Wine nights can be a lot of fun, whether you plan a party or an evening alone. The best foods to serve depend partly on whether you’re looking for meal-type dishes or for something more like appetizers and snacks. In any case, you won’t go wrong typing, “pizza specials near me tonight,” into your phone or computer’s search engine. More on pizza later! For now, let’s dive into lighter fare.
Snack-Style Food
Chocolate, pate, cheese, fruit, olives and even popcorn go great with wine. You can serve a spread of diverse foods or focus on one or two in particular. For instance, if you choose cheese, you may want to serve mild cheddar, Swiss, parmesan, brie and camembert. If olives sound good, then pair milder olives with lighter wines (such as Castelvetrano olives with rose). Meanwhile, pair richer wines with stronger olives.
If you’re looking for a light and healthful food, put your energy into fruit since so many types pair beautifully with wine. Shop for pineapples, grapes, strawberries, apricots, raisins, mangoes, melons and more. In general, berries and red grapes tend to go best with red wines. Consider these other snacks and appetizers:
- Roasted fruit and cheese
- Shrimp scampi dip
- Cheese straws
- Ham and cheese rollups
- Dark chocolate bites
Pizza
What type of meal combines many of the snack elements suggested above? Pizza does! With it, you can get cheese, fruit and olives, for example. Actually, you can get pizza with these toppings plus several other varieties of pizza. Want a Mexican-themed night with wines from Mexico? Type, “taco pizza near me,” to see what pizza deals are available.
Likewise, the works pizza delivery includes toppings such as Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, olives and mozzarella cheese. It’s a feast featuring foods from many places around the globe. That could work well with some types of wine parties. You can also serve snacks/side dishes such as breadsticks, cheese sticks and chicken wings if you get pizza. Same idea for desserts (get that chocolate!). The option for delivery is nice, too. No need to worry about sweating in the kitchen for a long time or leaving your party to pick up dinner.
Of course, you always have the option to cut the pizza into pieces so it’s more of a snack than a meal. Either way, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Other Meal-Type Food
Snacks and appetizers are great, but sometimes you want to serve more of a meal and aren’t in the mood for pizza. Dishes such as hamburger sliders, pulled pork and stuffed mushrooms have more of a meal feel without overwhelming your guests’ stomachs. It can also be fun to pair BBQ with wine. In that regard, food along the lines of barbecue ribs, ribeye steaks and grilled chicken should do the job.
Dessert
If you have more of a dessert focus for your party, a rule of thumb is to choose wines that are sweeter than the food. You can even pair favorites such as chocolate cake, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, brownies and sorbets with wine.
Fortunately, there aren’t really any “wrong” foods to serve at a wine party. Whatever your budget is, you can serve delicious food alongside the wine.