Red wine pairings fascinate wine lovers because they elevate a menu from a solid dinner to an impressive pleasure experience. As the Felber wine office at Feiniwy we will help you to find exactly the Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir or other red wine that perfectly complements your dish - whether a festive menu, Sunday roast or an uncomplicated dinner.

Basic principles of successful red wine pairings

With Red wine pairings pay attention to three factors: Intensity, Structure and Flavour profile. Strong dish, strong red wine; delicate cuisine, finely structured wine. This creates harmony instead of competition on the plate.

A few guidelines will help with orientation:

• tune the intensity: Light dishes such as chicken or tender veal require elegant wines such as Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder. Braised beef or lamb can be paired with Barbera, Sangiovese or a Bordeaux cuvée.
• Balance tannins and fat: Tannin-rich red wines are harsh with lean meat. Structured wines with ripe tannins that elegantly incorporate the fat go well with steak, rack of lamb or entrecôte.
• Acid as a freshness factor: Grape varieties with lively acidity (Pinot Noir, Sangiovese) ensure a lively drink and go well with dishes with sauce, cream or tomatoes.

If you keep these basic rules in mind, you will quickly find harmonious red wine pairings for everyday and special occasions.

Pinot Noir / Pinot Noir: the versatile fine spirit

Pinot Noir, in Switzerland mostly as Pinot Noir known, plays to its strengths when the kitchen is Fine, aromatic and not too heavy remains. Its typical flavours of cherry, red berries, sometimes a hint of forest and fine spice are an excellent match for sophisticated but not over-spiced cuisine.

Typical combinations:

• PoultryCoq au vin, roasted corn-fed poulard, duck with herbs
• VealZürcher Geschnetzeltes, saddle of veal, Involtini
• Mushroom dishesRisotto with porcini mushrooms, chanterelle mushrooms, truffle pasta
• Mild cheese: Soft cheese, soft mountain cheese, creamy cheese recipes

For elegant red wine pairings with Pinot Noir, we recommend taking a look at our selection of Swiss red wines, for example via the category Red wines from Switzerland. There you will find delicate, terroir-accentuated Pinot Noirs that accompany fine cuisine with ease.

Red wine with pork: pork fillet in batter, pork fillet and rolled ham

Pork is often at the centre of Sunday menus and banquets. Three classics are particularly common on Swiss tables - and all three require differentiated red wine pairings.

Pork fillet in batter

Pork fillet in pastry combines tender meat, buttery pastry and a flavoursome filling with herbs or mushrooms. Shine here:

• Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder from cooler locations
• Barbera with fresh acidity and a subtle woody note
• Sangiovese (Chianti Classico) with cherry fruit and herbal spice

The red wine must respect the tender texture of the meat, but provide enough structure for the pastry and sauce. A medium-bodied Barbera from our range - for example from Piedmont, which can be found in the Italian red wines - provides a very harmonious basis for this.

Pork fillet without batter

With briefly fried or grilled Pork fillet fit:

• Fruity Pinot Noir with little wood
• Blaufränkisch with a cool flavour and medium body
• Grenache from a moderate climate, not too rich in alcohol

The sauce decides: Pinot Noir harmonises with cream sauces, while Blaufränkisch with its peppery note goes well with herb crusts or pepper sauces.

Red wine with rolled ham

Rollschinkli has a fine, often slightly salty and spicy flavour. Suitable for this:

• Lightly chilled Pinot Noir
• Juicy, uncomplicated cuvées with soft tannins

Too much tannin and alcohol in combination with salt has a harsh effect. If you keep the wines fresh and fruit-orientated, the result will be pleasant red wine pairings that are suitable for everyday drinking.

Red wine and chicken: is that possible?

The question „Red wine with chicken?“ receives a clear answer in practice: Yes, if the red wine remains lean, fruity and finely structured.

Good options:

• Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder with chicken in the oven, chicken with herbs or cream sauce
• Grenache or cuvées with little tannin with Mediterranean-flavoured chicken, e.g. with tomatoes, olives and thyme

The more the chicken is roasted or grilled, the better it can cope with a little more body in the red wine. Marinated with paprika and herbs, a spicy but not heavy southern European from our category Spanish red wines very good.

Overview table: which red wine goes with which food?

The following table summarises tried and tested red wine pairings for the most common dishes:

Court of law	Recommended grape varieties / styles	Character of the wine
Pork fillet in batter	Pinot Noir, Barbera, Sangiovese	Medium-bodied, fine tannins, fresh acidity
Pork fillet (briefly fried)	Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, Grenache	Fruity, juicy, moderate alcohol
Rollschinkli	Pinot Noir, light cuvées	Light, little tannin, slightly chilled
Chicken from the oven	Pinot Noir, Grenache	Slender, red fruit, subtle spice
Beef (steak, entrecôte)	Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah	Powerful, ripe tannins, dark fruit
Lamb (chop, gigot)	Syrah, Tempranillo, Grenache	Spicy, medium to full body
Pasta with tomato sauce / ragù	Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Barbera	Lively acidity, red fruit
Mushroom risotto, truffle dishes	Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo	Elegant, earthy, fine acidity
Cheese platter (hard cheese, mountain cheese)	Tempranillo, Blaufränkisch, strong Pinot Noir	Structurally strong, spicy

This overview is no substitute for individual advice, but it will give you a quick introduction to harmonious red wine pairings for everyday drinking.

