Our wine pairing key is designed to offer flexibility when pairing your wines with your recipes. The icons make it easy for you to identify which styles of wines to pair with any Blue Apron recipes you receive.
If you don't get the chance to open a particular bottle right away, you can easily match it with a recipe weeks or months later. There’s usually a certain group of wines that share common flavors, aromas and other characteristics that can all complement a particular meal in their own way.
Our new pairing symbols can be found on the front of your Blue Apron recipe cards, on the first page of your wine booklet, and on the back label of each Blue Apron wine. Here's a complete look at all the wine-pairing categories:
Floral & Aromatic
Intensely flavored, aromatic wines are as delightful to smell as they are to drink. These wines—such as Gewürztraminer, Viognier and some Rieslings—are naturally tasty with countryside dishes from the places in Europe where the grapes grow, but they're a surefire hit with spicy, fragrant dishes like Thai green curry.
Classic pairings: Sausages & sauerkraut | King crab
Light & Fresh
Light, fresh whites elevate the flavors of a dish's fresh ingredients and help them shine, almost like a chorus providing the background harmony. That's why these wines—such as Pinot Grigio, Grüner Veltliner and unoaked Chardonnays—are delicious with grain bowls, vegetable-forward dishes, or herbaceous sauces.
Classic pairings: Spring salads | Linguine with clams | Pesto
Zesty & Tropical
These vibrant wines often taste like passion fruit or citrus, sometimes accented with an herbaceous note. A fruity-zesty balance, a signature of Sauvignon Blanc, is what makes these wines delicious with goat cheese (a staple pairing of France's Loire Valley). The wine makes the cheese taste creamier.
Classic pairings: Asparagus quiche | Fish & chips | Seared scallops
Crisp & Tropical
These wines are as beautiful and fragrant as your favorite perfume. Look for aromas like lime zest, ripe peach, pineapple, and even jalapeño. Grapes like Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are full of mouth-watering acidity that make these bottles as refreshing as lemonade.
Classic Pairings: Shrimp Scampi | Indian Chicken Curry | Fish with Lemony Sauce
Crisp & Minerally
Instantly mouthwatering wines such as Chablis—as well as Chenin Blanc, Vermentino and some Rieslings—possess a certain je ne sais quoi. They have a stony flavor we perceive as subtle saltiness, which is why the residents of Brittany's seaside towns slurp these wines enthusiastically with freshly shucked oysters.
Classic pairings: Smoked trout | Niçoise salad | Stinky cheeses
Full & Savory
Full and savory white wines are rich and mellow at the same time. Expect to find flavors like baked apples, warming spices, and buttery richness. Uncork these wines—such as California Chardonnay and white Rhône blends—when you want to pair like with like and revel in the richness. That's why these opulent, often buttery wines pair so well with lobster—dunked in melted butter, of course.
Classic pairings: Chicken with Buttery Sauces | Butternut squash risotto | Gnocchi with sage & brown butter
Light & Bright
These wines are like denim: they go with almost everything. Grenache, Gamay, Barbera and lighter-style Pinot Noirs have enough body to stand up to red meat, but are also at home next to a plate of tomato-based pasta.
Classic pairings: Margherita pizza | Salmon with Harissa Sauce | Pasta Puttanesca
Fruity & Savory
The calling card of these reds—like Cabernet Franc, Carménère and some Malbecs—is the herbal, smoky or even meaty flavors standing out from the fruitiness. The savory element makes these wines match especially well with roasted vegetables—the more fresh herbs in the recipe, the closer the harmony between each bite and sip.
Classic pairings: Eggplant rollatini | Pork with Cherry Sauce | Pasta Bolognese
Plush & Fruity
Classic in style, these reds have equal parts power and finesse. Richer Pinots and Merlot-based Bordeaux reds, with their mix of red- and black-fruit flavors, can hold their own with just about any meat. The most delightful pairing to remember: Pork always loves this kind of Pinot Noir.
Classic pairings: Beef Bourguignon | Salmon | Mushroom risotto
Bold & Spicy
Spicy and bold wines are all about big flavor. These bottles will be full of dark fruits like blackberry jam, black currant, and black cherry. Expect to find notes of cinnamon and other baking spices that come from aging in oak. These bold wines pair well with rich meats and well-spiced sauces.
Classic pairings: Decadent Burgers | Steak Au Poivre | Braised Beef
Rich & Decadent
The opposite of subtle, these reds completely coat your palate with fruit flavor and tannin. California Zinfandel and Cabernet, as well as reds from countries with warm climates, like Spain and Australia, are what you want with dishes that are rich in their own right. It's why these reds rule every steakhouse wine list.
Classic pairings: Grilled Steaks | Lamb Tagines | BBQ
Crisp & Fruity
These pretty wines aren’t just for summer. The light structure and ripe fruit flavors make rose wines delicious with food all year long. Look for aromas like strawberry, and watermelon along with bright acidity and salty minerality.
Classic Pairings: Chicken Tacos | Grilled Vegetables | Bouillabaisse
Lush & Fruity
Rosés from areas with warm climates such as California and Australia can do double duty. Often darker in color and made with more intense berry, cherry and peach flavors, these rosés can still pair with lighter dishes, but won't get overpowered by something richer, like a burger.
More classic pairings: Chicken & turkey burgers | Caprese salad | Grilled vegetables