Before Your Next Dinner Party, Remember This Simple Wine Pairing Rule

We've all been there: You're in the middle of planning an ambitious dinner party, and everything has to be spot on. You've picked out your recipes. You're researching the best wine pairings for each course, but the choices can quickly become overwhelming. A dry Riesling with the dumplings? A spicy Pinot Noir with the roast chicken? The pairing options are endless.

Fortunately, there’s a simple guideline to make those decisions easier. During the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Food & Wine's executive wine editor, Ray Isle, told attendees at Burgers & Bangers: Superstar Wines with America’s Favorite Food that he employs one easy trick to cut through the noise when selecting a bottle. 

There can only be "one star on the table," says Isle.

In other words, don't overthink it. If you've cracked open the French Laundry cookbook and you're pulling out all the stops for dinner, don’t reach for an equally luxurious bottle of wine. Instead, choose a simple wine to pair with the intricate meal. "Choose a basic Chablis," says Isle. "You want to show off the food, and you want something that goes with it, but you don't want a super complex wine that is going to overwhelm the food."

Conversely, if you want to show off a stellar wine you've been saving to enjoy with friends, pair it with simple, unfussy food. "If you have this amazing old bottle of wine that you've been saving and you want people to be amazed by your amazing old bottle of wine, don't cook something super complicated," says Isle.

If you want to go out and taste a few wines to make a selection for dinner, Isle recommends doing that shopping earlier in the day.

“As a professional, the best time to taste wine is about 10 a.m. in the morning,” Isle says. “You're awake, you've had some breakfast, but you're just beginning to be hungry. Your senses are really acute when you're hungry. If you come and taste wine right after lunch, you're already sated, and your senses are a little less acute.”

Above all, remember to trust your instincts. “If you don't like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it doesn't matter that they got 99 points,” says Isle. “And it does not matter what you pair with, because you will not like the pairing.” If you personally love the wine that you choose, chances are your dinner guests will, too.