Grape Varieties with Food

Riesling and Gewurztraminer
The delicate flavours and crisp acidity levels of dry aromatic wines may be enjoyed with a wide range of light to moderately-flavoured salads, seafood and chicken dishes. Slightly sweet aromatic wines are a great accompaniment to spicy Thai and other Asian dishes. They can also suit vegetarian dishes, crab, crayfish and other foods that have a slightly sweet influence.

Late-harvest and botrytised wines may be served with desserts, particularly fresh fruit, or with soft blue cheese.

Pinot Noir
With its rich flavours and soft tannins Pinot Noir suits a wide range of dishes. Lean meats, such as veal, venison or turkey, are a good match with Pinot Noir. The vibrant cherry flavours of Pinot Noirs from Central Otago flatter the flavours of turkey like the classic garnish, cranberry sauce.

Chardonnay
Chardonnay deserves its reputation as one of the most versatile food wines. Fresh, youthful Chardonnay is a great match with most seafood dishes, particularly scallops, crab, lobster, crayfish, white-fleshed fish and salmon. Mature Chardonnay has richness, complexity and a mellow texture together with more concentrated toasty/nutty flavours which suit stronger and more savoury dishes and creamy sauces.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Blends of Cabernet Sauvignon tend to have strong flavours and a firm tannic structure. This assertive red wine reacts strongly with food and demands an equally strong partner. Relatively high fat meats, such as lamb or duck, tend to have sufficiently strong flavours to make an excellent partnership with most full-flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon from Black Ridge Vineyard has less intense flavours and a softer structure than a typical North Island Cabernet Sauvignon and suits a broader range of food types including leaner meats and more savoury dishes, especially stews and casseroles.