Best Wines to Compliment Salad

Author: Qory Sabar

Salad can be a bit tricky when it comes to wine. So many salad dressings are acidic; they make the wine flat. Yet the question remains; what wine do you serve with your salad? When you are planning a salad pairing, you need to take into account the flavors in the wine and in the salad.

When dressing your salad, choose one that is not too acidic. Use a fruit juice instead of vinegar, or replace the vinegar with a softer vinegar like rice wine or balsamic vinegar. You can also replace the acidic ingredients completely with a reduced chicken stock, soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. These small adjustments will help your salad work better with wine.

The easiest way to choose a wine is to build a "bridge" between the salad and the wine by using ingredients that match a quality in the wine. For example, sliced pears in the salad will create this match in a bottle of Reisling or Chenin Blanc. A salad served with grilled beef as an ingredient would work well with a robust red wine.

Meats and seafood in the salad will tame the tannins found in heavier wines, making them more palatable with the salad. At the same time, the full flavor of the wine helps the salad to make a bolder statement. Cheese works in a similar way. Croutons and nuts work well to create a bridge between the salad and oaky wines like Chardonnay.

Adding roasted vegetables or mushrooms to a salad will make the perfect pairing with a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay that has been aged in oak. Peppery salad greens want a spicy wine, like Petite Syrah or Zinfandel. Herbs also work well. Add herbs to your salad and you'll see your wine list grow. Many wines have an herbal component to their flavor. An herbed salad would go well with a Merlot, a Sauvignon Blanc, or a Cabernet Sauvignon.

While you should never hesitate to experiment with your pairings, your goal is to bring out the best in both the salad and the wine. Think about the weight of each side. A rich wine will overpower a light salad, while a light wine would be overshadowed by a salad made with meat, grilled mushrooms, and a walnut oil dressing.

Recipe for Dungeness Crab Louis

This classic salad pairs nicely with a glass of Pinot Blanc. Its light, fruity flavor can hold its own against the delicious flavor of Dungeness crab.

What You Need

• 1 pound Dungeness crab meat


• 1/2 pound Dungeness crab legs


• 1 fresh head of lettuce


• 1 cup mayonnaise


• 1/4 cup chili sauce


• 2 Tablespoons green bell pepper, finely chopped


• 2 Tablespoons onion, finely chopped


• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered


• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce


• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved


• 1 cup ripe olives


• Fresh parsley


• 1 lime

How to Make It

Line your platter or individual serving bowls with lettuce leaves. Pile the crab meat attractively on top of the leaves.

In a bowl, mix the chili sauce, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, onion, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and parsley.

Pour the dressing over the crab meat. Garnish liberally with crab legs, egg quarters, tomatoes, and olives.

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