Serving wines in the right order during a meal means ensuring that the palate is never assaulted and that each wine can be fully appreciated. As a bonus, the dishes are enhanced by the best food and wine pairings. Indeed, it would be a shame to serve a tannic red wine as a starter, followed by champagne with game, and finally a dry white wine with chocolate fondant.

I’m not going to mention rosé wine in this article, as I don’t think it’s particularly interesting from the point of view of food and wine pairing, and of putting it into perspective with other wines.

Power and tannins

The first element in defining the order in which wines should be served during a meal is to take into account their strength and tannicity. It’s a good idea to start by serving lighter wines at the beginning of the meal, before increasing the alcohol levels as the dishes follow one another.

It’s no secret that we often start by serving light, dry white wines (a Chenin from the Loire or a Chardonnay from Burgundy), or Champagne, or a light red (Beaujolais, for example) if we’re not drinking any whites with the meal.

Next, we usually go for a more tannic red wine if the dish is red meat (a good Syrah from the Rhône with game or a Bordeaux with prime rib) or a southern white wine if the dish is white meat or powerful fish (a white from Languedoc or the southern Rhône Valley, for example).

Finally, with dessert, we like to enjoy a sweeter wine, such as a natural sweet or mellow (or even syrupy) wine. Chocolate desserts or very fruity, sweet creations go quite well with these fairly dense spirits with their fruity bouquet.

Colors and bubbles

However, if you’re mixing red and white wines, still and sparkling wines, you need to apply a different reading grid. White wines are generally served before reds, and sparkling wines before still wines.

Sparkling wines, like Champagne, are generally served as aperitifs or with very light starters, as they are appetizing and invite the tasting of future food and wine pairings. What’s more, they’re rather light and served fairly chilled, giving them that airy, refreshing character.

White wines, served a little warmer but still cooler than reds, are best served as an appetizer if a red wine precedes (otherwise, they can also be served with a main course, if the pairing allows). In addition to their lower alcohol content, they have more floral and mineral aromas, making them ideal for tasting before a wine with more animalic, dense and powerful aromas.

Red wines are therefore served last, as they often have stronger aromas and more body than white and sparkling wines. On the other hand, red wines have tannins and are served at a lower temperature than other wines, giving them the ability to accompany more powerful dishes, those served in the middle of the meal.

Food & wine pairing

But what about cheese and dessert? As you know, drinking red wine to accompany a cheese platter is a heresy that would ruffle the hair of any seasoned wine consumer. So, yes, the food tasted during the meal plays a big part in the order in which the wines are served.

Indeed, it won’t shock anyone to switch from a tannic red to a white, from dry to mellow, when enjoying a platter of mature cheeses.

In the same way, we can enjoy a petit Morgon with a meat-based starter (tartare or beef carpaccio), before opening a powerful white with a chicken curry-coconut.

Champagne, traditionally reserved for the aperitif, is also an excellent accompaniment to desserts such as fruit tarts, soufflés or the classic strawberry and whipped cream platter.