PairCraft-Tested Wines
Our sommeliers taste thousands of wines, making detailed notes on all of them. *Perfect Pairing* wines were chosen by our experts as a top match for a dish
Fiorano Donna Orgillo Pecorino
Region: Marches, Italy
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Pecorino
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
orchard fruit
citrus
marmalade
lemon curd
Flavor
orchard fruit
citrus
marmalade
lemon curd
plus unripe pineapple
More
Certified organic
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Frischengruber "Terrassen" Federspiel Riesling
Region: Wachau, Austria
Vintage Tested: 2018
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Riesling
The dish makes the wine more bitter.
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
lemon lime citrus, bruised apple, melon skin, wild sunflowers, saline
Texture
Medium
More
ABV: 12.50%
PracticingOrganic/Sustainable
Oak: Extensive
PracticingOrganic/Sustainable
Oak: Extensive
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Gaspard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Loire, France
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Interesting. Similar weight. Both have oomph. While the wine is rather grapey and has high-intensity aromatics, the saltiness in the crab cake cancels it out. Not many people would be into it.
Pairing for: Private: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Profile
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Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
orange peel, grape, orange water
Texture
oily
More
ABV: 12.50%
Practicing Organic
Practicing Organic
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Gaujal de St. Bon "Cuvée Dames" Picpoul de Pinet
Region: Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc-Rousillion, France
Vintage Tested: 2020
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Picpoul
The wine overpowers the dish.
Profile
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Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
bitter, underripe melon skin, bruised orchard, sea spray saltiness, very mineral
Texture
Round
More
ABV: 13.50%
Oak: Extensive
Oak: Extensive
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Gewürztraminer "Collines de Granit" Charles Frey
Region: Alsace, France
Vintage Tested: 2018
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is like gravy in a glass. It has the fat, round body for Thanksgiving dinner, as well as complementary flavors. Ask your wine shop for one with a bit more acid to refresh your palate between bites.
Pairing for: Private: Thanksgiving Dinner
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Body
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
baked apple
banana
pear blossom
honeysuckle
Flavor
apple meringue pie
soft granite
herbs
Texture
plush
fat
round
More
ABV: 13%
Biodynamic
Biodynamic
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Gewurztraminer, Borell-Diehl (Germany)
Vintage Tested: 2020
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Gewürztraminer
This pairing makes a wine that was sweet even sweeter. There's a lot of people who suggest this as pairing. And there's a little bitterness in the finish
Pairing for: Chicken Vindaloo
Profile
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Med-
Med
Med+
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Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
intensely floral, a big sweet bomb of fresh lychee soda, dragonfruit, less exotic floral, more like roses and daisies, slightly too sweet, a bit of phenolic bitterness, slightly textural, skin phenolic, feels candied
Texture
frizzante
More
Bubbles: Fine
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Gilles Robin "Alberic" Crozes-Hermitage
Region: France
Vintage Tested: 2018
Type: Still
Varietal: Syrah
Yuck. The wine is big and flat, and with the steak, it just tastes blah.
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
Med+
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Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
pipe tobacco
blackberry
potpourri
Flavor
plum skin
savory spice
oak
More
ABV: 13.5%
Oak: Some
Oak: Some
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Girolamo Russo Nerina Etna Bianco
Region: Etna, Sicily, Italy
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: White, Still
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
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High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
sulfur
canned peaches
musty
Flavor
sulfur
canned peaches
musty
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Gonzales-Byass "Una Palma" Fino Sherry
Region: Jerez, Spain
Vintage Tested: NV
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Palomino
This works very well in terms of flavor and aroma. It's a bit overpowering in body and alcohol. I think we should try a fino and we could get more of a lift character in the sherry. This is lovely but a bit too big, which is surprising to me because the crab is not inconsequential in flavor.
Pairing for: Private: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
Med+
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Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
celery salt, saffron, Marcona almonds, sea salt, clean and tangy finish
Texture
smooth
More
ABV: 15.50%
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
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Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kollmutz Rudi Pichler
Region: Wachau, Austria
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Gruner Veltliner
It offers some of Thanksgiving's flavors and nuance, but it's not quite there in the body.
Pairing for: Private: Thanksgiving Dinner
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
eggroll
braised leafy greens
citrus
potato soup
ham bone
root vegetable
Flavor
apricot
yellow apple
green pear
orange blossom
candied melon
Texture
wooly
mineral
More
ABV: 14%
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Gruner Veltliner, Loss, Hiedler
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Gruner Veltliner
The wine doesn't do anything for the dish. After a bite of the food, the wine tastes bitter. The spice in the dish kills the wine. The wine doesn't mess with the dish much but I don't want to go back for another sip of this wine with the dish, the wine tastes metallic and bitter.
