Quick Guide to Vegetarian Wine Pairings

Red wine with beef, white wine with fish, right? What about vegetarian recipes? Check out this quick guide to Vegetarian Wine Pairings for recommendations on how to pair wine with classic (and exotic!) vegetarian soups, salads, dinners, lunches, and everything in between!

Guys, I’ve been keeping something from you. For the past two months or so, I’ve been eating a strictly vegetarian diet.

This is a HUGE change for me, and not something that I expected!

I didn’t intentionally become a vegetarian… it sort of just… happened!

I started noticing that whenever I would eat meat, I’d feel not-so-great about it. It didn’t sit right in my stomach, and I couldn’t really enjoy eating meat because even as I was chewing, all I could think was “animal.” I’m obviously spending too much time alone with my cats, but that’s an entirely other intervention conversation.

I guess I just feel better not eating meat. For now. No long term commitments here, but be prepared for lots more healthy and plant-based recipes here on the blog 🙂

Since I started experimenting with a meat-free diet, I have been surprised to learn that some foods which should be inherently vegetarian in fact are not!

Take wine, for example.

From what I understand, part of the “fining” process (which is done to increase the clarity of the wine) is done through use of additives such as gelatin (an animal protein) and isinglass (fish bladder protein).

Others are finished through use of casein (milk protein) and albumin (egg whites). I imagine that this process is similar to the French method of preparing a consomme, which uses egg white to remove sediment from broth.

You can read more about the various wine “fining” processes in this article from The Kitchn.

There’s about a bazillion varieties of wine out there, but I decided to focus on my favorite four whites (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer) and my favorite four reds (Chianti, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir).

For each type of wine, I’ve listed out a few cuisines and dishes that are perfect for pairing, and linked to a recipe or two to get you started. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN WINE PAIRINGS

WHITES

Pinot Grigio

• delicious with: veggie wraps, bright salads, pasta with cream sauce, bruschetta
• recipe ideas:

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

Lebanese Fattoush Salad

Chardonnay

• delicious with: starchy foods such as potatoes or risotto, spring peas, corn and roasted vegetables
• recipe ideas:

Mexican Sweet Corn Succotash

Riesling

• delicious with: Thai food, curry, summer BBQ, cashews, Mexican recipes
• recipe ideas:

Bulgur, Black Bean, and Mushroom Enchilada Casserole

Gewurztraminer

• delicious with: German food, cheese, Cajun cuisine, kimchee, Indian cuisine
• recipe ideas:

Vegan Indian Potato Chickpea Stew

REDS

Chianti

• delicious with: pasta with tomato sauce, caprese salad, veggie pizza
• recipe ideas:

No-Boil Vegetarian Caprese Pasta Bake

Merlot

• delicious with: veggie burgers, olives, avocado
• recipe ideas:

Tomato and Olive Tapenade

Cabernet Sauvignon

• delicious with: lentil soup, garlic, walnuts, eggplant
• recipe ideas:

French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese

Pinot Noir

• delicious with: mushrooms, bread and olive oil, Mediterranean food
• recipe ideas:

Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Rigatoni Mediterranean Casserole

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Enjoy!