Wine styles
Pairings are made at the level of style, not grape — the style is the claim, and the grape is one example of it. These 18 styles are what every pairing on the site resolves to.
White6
- Crisp light white7 pairingsDry, high-acid, unoaked whites with citrus and green-fruit character and little weight.Examples: Sauvignon Blanc · Alvarinho · Grüner Veltliner
- Aromatic white3 pairingsPerfumed, floral or spice-scented whites, dry to off-dry, where aroma leads.Examples: Gewürztraminer · Riesling · Muscat
- Rich white9 pairingsFuller-bodied whites, often oaked or lees-aged, with texture and stone-fruit or nutty depth.Examples: Chardonnay · Marsanne · Roussanne
- Mineral white3 pairingsTaut, saline, stony whites where structure and cut matter more than fruit.Examples: Chardonnay · Garganega · Arinto de Bucelas
- Off-dry white5 pairingsWhites with noticeable but not dessert-level sweetness, balanced by acidity.Examples: Riesling · Chenin Blanc · Muscat
- Skin-contact white4 pairingsWhite grapes fermented on their skins, giving tannin, texture, and amber colour.Examples: Pinot Gris · Trebbiano · Garganega
Rosé1
Red6
- Light-bodied red6 pairingsPale, high-acid reds with soft tannin and red-fruit perfume.Examples: Pinot Noir · Gamay Noir · Schiava Grossa
- Medium-bodied red10 pairingsBalanced reds with moderate tannin and savoury, red-to-dark fruit character.Examples: Sangiovese · Tempranillo · Merlot
- Structured red6 pairingsFirm, tannic, age-worthy reds built on structure rather than immediate fruit.Examples: Nebbiolo · Aglianico · Cabernet Sauvignon
- Bold fruity red6 pairingsRipe, generous, warm-climate reds with dark fruit and rounded tannin.Examples: Grenache · Syrah · Malbec
- Earthy savoury red7 pairingsReds where earth, herb, leather, and smoke lead ahead of primary fruit.Examples: Nebbiolo · Sangiovese · Mourvèdre
- Dried-grape red4 pairingsPowerful dry reds made from partially dried grapes, high in alcohol and depth.Examples: Corvina Veronese · Rondinella
Sparkling2
Sweet and fortified3
- Sweet wine3 pairingsDessert-level sweet wines, often botrytized or made from dried grapes.Examples: Sémillon · Muscat · Pedro Ximénez
- Dry fortified4 pairingsBone-dry fortified wines, often oxidative or flor-aged, with nutty saline depth.Examples: Palomino Fino
- Sweet fortified4 pairingsSweet fortified wines with spirit warmth, dried fruit, and long finish.Examples: Touriga Nacional · Touriga Franca · Pedro Ximénez