White wine lover? Here's how to perfectly combine Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Ribolla with vegetables... for tasty and light food pairings that will leave your guests stunned. Here's everything you need to know, with advice from the Sommelier Wine Box also for pairing dishes based on mushrooms and truffles.
Fundamental for nutrition because they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, vegetables are essential for our body; and so are legumes, very rich in starch and iron. And contrary to what we too often think, when paired with wine they offer wonderful surprises.
White wine and vegetables: 3 golden rules of pairing
1. It is important to evaluate the taste tendency of the vegetable or legume in question (bitter or sweet tendency).
2. If you do not eat raw vegetables or legumes, it is essential to evaluate the condiments or other ingredients present in the preparation.
3. Vegetables seasoned with oil, lemon and vinegar are always difficult to combine.
Pairing white wines with vegetables or legumes: two categories
Dry white wines, with good acidity and a lean body require vegetables with a sweet tendency (potatoes, carrots, peas, pumpkin, courgettes...) or legumes such as peas: the sweet tendency must be counteracted .
Soft, fragrant and full-bodied white wines: vegetables with a bitter tendency such as spinach, chicory, artichokes, cabbage, chicory, spinach, artichokes... because the bitter tendency must be counteracted .
White wines and vegetables: the general principles
- Wines with good acidity or effervescent are perfect with vegetables with a greasy tendency because they have a degreasing effect
- Intense, soft and aromatic wines that age in wood pair perfectly with aromatic and spicy vegetables because the intensity must balance
- Complex, alcoholic and full-bodied wines require concentrated vegetable preparations, so that the concentration is evened out and no one succumbs.
- Wines with body and structure require vegetables with equally body otherwise one of the two is lost.
White wines and vegetables: suggestions from the Sommelier Wine Box
If you love soft whites like Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc , you can combine green vegetables with a bitterish tendency such as broccoli, endive, spinach, snow peas, cabbage). Furthermore: the barely vegetal traits of the wine are found in the dish.
If you like savory wines such as Verdicchio , Vermentino and Soave you can pair them with tubers with a sweet tendency such as carrots, pumpkin, beets, turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes.
If you love Riesling you can dare with preparations with garlic, onion, spring onion, shallot which give the dish important aromas and a sensation of spiciness that goes perfectly with that of the wine.
Same general principle for a combination still suitable for those who love intensely aromatic whites: Gewürztraminer and pumpkin tortelli.
You can pair peppers, tomatoes or aubergines with a bottle of Sauvignon or Soave – dry wines with good acidity.
Even for those who love Sauvignon , you can try the par excellence combination, asparagus in all the many possible preparations (omelette, risotto or puff pastry). And if the whole lunch is based on asparagus you can start with an excellent Prosecco .
While those who love Fiano can choose a version that is aged in wood and cook legumes of various types (beans, lentils, chickpeas): the complexity is evened out, the wine cleans the palate, sweetness and softness compensate each other.
Same principle for those who want to uncork a Greco di Tufo , perfect with aubergines parmigiana.
And we close with a territorial combination par excellence: Frascati Superiore and Giudia artichokes.
- Read also: how to pair asparagus
White wines and mushrooms: our suggestions
The aroma of Müller-Thurgau goes perfectly with the mushroom cream.
Vermentino di Sardegna , with its flavour, is perfect in combination with ravioli filled with mushrooms, seasoned with butter and sage.
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How to pair truffles: the rules
- Before leaving: the white truffle should be eaten raw, the black one cooked. They are never prepared as a dish in themselves, but added to preparations which give notes of aromatic complexity (black) and intense aromas (white).
- The wine to match can be either white or red and should be chosen based on the main ingredient of the dish, but always with good olfactory intensity and aromatic persistence.
- Avoid aromatic wines and bubbles, particularly acidic or with too strong hints of vanilla.
- When pairing, the wine must have enough character not to disappear in the face of the intense aromas of the truffle.
- Red wines that are not too tannic tend to be more suitable but white wines are also satisfying if well chosen.
White wines and truffles: our suggestions
Aromatic wines such as Roero Arneis or, even more so, Riesling are perfect with Alba truffle tajarin.
Crespelle with black truffle can be paired with a Chardonnay from the Langhe .
Vermentino di Gallura is worth trying with semolina gnocchi with black truffle.
For those who love Ribolla , our advice is to try it with buttered eggs with white truffle. A real delight.
