The Food Connoisseurs Enjoy Most With Wine - Tasting Table Survey

Sipping rosé on a sultry summer afternoon, toasting Champagne with that special someone, or swishing a Malbec by a crackling fire are some of the finest wine moments in life — when mood and atmosphere are perfectly paired with just the right bottle. When you add the right food to the mix, however, it can bring that experience to a whole new level.

But pairing food and wine really is an art form on its own, with myriad books, articles, interviews, and classes dedicated to imparting the nuances of the skill. Wine Connoisseur explains there is not just one right pairing for each type of wine, which can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how much you'd like to think before you drink. However, some foods just lend themselves to wines more naturally than others, taking much of the guesswork out of your meal. To find out which wine pairings Tasting Table readers fall back on again and again when they're trying to create the perfect moment, we asked 615 people living in the U.S. to share their top food to pair with wine.

Voted the top choice by Tasting Table readers, 180 people — or 29.27% — of those surveyed said that steak was their favorite food to pair with wine. A great choice, as professionals like chef Bernhard Klotz, the Culinary Director at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, explained to Forbes that red wine and steak are a match made in heaven (though Klotz wouldn't say no to a glass of rosé Champagne when dining on Wagyu). Wine expert Richard Vayda agrees, sharing with Tasting Table the right red will work in tandem with steak's proteins and fat to "soften [wine's] tannins and acidity," thanks to "complementing richness."

Pasta and cheese were in a close race for second and third place, with pasta taking 24.23% of the vote; Cheese was favored by 140 voters, or 22.76%.

Described by Food & Wine as not being a particularly challenging food to pair with wine, seafood was the favorite for 98 of the 615 connoisseurs surveyed, winning 15.93% of the vote. In last place, pizza was chosen by a small 7.80% of those who participated in the survey with just 48 votes.