Following simple pairing rules may be “good enough” for many people, but getting truly great pairings takes more finesse.

Fortunately, the BottleCru expert sommeliers have compiled over 10,000 pairings into a simple-to-use online tool!

Great pairings are not easy. This is because it is not just the base ingredients/protein of a meal (e.g. beef) but how the food is cooked, and what sauces, seasonings or garnishes are added that determine the best wine pairings.

Wine style, not just the grapes it’s made from, defines the overall aroma, taste and texture and how it pairs with foods. For example, all Chardonnays do not pair the same. Their acidity, aromas, taste profiles and perceived weight on the palate can be quite different. There are dramatic differences in paring an Oaky Napa Chardonnay, a Burgundy White and a French Chablis. They taste and interact with foods in dramatically different ways.

BottleCru is the only app that helps you discover your favorite styles of each wine type, going beyond broad categories or social averaging to get to the core of your personal palate preferences.

Now there are “rules of thumb” that can be applied to making successful pairings, but they must be applied with some considerable care. But using our guide can help lead you to determine the best pairings for your food and wine and provide a more satisfying experience.

• Consider how the food was prepared and what sauces, seasonings and cooking techniques were employed.
• Consider wines that you enjoy on a stand-alone basis as undoubtly it will be tasted on its own before the food is eaten. The wine will enhance the food but it’s a bad start if you don’t enjoy it stand-alone.
• Select a wine that will match the flavor intensity of the food. If either is much more intensely flavored it will dominate the pairing and overwhelm the other.
• The wine should have at least the same level of acidity as the food or the wine will be perceived as non-palate cleansing between food bites.
• Select a wine about the same perceived weight on the palate as the food or it will dominate the food.
• Matching “like with like” (flavor intensity, weight, acidity) creates a harmony between them and an improved experience.