Which wine should you drink with a vegetarian dish?

A vegetarian plate often brings together three elements: green vegetables, a filling starch (rice, couscous, lentils, potatoes) and spices or herbs that add depth. Each one shapes your choice of bottle: freshness answers the greens, a little body handles the starch, and ripe fruit stands up to the spice.

Pairing wine with a vegetarian dish can sometimes seem more complex than with meat or fish due to the more subtle flavors of vegetables. However, many wines, whether red, white, or rosé, pair perfectly with veggie dishes. Discover how to enhance your vegetarian recipes with our food and wine pairing suggestions.

What White Wine to Pair with a Vegetarian Dish?

White wines are often the ideal option to accompany vegetarian dishes due to their freshness and liveliness. For green vegetables like beans, broccoli, or spinach, opt for a dry, crisp white wine. A Sancerre from the Loire or a Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux will bring citrus and floral notes that perfectly complement the lightness of the vegetables. If your vegetarian dish is heartier, such as root vegetables or starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes), go for a more full-bodied white wine. A Chardonnay from Burgundy is an excellent choice, bringing roundness and creaminess to your recipes.

What Rosé Wine to Pair with a Vegetarian Dish?

Rosé wine is a great ally for vegetarian cuisine, especially for summer dishes like mixed salads, ratatouilles, or vegetable tians. A Côtes de Provence AOC rosé or Languedoc AOC rosé offers a hint of freshness that enhances the flavors of sun-ripened vegetables. If your vegetarian dish is spicy, like a vegetable curry or couscous, choose a more structured rosé, capable of standing up to the intense flavors of the spices, such as a Bandol AOC or Tavel AOC.

What Red Wine to Pair with a Vegetarian Meal?

A red wine can certainly accompany vegetarian dishes, provided you choose one with soft tannins. For a dish made with mushrooms, tomatoes, or grilled vegetables, a refined red wine like a Burgundy Pinot Noir or a wine from the Loire will pair perfectly. These wines reveal red fruit and forest floor notes, ideal for this type of vegetables and mushrooms.

Discover our wide selection of red, white, and rosé wines to pair with your vegetarian dishes on Avenue des Vins. All our wines are available for home delivery directly from the winery or château of your choice, offering the best value for money.

Eggs, Milk and Cheese: What Vegetarians Keep on the Table

Vegetarian doesn’t mean vegan. France’s Larousse dictionary defines a vegetarian diet as one that excludes all animal flesh, meat and fish alike, but generally allows eggs, milk and dairy products; a vegan diet rules out every food of animal origin. So cream, cheese and eggs shape the pairing as much as the vegetables do.

The richness of a cream sauce or melted cheese calls for roundness: a white with some weight, or a supple, light-tannin red. Fresh or salty cheese, such as goat cheese or feta, works better with a crisp white or a dry rosé from Coteaux Varois en Provence, fresh and fruity.

Eggs, whether poached, soft-boiled or scrambled, have a yolk that coats the palate and clashes with firm tannins. A dry white without heavy oak is a better fit: an Alsace Muscat made in a dry style, highly aromatic, goes well with soft-boiled eggs and asparagus, for instance. For pairings vegetable by vegetable, see our article.

Falafel, Shakshuka, Cheese Soufflé: Meatless Recipes to Pair

What wine goes with falafel?

With falafel, spiced and fried balls of ground chickpeas or fava beans, pour a zesty dry white or a chilled rosé. Their acidity lifts the fried coating; with a tahini sauce, a rounder white better matches its creamy texture.

What wine goes with shakshuka?

With shakshuka, a North African skillet of peppers, tomatoes and onions with eggs cooked on top, choose a full-bodied rosé, or a light red with a slight chill. Tomato and bell pepper call for a fruity, low-tannin wine.

What wine goes with a cheese soufflé?

With a cheese soufflé, serve a round dry white such as Chardonnay, which matches its airy texture and the flavor of baked cheese. Made with a strong aged cheese such as Comté, it can take a fuller white.

Where can you buy wine for vegetarian dishes direct from the winemaker?

You can buy wine for vegetarian dishes direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins, where wines are sold by their producers. Each wine’s page lists the vintage and the bottle size.

See also: Wine and Cheese - Wines to drink with a burger - Wine for your spring pies