Pairing Wines

Pairing Wines

Pairing a great wine with a great meal can seem intimidating. There are so many choices from white, to red, and rosé, as well as a lot of rules. But most of those rules aren't hard and fast, and can be boiled down to a few simple guidelines that will ensure that you have a great meal with great wines. Here at Maiden + Liberty we offer unique red and white blends that combine the local flavors of the North Fork of Long Island, with the elegant tastes of Southern France. A delicious way to accent anything you prepare for friends, family, loved ones, or just a quiet evening alone.

Red With Red, White With White

This is probably the easiest rule to remember. Red wines are great with red meat, like grilled steaks or beef roasts, and white wines are a perfect pairing to white meats, like pork, chicken and most fish. So, when you have those steaks sizzling over hot coals, pour a glass of our French-American Red Blend for a rich flavor that will stand up to the strong flavors of your beef. 

Prefer chicken or pork? Try our French-American Sauvignon Blend. White wines tend to be sweeter and more delicate than their red counterparts, so they won't overpower the more subtle flavors of chicken or pork. This blend includes the unique flavor of Vermentino, which is somewhat similar to the more familiar Sauvignon Blanc, but with its own special hint of dryness you can only find with this particular grape.

White With Fish

Generally, you'll want to pair your fish and seafood with white wines. The blend mentioned above would be great, but for something different, how about the faintly sweet Unoaked Long Island Chardonnay? Each area of the world has a flavor unique to its microclimate, known as 'terroir', that comes from the soil and weather in the particular spot where it grows. This is a New Yorker's wine, with flavors available nowhere else but this small part of Long Island, with a nose of gentle flowers and autumn apples. Sophisticated enough for any dinner party yet delicious and approachable to all.

Wild Cards

Like we said earlier, these are not hard and fast rules and we encourage you to find what you like best. Grilling on a hot summers day? Who says you can’t pair your steak with nice chilled white! A great example of this is Tuna and other sport fish. The red coloring of the flesh is due to the nature of the muscle fibers. It can't be sure if it's red or white meat. So what to do with a lovely, thick grilled tuna steak, or that Marlin you caught a few weeks ago on vacation? Why not a Rosé? Combining the sweetness of white wine with the tannic flavors of red leaves you with a perfect blend of gentleness and strength that is perfect for tuna. Our French Rosé blends fruity and fresh notes to bring beautiful flavors to the table. Not a Rosé kind of night? A red will pair equally with your sport fish and may even give you an interesting pairing you’ll stick to from now on.

So, don't stress. Though there are guidelines, it's important to try things, and then drink what you enjoy. The flavors of our French-American wines are not available anywhere else, and are a passion project for us, uniting our personal histories into amazing tastes. We hope you'll enjoy them as much as we do. Looking to find one of our unique French-American blends? Order yours online today or take a look at some of our fine purveyors throughout New York and get a bottle to enjoy tonight!