Olly Smith’s guide to pairing food and wine

When it comes to upping your wine game, realising your inner sommelier and familiarising yourself with different flavour profiles can be a game-changer in the food and wine stakes.

After all, thanks to celeb chefs shaping what we eat and drink, more and more of us are looking to match the right bottle with what’s on our plate… but in the wide-ranging world of wine, where to begin?

“This is always a matter of taste, but if you match your wine to the boldest flavour in your dish, you stand the best chance of nailing it,” writes Olly Smith in his latest book, Wine – Everything You Need to Know.

A fun journey of discovery, it’s a masterclass in why you love a particular grape or style, how to explore the vibrant wine scene, top buys to suit your budget, building a cellar, and much, much more.

As he explains, there are certain principles of food and wine pairing that you will already instinctively know. “For instance, zesty white wine pairs well with salty flavours, in the same way that salt and vinegar work superbly in combination.”

Whichever way you go, Smith says to make sure the intensity of the food and wine is balanced. “No point in swamping one with the other. You’d never pair a massive red vintage port with a salad, or a light, spritzy white with beef stew.”

Foodie or wine enthusiast, here are some of his perfect pairings…

Fish

“With fish and chips, think fizz and chips. Any bubbly will do but for me, I’d go British every time,” writes Smith.

“With oily fish you need a white wine that’ll slice and cut like a citrus lightsaber, such as muscadet from the Loire Valley. Fish pie calls for a rich, oaky white, such as chardonnay, which will meld texturally with the dish.”

If you’re feasting on sushi or sashimi, he says the rich, saline freshness of cold manzanilla sherry is perfection. “Meaty fish such as tuna steak, monkfish or even swordfish can handle light reds such as pinot noir or gamay (which you could consider serving cool).

“And with any kind of shellfish, a decent all-rounder is albariño from Galicia. For an apex fish–wine combo, find the best viognier on the planet (ideally from Condrieu in Northern Rhône) and pair it with a whole roasted turbot.

“Totally divine. For an all-rounder with fish and shellfish, pick a Greek white, such as assyrtiko from Santorini.”

Meat

“Pork is generally immense when served with a rich, oaky chardonnay, as red can often overwhelm its delicate flavour.”

“Pork belly, however, is sublime with a chianti classico. With anything creamy, such as chicken and mushroom pie, stick to an oaky white, such as a top-quality chenin blanc from South Africa.”

For pies and stews, he says to keep the texture of red wines light and easy with red grapes such as gamay. “For smoky dishes, grab a South African pinotage which is often imbued with spicy and smoky flourishes.”

As Smith points out: “Beef loves to be paired with malbec or cabernet sauvignon. For lamb it’s rioja every time (I love a Reserva), and with duck it’s pinot noir.

“If it’s Peking duck however, try a white gewurztraminer from Alsace and be amazed.

“Chicken or turkey depends on the accompaniments – if they’re light and fruity go a rich white, such as a condrieu; with more savoury and meaty fare, such as stuffing, pick a light red such as cru beaujolais made from the gamay grape.

“Any meat in a rich tomato sauce will get on well with an Italian sangiovese or Greek xinomavro.”

Mushrooms

“Classic mushroom umami flavours and truffly scented dishes should lure you towards the red nebbiolo grape from northern Italy, particularly barbaresco – and if it’s a really hefty dish, barolo,” suggests Smith.

“Creamy mushroom dishes or quiches call for an oaky chardonnay (a meursault from France is magnificent), while oyster mushrooms in tempura are lush with decent bubbly such as British sparkling wines.”

“Light chanterelles, with their delicate fragrance, are lovely with viognier, while a deeper mushroom risotto pairs sublimely with Italian sangiovese.”

Green flavours

“Green pesto is a slam dunk with white Italian verdicchio. Asparagus and artichoke can be tricky, but I’ve always had success pairing them with a white Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

“And for salads, I love a Provençal rosé, especially with salade Niçoise,” writes Smith.

Wine – Everything You Need to Know, by Olly Smith is published in Hardback by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Photography Luke Bird. Available now.