Pairing your dinner meal with the right drink is of essence, to really make the former a savory affair. In the current post, I will be discussing some ideal food and drink (wine and beer) pairing options. Hope you agree with my opinions!

Unlike most other food connoisseurs, I am not really content with trying out delicacies of different origins. I also read up various international food magazines, and try to master the recipes of the dishes that appeal to me (mostly, visually!) the most. Yet another point that I really fuss about is choosing the right pairing drink with my meals. I am a fan of Italian cuisine, and often dine at the leading Italian restaurants in Dublin – and waiters pretty much know that I will simply not stand having the wrong (oh yes, I have my set of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ pairing liquors!) drink with my food. Over here, I will provide a basic guideline that I follow, for selecting the right wines and beers to go with my dinner:

• With pasta – I will be frank over here – I was rather confused whether to go for the Riesling or the Chianti wine, with my pasta with tomato sauce, during my first visit to the celebrated Toscana restaurant (about a couple of years back). The waiter, thankfully, turned out to be a knowledgeable person in this regard, and advised me to go with the latter option. Later on, I have also tried the Zinfandel wine with pasta – and liked the effect!

• With fish preparations – I am a big fan of fish balls in different sauces, and generally pick the fruity-flavored Pinot Noir wine to go with them. I should here mention that, last year when I had gone to Edmonton on a client meeting, I had dined at the well-knownContinental Treat Fine Bistro, and tried the Chenin Blanc with the (slightly crispier) fish balls there. That was pretty awesome too!

• With red meat – I do not like red meat. But hey, that does not keep me from reading up all about the pairing drinks that go best with such preparations! According to most food-lovers round the world, the Cabernet Sauvignon is the ideal pick, with relatively rich and spicy red meat dishes. Root beer and the Syrah red wine are also recommended by many red meat-lovers. Why don’t you write in about the type of wine or beer you prefer with red meat?

• With chicken preparations – Ah, now you’re talking! At most of my favoriteDublin restaurants, I regularly order chicken side dishes with a dash of herbal sauces, and go for the tasty Chardonnay wine with it. I had tried out malt beer a couple of times – but did not quite like the combination (maybe it’s only me!). Merlot wine also goes well with select chicken dishes, as does Pinot Noir. If you are going for the latter option – make sure that it is full-bodied!

• With turkey dishes – If you are planning a Christmas or Easter dinner, roasted turkey will be something you will definitely be ordering, right? Try the white burgundy wine with it – and be amazed. I prefer red wines to white wines – but I have to admit that Pinot Noir pales in comparison to White Burgundy, when it comes to pairing with a turkey dinner.

• With dessert items – I find choosing the right pairing drinks with desserts relatively simple. I mean, the food is basically sweet, so the wine or beer should just match it – that’s all! The Muscat and the Sauvignon Blanc are two of the wines that I generally order with desserts, at the Italian restaurants in Dublin. I have read a lot about the sweet wines at the top European restaurants in Edmonton too, and plan to try them out during my next visit there (probably in April).

Among the high-class eating joints in my city, I find the staff at theToscana restaurant in Dublinto be really knowledgeable about the correct food and drink pairing options. You can follow the above guidelines – to complement your dinner with the right liquor. You will not rue it!

And now, let me get back to my chocolate fudge cake and malt beer…

Author’s Bio: Joselin John is a noted food enthusiasts. She regularly pens interesting articles on the web, on different varieties of delicious cuisines. In this piece, she provides some handy pointers to match separate dinner items with the right beer or wines.