Riesling | Giggly Grapes

Which White Wine for Mussels? Drinking and Cooking

04/06/2024

A pot of mussels beside a glass of white wine

Mussels need a dry, high acid, unoaked white. Sauvignon blanc, dry riesling and picpoul all work, and the wine in the pot should be the wine in your glass.

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

14/05/2024

Glass of sparkling wine beside a bowl of popcorn

Sparkling wine wins, and the salt is doing more work than you think. What to pour with salted, buttered and caramel popcorn, and what to leave in the rack.

Best Wine With Nachos: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)

10/05/2024

Platter of loaded nachos with a glass of chilled red wine

The best wine with nachos is a chilled, low-tannin red like Grenache or a cold off-dry Riesling. Why salt, fat and jalapeño heat rule out the big reds, and what to pour instead.

Best Wine for Mexican Food: Tacos, Chilli and What to Avoid

07/05/2024

A glass of red wine and a glass of white beside beef tacos with lime and salsa

Off dry Riesling, dry rose and a light Tempranillo are the best wines for Mexican food. The rule is not red or white, it is alcohol.

Liver and Onions and Wine: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)

04/05/2024

Pan of liver and caramelised onions beside a glass of light red wine

Liver is iron-dense, and iron is what makes wine taste metallic. Gamay, Pinot Noir and Loire Cabernet Franc all work, served cool. Here is why, and what to avoid.

Best Wine With Chinese Food: Salt, Sugar and Chilli Sorted

02/05/2024

Steamer of dumplings beside a glass of white wine

Chinese cooking throws salt, sugar, chilli and fat at your glass all at once. Here is the one bottle that survives a shared table, and why alcohol makes chilli worse.

Best Wine With Salmon: Grilled, Baked, Smoked and Cold

01/05/2024

A glass of light red wine beside a seared salmon fillet on a dark slate plate

Salmon is an oily fish that behaves more like chicken than snapper, so it can take a light red. Here is what to pour for every way you cook it.

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.

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

09/04/2024

Steamed asparagus spears and a glass of chilled white wine

Asparagus can make wine taste metallic. Here is why, plus the dry whites that work, what to avoid, and one stock-checked Australian bottle to try tonight.

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.