Wine

Cathal McBride: For wining and dining, don’t be afraid to give pairings a push

Classic combinations are the safe bet when it comes to matching wine to a particular food, but a much greater choice of cuisine these days gives more scope for experimentation

It’s important to remember that pairing wine with food mustn’t be a constricted, tedious exercise. Picture: Getty

Pairings are an interesting and playful aspect of wine culture. There is a certain science to it, of course, but follow the rules rigidly means you could potentially miss out on some unexpected gems.

From tomatoes to mushrooms, I have covered a multitude of great food and wine pairings on this page over the last few years. This time I asked some of Ireland’s leading wine importers about their personal favourites. Along with a few ...