Pairing for: Chicken Vindaloo
Profile
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Med
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Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
lots of citrus, sweet citrus, lean, not a lot of phenolyc bitter, dried herbs
Texture
grainy grip
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Gulfi Cantina Carjcanti
Region: Sicily, Italy
Vintage Tested: 2017
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Carricante
The wine is too acidic, with too much lime and lemon flavor. It overtakes the dish, and you don't taste the butter or the lobster. You just sort of taste lemon juice.
Pairing for: Grilled Lobster with Garlic-Parsley Butter
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
lemon-lime
grapefruit
green apples
Flavor
salty
ashy
sea spray
rocks
minerality
fresh lime juice
grapefruit pith
More
ABV: 12.50%
Practicing Organic
Practicing Organic
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Gulfi Cantina Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico
Region: Sicily, Italy
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: Red, Still
Varietal: Nero d'Avola, Frappato
The wine is too big. It simply overpowers the lobster.
Pairing for: Grilled Lobster with Garlic-Parsley Butter
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
rum
dried dates
figs
prune
dried cherries
spice
cloves
earth
button mushrooms
tobacco
espresso
Flavor
prunes
dates
aged balsamic
orange zest
dried red grapes
dried grass
espresso
leather
cinnamon
earth
dried tomatoes
More
ABV: 13%
Practicing Organic
Oak: Some
Practicing Organic
Oak: Some
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Gundlach Bundschu Merlot
Region: Sonoma, USA, California
Vintage Tested: 2018
Type: Red, Still
Varietal: Merlot
For a wine with this much oomphf, it balances well with everything on the table because it’s just shy of being over the top. For people who want muscle in their wine, this big red works.
Pairing for: Private: Thanksgiving Dinner
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
plum
cedar
dried red currant
Flavor
blackberry
dried raspberry
plum
baking spice
vanilla
Texture
jammy
velcro
More
ABV: 14.50%
Oak: Extensive
Oak: Extensive
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Gutierrez Colosia Amontillado Sherry
Region: Jerez, Spain
Vintage Tested: NV
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Palomino
This works better than the other sherries but the pairing result is still too dry.
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
butter caramel, butterscotch, dried apples, apple compote, baked pie, slight astringency, tannin
Texture
Round
More
ABV: 18.00%
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
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Hand Work Garnacha
Region: La Mancha, Spain
Vintage Tested: 2019
Type: Red, Still
Varietal: Grenache
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
strawberries
herbal
floral
anise
Flavor
strawberries
fresh
vibrant
herbal
floral
licorice
anise
More
Certified organic
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Happs Sémillon
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
Vintage Tested: 2018
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Semillon
The wine doesn't really do anything for the dish. Texturally it works, but the dish makes the wine more bitter and the wine makes the fish taste old. It doesn't accentuate the freshness of the fish or the herbs. Nothing exciting.
Profile
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Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
slight bitterness from the new oak, vanilla, jalapeño
Texture
Medium +
More
ABV: 13.10%
PracticingOrganic/Sustainable
Oak: Mild
PracticingOrganic/Sustainable
Oak: Mild
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Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa, USA, California
Vintage Tested: 2015
Type: Red, Still
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
No. The bitterness kicks in right away in the middle of the palate. Because the wine is driven by tannin and mineral, pyrazinic textures, it turns metallic. When I put pyrazine and spice together it tastes like gun metal.
Pairing for: Chicken Vindaloo
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
dark fruit, black plums, black currants, cassis, black raspberries, everything very ripe, driven more by acidity than tannin, a bit of pyrazine, savory spice, black pepper, vanilla, toasted coconut
Texture
lush
More
Certified organic
Oak: Extensive
Oak: Extensive
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Hidalgo "Napoleon" Amontillado Sherry
Region: Jerez, Spain
Vintage Tested: NV
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Palomino
The wine makes the soy sauce bitter.
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Flavor
salted caramel, butterscotch, salted caramel, dried potpourri, slight astringency
Texture
Round
More
ABV: 17.50%
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
Oak: Some
Oxidation: Extensive
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Hugel & Fils Pinot Gris Classic AOC Alsace
Region: Alsace, France
Vintage Tested: 2016
Type: White, Still
Varietal: Pinot Gris
The wine feels sweeter when paired with the dish, and it ends up clashing.
Pairing for: Grilled Lobster with Garlic-Parsley Butter
Profile
None
Low
Med-
Med
Med+
High
Acidity
Alcohol
Body
Intensity of Flavor
Sweetness
Tannin
Aroma
lemon
peaches
grapefruit
chervil
sea spray
salt
Flavor
apricot
salty
sea spray
lemon
grapefruit
chervil
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