Pairing wine with tapas just sounds fun - let alone actually being a great tasting experience. The first wines that always come to my mind are a Fino or Amontillado Sherry which seem to go so well with almost every kind of tapas from olives to fish to chicken. Plus being especially good with salty tapas like anchovies, seasoned almonds and with spicy or garlic prawns. When you find the best match a Sherry served cold and fresh - just cuts so well through the salt, oils and subtle fats to release all the hidden flavours and cleanses the palate for the next bite or mouth full.
Another wine top of mind - is a lively Rosado (Rosé wine) as they can stand up well to the vibrant and sometimes robust flavours of tapas, with a favourite match of mine being with a good seafood Paella. Youthful, Rioja red wines are also an enjoyable match - particularly if you are enjoying meat style tapas like chorizo and kidneys cooked in sherry or wine. In fact most tapas’ sessions can start with a chilled dry sherry, then move onto a Rosado/Rosé or a Spanish white wine like an Albariño, or a crisp dry Riesling, or even a Chablis, with seafood tapas and then move onto a red Rioja Crianza or light Syrah, or a Rhone-Valley red blend with meat or mushroom-based dishes. Then for those slow cooked, roasted or BBQ cooked meatier tapas you can pair a Gran Reserva, a Carménère and even Cabernet based red wines.
Also don’t forget - along with crisp, fresh still white wines - also look to match certain tapas with a fresh Cava (sparkling wine) - which can pair extremely well with fried dishes such as calamari, croquettes, with fried fish and other seafood dishes.
The following matches are only suggestions, guidelines and starting points - enjoy the journey.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate from the very salty and concentrated fish and oily flavours, plus the sharp anchovy bite of the tapa.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright citrus notes, a light palate weight and crisp acidity.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright citrus notes, a light palate weight and crisp acidity.
White Wine:
Fino Sherry, Pinot Grigio, a crisp Albariño, a lively dry Riesling, even a dry Cava or Prosecco.
Fino Sherry, Pinot Grigio, a crisp Albariño, a lively dry Riesling, even a dry Cava or Prosecco.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé wine pair on occasions.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé wine pair on occasions.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate from the crispy batter and any seasoning on the calamari, plus the subtle oils and the texture of the squid.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruit flavours, a medium palate weight and good acidity.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruit flavours, a medium palate weight and good acidity.
White Wine:
A dry Albariño, Pinot Grigio blend, a dry Pinot Gris and a quality full bodied dry Riesling, even a lightly oaked Chardonnay.
A dry Albariño, Pinot Grigio blend, a dry Pinot Gris and a quality full bodied dry Riesling, even a lightly oaked Chardonnay.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé or sparkling wine pair on occasions.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé or sparkling wine pair on occasions.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate and bring out the flavours in the subtle oils and the flesh/ texture of the squid, plus any seasoning used in the cooking technique.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruit notes, a light palate weight and balanced acidity.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruit notes, a light palate weight and balanced acidity.
White Wne:
A Vernaccia, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Pinot Gris or Riesling, even a slightly chilled Fino Sherry.
A Vernaccia, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Pinot Gris or Riesling, even a slightly chilled Fino Sherry.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé or sparkling wine pair on occasions.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle fish notes, though dry Rosé or sparkling wine pair on occasions.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the prawns that have been cooked in garlic and any other seasoning.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruits, a light to medium wine with good acidity.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with bright fruits, a light to medium wine with good acidity.
White Wine:
A Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Pinot Gris or a crisp Riesling, even a Verdelho.
A Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Pinot Gris or a crisp Riesling, even a Verdelho.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the prawns, though a still or sparkling Rosé wine can pair well.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the prawns, though a still or sparkling Rosé wine can pair well.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the green olives which are slightly salty, as well as being denser and firmer in texture than black olives.
So you need a confident, dry white wine with bright fruits notes, a light to medium wine with balanced acidity.
So you need a confident, dry white wine with bright fruits notes, a light to medium wine with balanced acidity.
White Wine:
A Fino or Manzanilla Sherry, Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Verdelho and also a White Port.
A Fino or Manzanilla Sherry, Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, a dry Verdelho and also a White Port.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the green olives, though a crisp dry Rosado / Rosé wine can pair well.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the green olives, though a crisp dry Rosado / Rosé wine can pair well.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the freshly made Frittata made with eggs, potato, and with herbs and seasonal vegetables.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with fresh fruits characters, a light palate weight wine with clean acidity.
