
The Best Wine Pairings for Your Favorite Takeout Dishes
Wine has an inherent elegance, and it’s often associated with similarly elevated cuisine. Like white wine with fish and other common guidelines, there are always worthy exceptions to these rules. Pairing wine with takeout meals has become an easy way to elevate your favorite comfort or convenience food, whether a cheesy pizza, spicy pad Thai, or a burger and fries.
That said, choosing the best wine pairing for takeout takes some strategy and understanding of complementary and balancing flavor profiles. When planning your takeout night, Gelson’s Wine Bar in LA can help you find the perfect bottle to level up your meal.
Why Pairing Wine with Takeout Elevates the Experience
Wine isn’t just for lavish meals or fine dining. Takeout is typically about comfort and convenience — with the right pairing, however, wine can elevate takeout and make an everyday meal feel like an indulgence.
Wine pairing can transform a simple weekday meal into a more intentional and sophisticated dining experience, encouraging you to savor the flavors and textures. The versatility of wine and its range of acidity, tannins, sweetness, and other characteristics allows it to balance and complement the flavor profile of every kind of takeout cuisine, often bringing out the best or hidden flavors in a takeout dish.
General Tips for Pairing Wine with Takeout
Adding wine to a meal is always an upgrade, but thoughtful pairing can take it to a higher culinary experience. Various takeout cuisines have distinct and diverse flavor profiles that influence their ideal wine pairing. Consider the body, flavor, and other wine characteristics of your chosen takeout to ensure a palate-pleasing match. Refer to these guidelines for assessing flavor profiles and pairing wine with food:
- Body: Referring to the weight or richness, the wine body should align with the weight of the food. Full-bodied wines pair well with hearty and heavily-spiced foods, while light vegetable or fish-forward foods benefit more from light-bodied wines.
- Acidity: Relatively even food and wine acidity often pair well, but certain flavor profiles may be exceptions to this guideline. For instance, acidic wines can cut through creamy and fatty food for a refreshing effect.
- Sweetness: Sweet wines help temper the heat of spicy dishes and balance rich meals. Dry wines can clash with intense foods and better suit less spicy or rich dishes.
- Protein: Proteins have certain flavor, weight, and texture characteristics that cause different reactions to wine. Beef and pork tend to be more fatty and heavy, for instance, while poultry, chicken, and vegetarian options are usually lighter.
- Cooking method: Grilling, roasting, frying, and other cooking methods impact flavor profiles and texture.
Sauces and spices: Wines should either complement or contrast with a sauce to create balance. For instance, high-acidity wines complement tomato-based sauces but also cut through cheese or cream-based sauces.
Best Wine Pairings for Pizza Nights
Pizza is one of the most versatile takeout options, offering a range of flavors and styles. Whether you order a deep-dish or lightweight Neapolitan pizza, proper wine pairing depends on balancing marinara, cheese, and various toppings.
Margherita
Crisp Pinot Grigio, light Rosé, or medium-bodied Pinot Noir bring out the best of a Margherita pizza. Wines with natural acidity and medium tannins balance the rich cheese and complement acidic tomatoes. A Chianti is a classic choice featuring bright fruitiness that enhances fresh herbs and tomato sauce.
Pepperoni
Pepperoni, various sausages, and salami are often featured as pizza toppings. Stick to medium-body red wines, or complement the spicy and rich flavors of your pizza with a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ideal Wines for Spicy Dishes and Bold Takeout Flavors
Certain takeout cuisines, such as curry, tacos, and shawarma, are known to feature intense spice. These dishes benefit from wines that balance or contrast heat with fruity sweetness or refreshing acidity.
There are many kinds of curry, each with a bold yet distinctive flavor profile. For a classically spicy tomato-based curry, opt for a fruity red wine with low tannins, especially if it’s made with meat. A Grenache-based red wine balances this dish with medium to full body, lush fruit, and spices. Spicy coconut milk curries pair well with off-dry Rieslings since the sweetness of the wine helps quell the curry’s heat.
Other chile-forward cuisine, such as tacos and enchiladas, likewise benefit from sweeter wines. Pinot Noir complements the heavy flavors of carnitas and carne asada dishes, while a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or acidic Albariño brightens dishes with seafood, cilantro, and acidic limes and tomatoes.
Wine Pairings for Asian Cuisine Favorites
Asian cuisine encompasses a diverse range of cultures and dishes, but certain flavors persist as takeout favorites around the world.
Sushi, for instance, is a fresh and light takeout treat. Finding the right pairing for sushi isn’t just about selecting a wine that pairs well with raw fish; sushi features many kinds of fish, as well as marinated ginger, spicy wasabi, soy sauce, vegetables, and various other ingredients. Many takeout sushi diners enjoy bubbles with their sushi — the effervescence and acidity of champagne balance delicate and rich fish. Off-dry Riesling pairs well with spicy ponzu, wasabi, and other spicy sushi elements.
Chinese cuisine is diverse across different regions, but takeout typically features popular dishes such as dim sum, spring rolls, chow mein, kung pao chicken, and many more. Prosecco or Chardonnay works well with fried dishes, cutting through the oil and brightening the flavors. Syrah or Zinfandel red wines feature medium body match the intensity of rich, spicy, or smoky flavors.
Other takeout favorites and wine pairings include:
- Korean BBQ: Cabernet Sauvignon complements rich and smoky meats.
- Pho: Sauvignon Blanc balances acidity and subtle fruit flavors with delicate broths and fresh herbs.
- Pad Thai: Off-dry Riesling provides acidity to cut through richness and fruitiness and sweetness to balance tamarind, fish sauce, and intense heat.
Comfort Food and the Perfect Wines to Match
Comfort foods are hearty and indulgent, and wines that can complement or contrast with rich flavors are ideal.
Fried chicken, for instance, is crispy and rich. Champagne or dry Prosecco cuts through the oiliness and complements the crispy exterior, resulting in an umami-rich pairing of low-brow food and high-brow drink.
These options and similar wines also pair well with fries, but look for something bolder if your fries are a side to a cheeseburger, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. The fruitiness, spice, and medium to full body of these wines enhance the savory richness of a classic cheeseburger and its juicy beef patty and various fixings.
Classic mac and cheese takeout is rich and creamy, especially if it’s made with cheddar or a béchamel sauce. Unoaked chardonnay cuts through this rich flavor profile, brightening it without overpowering it, and its subtle buttery notes amplify the creaminess.
Visit Gelson’s Wine Bar for Your Perfect Wine Pairing
Finding the perfect wine pairing for takeout means relying on your palate as well as general flavor profile guidelines. At Gelson’s Wine Bar in West LA, you can explore a diverse offering of wine and culinary inspiration among the aisles and let our wine experts help you pick the right bottle for your takeout. Stop by a Gelson's near you to speak with our wine experts, or visit a Gelson’s Wine Bar to find your perfect wine pairing for takeout!
Sources:
1. 9 Takeout Food and Wine Pairings
2. Wine and Takeout: These Are the Best Wine Pairings for Every Type of Takeout
3. Wine Pairings For Your Takeout Order