I guess it does take some thought; what is the flavor profile of the veggie dish? Riesling tends to be a safe choice with many foods, as well as Pinot Noir. With the squash, maybe something like Gewurztraminer? I would imagin e eggplant and mushrooms would get overpowered by anything too acidic; Prov ence rose'?
Salad will be a problem, because of the dressing, but also because even tomatoes can be difficult. And artichokes are very difficult to pair with anything (but are too good to give up). Unoaked chardonnay for some of the others? I would be happy with a spicy red for the mushrooms (depending on type): a shiraz for these?
Salad (esp acidic dressing), we have salad most nights but I concentrate on my seltzer then. But we eat vegetarian a couple times a week, and I don't have trouble pairing wines (or hosting dinner for vegetarians)
As Mark posted, we recently lost a former regular, cwdjrx. And his site hos ted the AFW faqs. But I did retrieve at least a draft of the veg section o f matching
Vegetables and Sides Mushrooms- one of the great pairings for red wine in general. Many types are a great combo with earthy Pinot Noirs (especially cremini, cepes/porcini, oysters, chanterelle, black trumpet, matsutake, etc). Cremini or porcini/cepes in cream sauces do well with Chardonnay based win es. Creamed morels or morels en croute call out for a fragrant (not big) Burgun dy, though others reach for Côte-Rôtie and Temperanillo. Grilled port obellos usually are a good match for Cabernet, Merlot, or Nebbiolo based wine. Enokis and straw depend a lot on presentation (true for everything of course), but more about sparkling or characterful white (Loire Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris or Kabinett Riesling). Truffles, black or white: Best nebbiolo based wine you can find, Barbaresco can be even better than Barolo for this match. Artichokes- can be a wine killer, but try lighter whites. Asparagus - for some a strange match, but try NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner. For white asparagus, try Alsace Muscat. Fresh tomatoes- acidic whites
Ratatouille- fresh whites or rosés
Salad- vinegary dressings are a wine killer. Drink water! Cheeses
When in doubt, go with white. Goat cheese- Sauvignon Blanc is the classic Munster- dry Riesling Gouda -lighter reds. Aged Gouda -good match for Cabernet based wines Manchego -same as Gouda, depends on age. A tangy aged one is great with Priorat. Hoch Ybrig -does well with mature but vibrant big reds Parmigiano Reggiano- Amarone, Cabernet Cheddar: If we're talking young moist cheddar, fruity Zinfandel or Merlot. Aged artisanal cheddars deserve a big dry red Triple cremes- Auslese level Riesling. Epoisses - some of us like with red Burgundy, almost everyone likes with white Burgundy. Stilton- Port (or Tokay) Roquefort-Sauternes Gorgonzola dolce needs a bit of sweetness - recieto della Valpolicella maybe. More mature versions, though pungent, can stand up to drier reds Mimolette -Bordeaux Brie and its relatives- better with whites Cheese fondue- crisp whites. If you're looking for regional matches, more "alpine" wines include Fendant from Switzerland and various whites fromt he Savoie. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner or more
acidic versions of Chardonnay might also work. If one really wants red, try a lighter red with good acidity such as a cru Beaujolais.
I'd add that eggplant is pretty wine friendly, as is squash. What one chooses would depend upon prep. Eggplant parm would be good with a modersstely high acid red, while I like lemony baba ganoush with bubbles or light white.
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