So you need a lively, dry white wine with fresh fruits characters, a light palate weight wine with clean acidity.
White Wine:
An Arneis, Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, Fino Sherry, a dry Verdelho and Riesling.
An Arneis, Macabeo, Albariño, Pinot Grigio, Fino Sherry, a dry Verdelho and Riesling.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle notes, though a lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine will pair well
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle notes, though a lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine will pair well
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the fresh sweet mango, plus the slightly salty notes in the cured ham and its subtle oils and fat.
So you need a lively, dry wine with fresh fruits characters, a light palate weight wine with balanced acidity.
So you need a lively, dry wine with fresh fruits characters, a light palate weight wine with balanced acidity.
White Wine:
An Albariño, Arneis, Pinot Grigio, a Verdelho, a full flavoured Riesling, plus an un-oaked Chardonnay.
An Albariño, Arneis, Pinot Grigio, a Verdelho, a full flavoured Riesling, plus an un-oaked Chardonnay.
Red Wine:
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle notes, though a lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine will pair very well.
Difficult to match as most red wines will over power the subtle notes, though a lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine will pair very well.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the tangy, slightly spicy, sweet flavours in the red peppers and in the stuffing ingredients.
So you need a lively, fruit driven style wine with a light to medium palate weight and balanced acidity.
So you need a lively, fruit driven style wine with a light to medium palate weight and balanced acidity.
White Wine:
A Pinot Gris or a full flavoured Pinot Grigio, Verdelho, Vermentino and a medium style Riesling.
A Pinot Gris or a full flavoured Pinot Grigio, Verdelho, Vermentino and a medium style Riesling.
Red Wine:
Most reds will over power the subtle flavours, though a lively Rosado / Rosé wine, plus a slightly chilled Beaujolais will pair well.
Most reds will over power the subtle flavours, though a lively Rosado / Rosé wine, plus a slightly chilled Beaujolais will pair well.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the ripe, sweet, nutty, earthy flavours in the Iberico Ham, while the soft marbled fat melts in the mouth.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven style wine with a medium palate weight and integrated tannins and subtle oak notes.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven style wine with a medium palate weight and integrated tannins and subtle oak notes.
White Wine:
A Cava, dry Chardonnay, a Grüner Veltliner and an Oloroso Sherry.
A Cava, dry Chardonnay, a Grüner Veltliner and an Oloroso Sherry.
Red Wine:
A lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine, plus a dry Crianza and also a light Chianti will pair very well.
A lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine, plus a dry Crianza and also a light Chianti will pair very well.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the crispy, fried croquettes, filled with chicken, potato and herbs.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven style wine with a medium palate weight and integrated oak notes, and cleansing acidity.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven style wine with a medium palate weight and integrated oak notes, and cleansing acidity.
White Wine:
A slight oaked Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner a Reserve Cava or an Oloroso Sherry.
A slight oaked Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner a Reserve Cava or an Oloroso Sherry.
Red Wine:
A lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine, a dry, light style Valpolicella or Crianza, even a light Pinot Noir.
A lively, crisp Rosado / Rosé wine, a dry, light style Valpolicella or Crianza, even a light Pinot Noir.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the grilled chicken kebabs, which maybe coated with spices, herbs and even served with a peanut sauce.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak notes, and balanced acidity.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak notes, and balanced acidity.
White Wine:
A full flavoured oaked Chardonnay, a quality Grüner Veltliner, plus a ‘Blanc de Blancs’ style Sparkling.
A full flavoured oaked Chardonnay, a quality Grüner Veltliner, plus a ‘Blanc de Blancs’ style Sparkling.
Red Wine:
A Rosado / Rosé wine, a dry, light style Rioja red, a Valpolicella or a light Pinot Noir.
A Rosado / Rosé wine, a dry, light style Rioja red, a Valpolicella or a light Pinot Noir.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the grilled or pan fried mushrooms, with an earthy, rich taste and texture, with subtle seasoning.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a light to medium palate weight, subtle oak notes, and balanced tannins.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a light to medium palate weight, subtle oak notes, and balanced tannins.
White Wine:
A barrel fermented Chardonnay, a Fumé Blanc and even a White Port or Oloroso Sherry.
A barrel fermented Chardonnay, a Fumé Blanc and even a White Port or Oloroso Sherry.
