Wine Pairings for Dishes with Tomatoes
as recommended by Karen Bonarrigo & Merrill Bonarrigo
5 Tips for Wine Pairings with Fresh Tomatoes:
- Tomatoes are a night shade fruit. It adds strong sweet vegetal flavors to any dish. Acidic white wines and light reds complement the raw fruit.
- The acidity of the wine needs to match the acidity of the tomatoes to be balanced. White wines blend best but light reds are a good match as well.
- Adding creamy herbed cheeses like the Boursin cheese gives the dish a heavier weight that complements dishes with heavier dry reds and rose.’
- Cooked tomatoes have a heavier flavor weight and texture. They also marry better with heavier reds. The spices and herbs added to tomatoes add flavor weight which require a heavier flavor weight of wine.
- Tomato Pesto combines the best of bright acidity in the tomatoes with the richness of the pesto. Lemon basil creates a brighter flavored pesto.
- Recommended wines:
- Messina Hof Viognier (dry crisp white wine)
- Messina Hof Private Reserve Syrah (dry jammy red wine)
- Paulo Merlot (dry red with cherry
Merrill and Karen Bonarrigo, Wine and Food Pairing experts at Messina Hof Wine Cellars, Inc.