How to Pair Wines to Your Favorite Meals

The perfect wine pairing can make your dinner complete, whether it’s a full-bodied red for your Porterhouse or a buttery white for your roasted pork tenderloin. Butcher Boy keeps more than 1,000 varieties of wine in stock, so you can find what you need.

When pairing wines to dinners, your most important consideration is flavor intensity. A rich entree is best matched to a dry, aromatic wine. Lighter foods, particularly chicken, need lighter wines, or they’ll quickly become overpowered. Think of it like finding a dance partner — you wouldn’t match a linebacker to a tiny ballerina.

Here’s a handy guide to wine pairing, created by the team at Wine Folly:

While charts like these are a great place to start, it’s important to remember that they don’t take into consideration the marinades, sauces, spices, and rubs you might use to flavor your meal. These elements can radically change the intensity of your dish. Use this guide as a starting point, but don’t be afraid to be your own sommelier. If it sounds like a satisfying combination to you, it’s worth giving a try.

Not a wine person? Beers and cocktails can also pair nicely with your favorite meats. Once you’ve paid a visit to our famous 60-foot butcher counter, take a stroll through our spirits section and see what excites you. We have something for even the most discerning palette.

Whether you’re seeking a spicy Malbec or a crisp Pinot Gris, our store in North Andover has more than 1,000 varieties of wine to choose from.