Red Wine:
A light style Rioja red, a Valpolicella or Primitivo even a Dolcetto and a lighter style Pinot Noir.
A light style Rioja red, a Valpolicella or Primitivo even a Dolcetto and a lighter style Pinot Noir.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the grilled or pan fried meatballs with the fats, oils, herbs and seasoned sauce.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
So you need a ripe, fruit driven wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
White Wine:
An Oloroso Sherry, or a full flavoured barrel fermented Chardonnay.
An Oloroso Sherry, or a full flavoured barrel fermented Chardonnay.
Red Wine:
A Rioja Reserva red, a Tempranillo, a Chianti Classico, a Syrah and even a light style Shiraz.
A Rioja Reserva red, a Tempranillo, a Chianti Classico, a Syrah and even a light style Shiraz.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the grilled or pan fried chorizo with the fats, oils, infused herbs and with a seasoned sauce.
So you need a ripe, fruit layered wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
So you need a ripe, fruit layered wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
White Wine:
A slightly chilled Oloroso Sherry.
A slightly chilled Oloroso Sherry.
Red Wine:
A Rioja Reserva red, a Chianti Classico, a Rhône style red wine, a rich Syrah and also a fruit forward, medium style Shiraz.
A Rioja Reserva red, a Chianti Classico, a Rhône style red wine, a rich Syrah and also a fruit forward, medium style Shiraz.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the cooked, moist lamb cutlets, with seasoning and a subtle jus glaze.
So you need a ripe, fruit layered wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
So you need a ripe, fruit layered wine with a medium palate weight, integrated oak and well balanced dry tannins.
White Wine:
A well-made 'barrel fermented' Chardonnay, with age if possible.
A well-made 'barrel fermented' Chardonnay, with age if possible.
Red Wine:
A Rioja Gran Reserva red, a Chianti Classico DOCG, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and a good quality, full Syrah.
A Rioja Gran Reserva red, a Chianti Classico DOCG, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and a good quality, full Syrah.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the patatas bravas, which is fried in oil and served with a spicy tomato sauce or with mayonnaise.
So you need a ripe, fruit flavoured wine with a light to medium palate weight, and balanced acidity.
So you need a ripe, fruit flavoured wine with a light to medium palate weight, and balanced acidity.
White Wine:
A Fino or Amontillado Sherry, a fuller style Grüner Veltliner, or a slightly oaked Chardonnay served 8-10°C.
A Fino or Amontillado Sherry, a fuller style Grüner Veltliner, or a slightly oaked Chardonnay served 8-10°C.
Red Wine:
A Rioja ‘joven’ red, a Crianza or light Chianti, a Beaujolais and even pair with a Merlot.
A Rioja ‘joven’ red, a Crianza or light Chianti, a Beaujolais and even pair with a Merlot.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the grilled or bbq’d red meats like beef, venison, wild boar, with its deep fats, seasoning and any condiments.
So you need a rich, fruit forward wine with a medium palate weight, and with well integrated oak notes and balanced tannins.
So you need a rich, fruit forward wine with a medium palate weight, and with well integrated oak notes and balanced tannins.
White Wine:
An Oloroso Sherry, or a Marsala wine.
An Oloroso Sherry, or a Marsala wine.
Red Wine:
A Rioja Gran Reserva, Rhône Valley red blend, Nero d’Avola, Mourvèdre and other fruit forward, well balanced, quality red wines.
A Rioja Gran Reserva, Rhône Valley red blend, Nero d’Avola, Mourvèdre and other fruit forward, well balanced, quality red wines.
You are looking to complement the flavours and then refresh the palate, while bringing out the flavours in the quick fried ‘Churros’ Spanish Donuts, served with dipping hot chocolate or café con leche.
So you need a rich, fruit forward wine with a full palate weight, and with well integrated oak notes and a balanced finish.
So you need a rich, fruit forward wine with a full palate weight, and with well integrated oak notes and a balanced finish.
White Wine:
A quality Cream Sherry, plus the perfect pairing is a P.X. Pedro Ximenez or a sweet, aged Marsala wine.
A quality Cream Sherry, plus the perfect pairing is a P.X. Pedro Ximenez or a sweet, aged Marsala wine.
Red Wine:
A quality Tawny Port, or a 10 year old Tawny Port, an LBV Port, and on occasion a 20 year old Tawny Port.
A quality Tawny Port, or a 10 year old Tawny Port, an LBV Port, and on occasion a 20 year old Tawny Port.
