If you’re newly vegan, just interested in trying it out or you’re hosting a guest for vegans and wine lovers alike, you may just be wondering what vegan dishes actually go with wine. Of course we all know wine and cheese go together as well as meat and fish but what can you pair it with that’s actually vegan? And of course, what wine should you actually pair the meal with? Here are a number vegan dishes that pair perfectly with wine.

Vegan Wines

Before we delve into the best vegan meals that go with wine, there is one important thing you must remember when catering for vegan guests. A lot of wine isn’t actually vegan. That’s because many wines and other alcohol is filtered through fining agents. This process is used to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness and other particles from the drink. Many of these fining agents include animal-derived ingredients, including blood and bone marrow, casein (milk protein), chitin (fibre from crustacean shells), fish oil, egg albumen, gelatin (protein from boiling animal parts) and isinglass (gelatine from fish bladder membranes).

It isn’t always easy being green

Thankfully there are in fact many commonly used fining agents that are cruelty-free, such as carbon, bentonite clay, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel and vegetable plaques. These agents are used instead of their animal-derived counterparts to create many delicious vegan wines. As these agents don’t actually end up in the final product, there’s no difference taste-wise between a vegan-made or non-vegan wine. So your vegan and meat eating guests will all enjoy whichever wine you choose. So long as it’s paired correctly of course. Which brings us to vegan dishes that pair perfectly with wine.

Thai and Vietnamese

If you’re in the mood for some Thai or Vietnamese cuisine, like Pad Thai, Banh, Pho or a veggie red or green curry then you’ll want to pair your dishes with a light-bodied wine like a Riesling.

Winter Warmers

If it’s cold out, you’ve got the fire going and you’re going to warm up your guests with some roast potatoes, winter squash or a mushroom and tomato risotto, pair your meal with a light or medium-bodied Chardonnay.

Mediterranean

In the mood for some Mediterranean cuisine? Try a baked red lentil salad, couscous or chickpea and feta wraps. You can’t disappoint with Mediterranean dishes as there’s always something for everyone. So long as you put enough food on the table of course. Pair your dishes with a light-bodied Pinot Noir for those fans of red wine.

Wine-infused Dishes

If you and your guests are seriously big on wine then you might be looking for something to pair with wine-infused dishes, such as red-wine sauced pastas with grilled veggies and olives. Try pairing these types of dishes with Merlot.

Raw Vegan

If you’re hosting a group of raw vegans or you’re simply wanting to add some more raw food to your diet, you’ll want to pair raw fruits and veggies with a crisp white or rosé.