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THE CUBAN CUISINE DESERVES INCOMPARABLE WINES, FROM THE YOUNGEST AND HAPPIEST TO THE MOST COMPLETE WINES WITH PLENTY OF CHARACTER.

Most wines are produced so as to go with food, and there are several opinions on how to successfully pair them. There is no imponderable choice (apart from exceptions), but the truth is that, when it comes to pairing them, some of them are better than others.

WINE PAIRING STANDARDS IN CUBAN CUISINE
Soups:
White wines from the Mediterranean, pinks from Navarra or Cataluña.

Ajiacos:
Merlot, Carmenere.
Affable red wines.

Grilled fish:
Young white wines, Chardonnay.
Fruity wines from south France.
Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.
White wines from Penedes.

Meat, stew and roast meat:
Tinto de la Rioja (Spain).
Aged wines.
Italian Sangiovese with its mildest style.
Merlot from the new world (Argentina, Chile).

Barbecued meat with sauce:
Burdeos, Rioja, Chianti, Chilean Cabernet.
Well-structured red wines.


CUBAN BAKING
Despite of its complexity, sweet wine is easy to pair. All in all, the most important piece of advice in any kind of cuisine, when it comes to choosing wine, is to think about the ingredients of the food and their taste. Will it be light, with many proteins, accompanied by some special-taste sauce? This will help you have a clear idea in terms of the right wine.

Sparkling:
Appetizers, canapés, fish and shellfish. Vintage wines can go with the whole dinner up to the roast meat, as long as the ingredients are not very exorbitant.

Light white wines:
Cooked crustaceans, lightly-flavored white fish (cooked or grilled).

White wines:
Grilled crustaceans, shellfish (oysters, clams), fish with marked taste.

Wood-aged white wines:
Highly-seasoned fish and shellfish, barbecued chicken or veal, smoked, marinated fish.

Rose wines:
Paellas and dry rice with meat, Italian pasta, vegetables, pork and chicken.

Young red wines:
Roast meat, gelatinous meats, meat stew, barbecued chicken, barbecued veal, cheeses.

Aged red wines:
Barbecued or grilled beef, hutia and certain birds, like wood pigeon or duck. Complex sauces.

Sweet white wines:
Fruits, homemade desserts, blue cheese.