While there is nothing more romantic than a glass of wine accompanied by some good ol' cheese on a cracker, there's always room for more. Now, I love cheese more than life itself but it's always a good idea to get out of the rut and experience something over and above, especially when it comes to pairing food with your favourite alcohol.
As much as cheese is known to partner nicely with the acidity in wine, the combo is also boring and quite frankly, monotonous. Maybe it's time to swank up your food-alcohol game, toss the cheese off your personal menu and try these 5 snacks that'll blend perfectly with the next bottle of wine.
1. Veggies & Dip
Veggies are considered neutral in taste while dips are known to add a little zest to the party. However, with wine, this combination is a perfectly balanced snack that is tasty enough to class up the party and quite basic to not overpower the aroma of your wine.
The snack is perfect for red, fruity wines and kicks best when your dip has herbs rather than any other tangy flavour.
Image Courtesy: Freepik
2. Prawns
Seafood is an overwhelming class of food that sweeps everyone off their feet when cooked with Indian spices. While prawns have no taste of their own, the texture is what makes them special.
Prepare it as a light snack with a glass of white wine for your solo-date night, binge-watching party or a fancy dinner at home.
Image Courtesy: Freepika
3. Vanilla Cake
Unexpected? For a person who has tasted her fair share of wine, I can safely say that there are more variations in wine than in any other alcohol.
So, if your gathering is into bold flavoured wines, a vanilla cake will help dial down the notes and leave a bitter-sweet aftertaste.
Image Courtesy: the Veggie Society
4. Smoked Salami
Cold meats like salami and pastrami are perfect food choices for a night of wine tasting.
Note: Smoked flavour works best with white wine while cold cut-up slices of the same meat can be equally good with crispy, fruity red wines. My advice, spread them on a platter and nibble while you swirl and sip.
Image Courtesy: IndiaMART
5. Cold Pizza
The leftover pizza from yesterday is an excellent snack with young red wines which are not only pocket-friendly but also has a kick that makes you feel young again.
Since Italian flavours are known to be the best accompaniment for wine, when paired with cold pizza topped with veggies, olives or mushrooms, it's a perfect millennial meal for an affordable solo date night all year long.
Image Courtesy: Freepika
Smell, swirl, sip, eat, repeat...
