What Food Goes With White Wine? Pairings for Every Non-Alcoholic White
What to eat with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and sparkling, four easy menus, and a non-alcoholic bottle for each style.
White wine goes with fish and shellfish, chicken, salads, creamy pasta, soft cheeses and spicy food, and non-alcoholic white goes with the same things, with one adjustment: it’s lighter and often a touch sweeter, so lean on its acidity and pair it with salty, creamy or gently spicy food rather than anything heavy. Here’s what to eat with each style, and a bottle for each.
Four rules that work
Match the weight
Light dishes with light whites; creamy or buttery dishes with a fuller Chardonnay.
Acid loves fat and salt
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc cuts through fried fish, goat cheese and anything with butter.
A little sweetness for spice
An off-dry Riesling cools Thai, Indian and Sichuan heat better than a dry white.
Skip the heavy hitters
Rare steak and rich red-wine braises flatten a white. Reach for a red instead.
What to eat with each style
| Style | Eat it with |
|---|---|
| Sauvignon Blanc: crisp, lime and grapefruit | Goat cheese, oysters, grilled fish, salads with vinaigrette, asparagus |
| Chardonnay: rounder, stone fruit and vanilla | Roast chicken, lobster and crab, creamy pasta, mushrooms, corn |
| Riesling: off-dry, lemon and pear | Thai and Indian curries, sushi, pork, spicy takeout |
| Sparkling: dry and fizzy, pear and citrus | Anything fried or salty, brunch, smoked salmon, soft cheeses |
A bottle for each
- Sauvignon Blanc: Giesen 0% Sauvignon Blanc (lime, passionfruit, 1.6 g sugar per 100 ml), or Le Petit Béret Virgin Sauvignon Blanc if you want 0.0%.
- Chardonnay: Giesen 0% Chardonnay (stone fruit and vanilla, 1.9 g), or Pierre Zéro Chardonnay (peach and lychee, 0.0%).
- Riesling: Kolonne Null Riesling (mineral, citrus blossom, 2.9 g) or BonBon Zero Riesling (pear and white peach).
- Sparkling: So Jennie Paris Blanc Dry (white peach and pear, dry, 0.0%). More in the best non-alcoholic sparkling wines.
- <0.5%
- 1.6 g sugar per 100 mL
- <0.5%
- 1.9 g sugar per 100 mL
- <0.5%
- 2.9 g sugar per 100 mL
- 0.0%
- 4.5 g sugar per 100 mL
Pierre Zéro Chardonnay: what to serve
Pierre Zéro Chardonnay is fruit-forward, with peach, lychee and tropical notes, and labeled 0.0%. That fruit makes it a good match for roast chicken with lemon, prawns or scallops in garlic butter, a creamy mushroom pasta, and mild curries. Serve it well chilled; it softens as it warms.
Easy menus
Weeknight
Lemon-roast chicken or a piece of grilled white fish, a green salad, and a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.
Cheese board
Goat cheese and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc; brie or camembert with a dry sparkling; a nutty aged cheese with Chardonnay.
Takeout night
Thai green curry, pad thai or a spicy Indian dish with an off-dry Riesling, served cold.
Brunch
Smoked salmon, eggs Benedict or anything fried, with a dry non-alcoholic sparkling.
Getting the most from a non-alcoholic white
- Serve it colder than you think: 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F) keeps it crisp; it can taste sweet as it warms.
- Season the food a little more: salt and a squeeze of lemon bring the wine’s acidity forward.
- Check the sugar: under 3 g per 100 ml reads as dry with food; sweeter bottles suit spicy dishes and dessert.
- Cooking with it too? Our guide to cooking with non-alcoholic wine covers which white to use in risotto and sauces.
Keep reading: pairing food with non-alcoholic red wine.
Common questions
What food goes with white wine?
Fish and shellfish, chicken, salads, creamy pasta, soft cheeses and spicy dishes. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc suits seafood and goat cheese, Chardonnay suits roast chicken and creamy sauces, and an off-dry Riesling suits curries and spicy takeout.
Does non-alcoholic white wine pair the same as regular white wine?
Mostly, yes. It's lighter and often a touch sweeter, so it does best with salty, creamy or gently spicy food, and less well with very rich or heavy dishes. Serve it colder than regular white so it stays crisp.
What goes with Pierre Zéro Chardonnay?
Its peach and lychee fruit suits roast chicken with lemon, prawns or scallops in garlic butter, creamy mushroom pasta and mild curries. Serve it well chilled.
What white wine goes with spicy food?
An off-dry Riesling. A little sweetness and bright acidity cool the heat of Thai, Indian and Sichuan dishes better than a bone-dry white. Kolonne Null and BonBon Zero both make non-alcoholic Rieslings.
