Red Wine Pairing | Giggly Grapes

Pan Fried Pork Chops and Wine: What to Pour

11/04/2024

Pan fried pork chops in a skillet beside a glass of red wine

Pork chops want a light red with fresh acidity or a zippy dry white. Pinot noir, dry riesling and grenache all work. Here is which one, and when.

Bacon and Wine: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)

08/04/2024

Crisp bacon in a cast iron pan beside a glass of pinot noir

Bacon is salty, fatty, smoky and often sweet. Pinot noir, dry sparkling and off-dry riesling handle all four. Here is what to pour and what to skip.

Wine to Pair With Goat Meat: Why Lean Meat Needs a Softer Red

07/04/2024

A slow roasted goat shoulder in a braising dish beside a glass of red wine

Goat is one of the leanest meats there is, so it cannot soften a big tannic red. Grenache, Tempranillo and off dry Riesling work better. Here is how to pair by the pot.

Wine Pairing With Roasted Vegetables: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)

06/04/2024

Glass of red wine beside a tray of roasted pumpkin, carrots, onion and sprouts

Roasting makes vegetables sweet and smoky, which changes what wine works. Grenache, Gamay, Tempranillo and Riesling lead; big reds and thin whites do not.

Wine Pairing With Lamb Burgers: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)

05/04/2024

Grilled lamb burger on a wooden board next to a glass of red wine

Lamb burgers need juicy fruit and soft tannin, not a big grippy red. Here is what to pour, what to avoid, and one stock-checked Barossa GSM to try tonight.

What Wine Goes with Mushrooms? The Honest Answer

02/04/2024

Pan fried mushrooms beside a glass of red wine

Mushroom umami turns big reds bitter. Here is what to pour instead, dish by dish, plus one stock-checked Australian pinot noir worth opening tonight.

Meatloaf Wine Pairing: What to Pour for Beef or Turkey

27/03/2024

A glass of red wine beside a sliced glazed meatloaf on a wooden board

Grenache, Merlot or Barbera are the best wines for meatloaf. The mince is not the hard part, the sweet and salty glaze on top is.

Wine Pairing With Filipino Food: What to Pour With Adobo and More

18/03/2024

Bowl of Filipino pork adobo with rice and a glass of red wine

Filipino food is built on sour and salt, not chilli. Match the souring agent instead of the meat and adobo, sinigang and lechon all get easy.

Wine Pairing With Lentils: The Tannin Problem Nobody Mentions

12/03/2024

A bowl of braised green lentils beside a glass of light red wine

Lentils are not the blank canvas everyone claims. They bring their own drying astringency, mostly in the skins, and almost no fat to soften it. That changes the wine.

Wine With Salami: What Fat, Salt and That Tang Really Need

10/03/2024

Sliced salami on a board with olives and bread beside a glass of red wine

Salami is fermented, not just cured, so it brings its own acidity. That is why Sangiovese, Barbera and dry Lambrusco work and a big Cabernet does not.