How To Choose The Best Wine To Pair With Roasted Vegetables

Pairing red wine with beef and white wine with chicken is a rule of thumb you've likely heard before. However, this principle isn't much help if you're vegetarian or following a mostly plant-based diet and center your meals around vegetables, grains, and legumes. We spoke to Amy Racine, beverage director and partner at JF Restaurants, to get the scoop on the best wine to pair with roasted vegetables when dishes like oven-baked beets and chargrilled zucchini take the main stage at your table.

"The best red wine pairing for roasted vegetables depends on the specific vegetables involved," explains Racine. "If you are looking for a general option to cover a lot of ground, pinot noir, Beaujolais, and chardonnay offer delicate fruit flavors, low tannins, and moderate weight, respectively, which complement the earthy sweetness of roasted vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and beets."

"Utimately, the best way to choose a wine is to consider the flavors of the specific ingredient if you want it to really shine," she continues. "For example, you could pair any of the above with asparagus, but there is an ultimate pairing that can create a more meaningful experience. Grüner veltliner's herbal notes and subtle mineral touch enhance the asparagus's vegetal and earthy flavor."

Grüner veltliner is a dry white wine that has aromas of lemon zest and grapefruit. It's light but spicy character makes it suitable for pairing with creamy cheeses, such as ricotta or Camembert, as well as roasted vegetables that match some of the flavor and textural notes of asparagus, like broccolini and crisp green beans. Similar in sourness to a riesling and light like a pinot grigio, this Austrian wine is best served chilled in the same way that other light-bodied wines benefit from a quick spell in the fridge before uncorking (red wines benefit from a swifter chill to prevent their mouth-puckering tannins from becoming too astringent). The acidic quality of grüner veltliner counterbalances the caramelized notes in roasted vegetables that naturally sweeten as they bake, lending them a satisfying taste. However, as Amy Racine notes, you don't have to stick to white wines; a red, like pinot noir, is ideal for teaming with earthier vegetables, such as roasted mushrooms that have a meaty texture and intense savoriness.

Consider serving your selected wine in a glass that allows its aroma and character to come to the fore. The bowl-like shape of a proper wine glass is perfect for swirling a pinot noir and releasing its aroma compounds, which are known as esters. Volatizing these esters liberates the fragrances in fruity wines, which is why you should leave space in your glass to swish your beverage around.