Wine with food: the most important basic rule explained clearly

Many guests ask for a „Wine with food basic rule“ or wish for a Table showing which wine goes with which food. The essence is easy to grasp:

The more intense and rich the dish, the more structured the red wine. 
Add to this:

• Fat and tannin: Strong steaks and lamb dishes go well with wines with distinct tannins and body (Cabernet, Tempranillo, Syrah).
• Acid and sauceTomatoes, cream and jus require wines with fresh acidity so that the palate does not tire (Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Barbera).
• FlavourHerbs, smoke, mushrooms or truffles find their partner in complex, delicately flavoured wines.

If you think of red wine pairings on this basis, you can make surprisingly confident decisions even without a long wine list.

Red wine and an evening of football: uncomplicated enjoyment instead of complexity

The search query „Red wine eating football“ shows how often guests are looking for a wine that goes well with a relaxed TV evening with snacks, pizza and barbecue. Here is Relaxation in the foreground.

Recommendations:

• Fruity, young red wines from Spain or Italy, slightly chilled at 14-16 °C
• Cuvées with soft tannins, that go well with pizza, burgers, sausage and crisps
• Rosso da Tavola or uncomplicated grenache blends that are not too heavy for anyone

In the category Red wines at Feiniwy you will find numerous wines suitable for everyday use that will turn every game into a small pleasure event without dominating the evening.

20-minute rule and serving temperature for red wine

The often quoted 20-minute rule for red wine helps to find the right drinking temperature. It reads in abbreviated form: Prepare the red wine from the cellar or fridge about 20 minutes before serving, so that it reaches the desired temperature in the glass.

Temperature plays a decisive role in successful red wine pairings:

• Light red wines (Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder)12-14 °C, especially with poultry, pork and mushroom dishes
• Medium-bodied red wines (Sangiovese, Barbera, Tempranillo joven): 14-16 °C
• Strong red wines (Bordeaux, Ribera del Duero, Syrah): 16-18 °C

Red wine served too warm appears alcoholic and heavy, too cold it appears edgy. With the 20-minute rule and a good feeling for your room climate, you can quickly find the right balance.

What is wine pairing - and how does Feiniwy help?

Wine pairing denotes the Targeted combination of wine and food, to enhance the flavour of both components. The aim: a good dish and a good wine are combined to create a harmonious overall sound.

Feiniwy and Weinbüro Felber support you on two levels:

1. Curated rangeEach bottle in the range, whether Pinot Noir from Graubünden or Tempranillo from Spain, undergoes a careful selection process. This provides you with wines whose style and quality can be reliably used for sophisticated red wine pairings.
2. Personal recommendation: For a specific menu - such as „Which red wine with pork fillet?“ or „Which wine with pork fillet in batter?“ - you will receive a selection of suitable bottles including serving instructions by contacting us directly.

If you have a planned menu, please send us the menu and let us suggest a customised red wine pairing.

Frequently asked questions about red wine pairings

What does the 20-minute rule for red wine say?

The 20-minute rule says that you should take red wine out of the fridge or put it in a cool cellar about 20 minutes before serving so that it reaches the ideal temperature in the glass. The right drinking temperature plays a major role in harmonious red wine pairings, as it brings fruit, tannins and alcohol into balance and makes the combination with the food appear more harmonious.

What is wine pairing?

Wine pairing describes the conscious combination of wine and food in order to enhance the enjoyment of both components. When pairing red wines, pay particular attention to intensity, tannin structure, acidity and flavour profile. A delicate Pinot Noir, for example, goes well with veal, poultry and mushrooms, while strong red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Tempranillo accompany steak, lamb and spicy braised dishes.

What red wine grapes are there?

Important red wine grapes for food pairings include Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder, Sangiovese, Barbera, Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Blaufränkisch, Grenache, Syrah as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Each grape variety has typical aromas, acidity and tannin structure that favour certain red wine pairings - such as Pinot Noir with chicken and veal or Tempranillo with grilled meat and lamb.

Which red wine goes well with pork fillet?

Medium-bodied, fruity red wines with fine tannins go well with pork fillet. Elegantly structured Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder, a fresh Barbera or Sangiovese with cherry fruit harmonise perfectly. With pork fillet in pastry, a red wine with lively acidity and moderate alcohol enhances the buttery texture and the filling without overpowering the dish.

Which red wine goes well with chicken?

Light to medium-bodied red wines with a subtle tannin structure go well with chicken. A lean Pinot Noir or a soft Grenache is a harmonious accompaniment to oven-baked chicken, chicken with herbs or cream sauce. For Mediterranean-flavoured chicken with tomatoes and olives, fruity red wine pairings from southern Europe, such as juicy Spanish cuvées with red fruit and herbal spices, are ideal.

Is there a simple table showing which wine goes with which food?

A fixed table is never a complete substitute for your own sense of taste, but it does provide orientation for typical red wine pairings. In the guide above you will find a compact overview of which grape varieties go well with pork fillet in batter, pork fillet, rolled ham, beef, lamb, pasta or mushroom dishes. Supplement these basic rules with your experience and the style description of the wines in the Feiniwy range to refine your personal style of enjoyment.

Which red wine goes well with an evening of football and food?

Uncomplicated, fruity red wines with soft tannins are ideal for an evening of football with pizza, burgers, grilled sausage or tapas. Young Tempranillo wines, Mediterranean cuvées made from Grenache or a juicy Italian Rosso are a reliable accompaniment to savoury snacks, tomato sauces and grilled food. Slightly chilled, such red wine pairings make an evening of football enjoyable without being too sophisticated.