex and flavorful, but they’re never overpowering, and that goes for all three types of salads. Following a Sommelier’s tip, you should pair salads by weight — light food with light wines.
PairME Wine’s “The Wine for Summer Salads” is the perfect example of what you should look for in wine for salads, appetizers and light starters. It’s refreshing and thirst-quenching. Why? Because of its light body and vibrant acidity.
The Wine for Summer Salads is a lovely salmon-hued rosé from Southern France, specifically Saint-Chinian, where the radiant sun ripens grapes to perfection. This wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, and it tastes like ripe cherries with hints of cooking herbs and savory minerality over a deliciously dry palate.
Serve light and crisp rosé with your salads and elevate any meal to new heights. Wine is noble like that — chose right, and food becomes more than nourishment; it becomes an experience!
What is your favorite salad? What about the dressing? Well, try them with a glass of pink wine and see if the combination works. Salads have just gotten much more interesting. Don’t you agree?
Further Readings: