5 Foods To Pair With Chardonnay
When you select a bottle of wine to enjoy, you can count on chardonnay being one of the most widely offered options. This versatile white wine comes with many different flavor profiles so anyone can find a bottle they'll love. High-quality selections like the ones from Stags' Leap Winery are perfect alone or with a meal. Here are some foods that will enhance your experience.
To create a meal you won't forget, find foods that will go well with the different flavors in your bottle of chardonnay. Oak barrels can impart notes of vanilla and other flavors into wine and because they are more porous, they allow the wine to breathe, resulting in a richer and rounder style of chardonnay. A wine aged in stainless steel however is not allowed to breathe, helping maintain its bright fresh fruit character and creating a leaner, crisper style wine.
1. Chicken
Chicken is a great option to serve alongside chardonnay, particularly white meat. The beauty of this poultry is you can use it in many different dishes that will all go well with your wine. Cook your chicken in a rich cream sauce and pour a glass of oaked wine to go with it or sauté the meat for a lighter meal. Try a great chicken piccata recipe! The sauce for this lightly breaded and fried chicken is made of capers, lemon, and wine. The brightness will mirror the acidity in the wine.
2. Lobster
For a luxurious dinner idea, look to cold-water lobster. The mild and sweet meat is the perfect match for a glass of smooth chardonnay. Thanks to the subtlety of the shellfish's flavor, you can bring either oaked or unoaked wine to the table and have a great meal. To bring out the richness of the wine, cook the lobster in a rich butter sauce. Then serve it with a spritz of lemon to match the brightness of the wine.
3. Shrimp
Much like lobster, shrimp is another great seafood option to pair with your chardonnay. You can cook the shrimp in various ways to match your mood and your bottle of wine. Shrimp is also a great option because it can serve as an appetizer or a main dish. This allows you to vary when you serve your wine rather than having to wait for the main course. When the weather is nice, try grilled shrimp skewers. Add in light veggies to cook with the shrimp and serve them as an appetizer along with a few glasses of wine at your next dinner party.
4. Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is often overlooked as an opening course, but it has the potential to be a star of its own, and it pairs wonderfully with chardonnay. Quality Caesar dressing is made with anchovies, which are salty and pack a lot of flavors. Your wine can cut through that flavor and bring balance to the creamy texture of the dressing. Don't limit your next Caesar salad to the opening course. Mix a fresh batch of dressing and garden greens, then add grilled or sautéed protein to make a complete meal. Pick options that also work well with the wine, such as chicken or salmon.
5. Cheese and Meat Trays
If you aren't pairing your chardonnay with a full meal, keep things light with a selection of cheeses and meats. Because this wine's acidity can stand up to big flavors, you have a chance to get bold. With an oaked wine, get bolder cheeses such as brie with creamy textures. The buttery nature of the cheese and the wine will work well together. As you select your meats, look for flavorful options such as salami to add to your plate. Just make sure your choice isn't too spicy, so the wine isn't overpowered.
Choosing the Right Chardonnay
What if you already have a meal idea in mind and you need to pick the right wine to go with it? It's easy to see if a certain bottle will work with what you are cooking if you keep a few things in mind.
Primary Flavors
Find out what the main flavors of your chardonnay are. Depending on where the grape is grown the primary flavors can vary greatly. The chardonnays of Stags' Leap Winery are grown in the Napa Valley of California. This warmer climate tends to create fuller chardonnays with rich tropical fruit flavors. Chardonnay grown in cooler climates are often brighter and more citrus driven.
Secondary
Your chardonnay will also have secondary flavor notes that impact how it pairs with foods. These flavors come from the way the wine was made. Things like whether the wine was aged in an oak barrel and the type of oak change how the final wine will taste. Different woods will impart different levels of vanilla, spice, and tannins. Aging time also affects the depth of flavor.
Enjoy Chardonnay Anytime
The most important part of pairing wine and food is to enjoy yourself! No matter what meal you're preparing, you can indulge in a glass to complement the food. Just find the flavors and styles that you like and get good wine from a winemaker with a reputation for quality. If you're ready to find your next perfect bottle to enjoy or give as a gift, check out the options at Stags' Leap Winery. We have a chardonnay that is perfect for every occasion and taste.
