Best Wine Pairings for Vegetarian Food

From celebrity-endorsed salad bowls to the world’s greatest restaurant being all plant-based, vegetables are finally cool. Vegetarian food can range from the subtle and pure flavors of perfectly ripe produce served with a pinch of salt and olive oil or it can just be a meat vessel covered in some sauce normally lathered over an animal wing or rib. With such a wide range of flavors from heirloom tomatoes to buffalo cauliflower bites, there’s no one wine that is great with all veggies.

Here’s our rundown of the best wine with your favorite vegetarian dishes you’ll reasonably be looking to pair a wine with. Don’t see something on here? Sorry, we know they just made a squash that tastes like fried chicken and grilled cheese, we’re working on it. Send us a note and we won’t judge your inquiry nor your appetite. We’re here for you.

What’s the best wine for salad?

White wines like grüner veltliner and Sancerre. These wines have flavors similar to herbs and lemon, two things which should be any salad.

What’s the best wine for Caprese?

Hopefully you’re eating a Caprese between the months of July and August. That’s when the tomatoes are ripe and the pairing is rosé. Drink a Bandol rosé to work with the cheese too.

What wine pairs with pesto?

Pesto is from northwestern Italy. This is a sauce you can pair either a light and chilled red with like Beaujolais or a barbera. Otherwise, white wines with more texture to them work well too. Italian grapes like friulano and vermentino. Also, almost any white wine from the south of France.

What wine pairs with roasted beets?

Beets are the ribeye steak of vegetables. They are one of the few vegetables we prefer red wine with over white. Anything from peppery syrah from the northern Rhône to Burgundy with some age.

What wine pairs well with spinach and artichoke dip?

Chances are if you’re eating spinach and artichoke dip you’re having a party. If you’re eating this alone for your dinner, we’re into you. The best wine with spinach and artichoke dip is sparkling rosé. Rosé champagne is the top-shelf pairing.

What wine pairs well with roasted mushrooms?

Mushrooms work well with lighter and earthy reds like Beaujolais, wines from the Jura, and Mount Etna in Sicily. Mushrooms also pair well with orange wines.

What wine pairs well with squash and feta?

Squash can be a tough vegetable to pair wine with. You’re likely eating squash in the cooler months. Therefore, we recommend richer whites, and especially orange wines if you’re an adventurous drinker. Orange wines need food, squash needs orange wine.

What wine pairs well with grilled cheese?

Unfortunately, grilled cheese is not a vegetable. Fortunately, it’s a great pairing. You can drink almost any White Burgundy with grilled cheese. Champagne is a great pairing with toast and softer cheeses too.

What wine pairs with tofu?

Tofu is food that is normally combined with some flavorful sauce. A great wine for a simple tofu dish would be sparkling wine like Cremant or Champagne. If you’d like to pair red wine with tofu, we recommend Oregon pinot noir. The subtly earthy and also light berry flavors of Oregon pinot match well with the nuttiness and chicken-like characteristics of some tofu. If you are having a spicy tofu dish, we recommend a German riesling or chenin blanc to work with those flavors.

What wine pairs with eggplant parmesan?

Eggplant parm is a beautiful thing. A well made version is on our shortlist of nominees for the 8th wonder of the world. The ideal wine may be of no surprise but eggplant parmesan is best matched with a Tuscan red wine such as Chianti or Brunello. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try the wild and lighter reds from the Jura in France.