Picking a wine for takeout night

For takeout night, match the wine to the main flavour of the food: a medium-bodied red with acidity for pizza, an off-dry white for spicy dishes, a crisp white or sparkling for sushi, and a juicy red for burgers. You do not need to be an expert. A few simple rules get you most of the way.

Here is a quick guide, and how to get the bottle and the takeout in one trip.

What are the basic rules for pairing wine with takeout?

Keep three ideas in mind:

• Match weight to weight. Light food goes with lighter wine, rich food with fuller wine.
• Acid loves acid. Tomato sauce and vinegary dressings pair well with wines that have good acidity.
• Spice and alcohol do not mix well. High-alcohol wines can make spicy food taste hotter. A lower-alcohol, slightly sweet white cools things down.

When in doubt, sparkling wine goes with a surprising amount of takeout, and a dry rosé is another flexible choice for a table of mixed dishes. The simplest rule of all: drink what you like. A pairing is a suggestion, not a test.

What wine goes with common takeout dishes?

Pizza. Tomato sauce has a lot of acidity, so look for a red that can keep up:

• Sangiovese or Chianti is the classic pairing.
• Barbera is another bright, easy red.
• For a white pizza, try a crisp white like Pinot Grigio.

Spicy food like curry or Thai. Go for a white with a touch of sweetness and lower alcohol:

• Off-dry Riesling is the go-to.
• Gewürztraminer works well with aromatic spices.
• A light, fruity red like Gamay can work if you would rather have red.

Sushi. Sushi is delicate, so keep the wine light and crisp:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Dry Riesling
• Sparkling wine

Burgers, ribs and wings. Each wants something a little different.

• Burgers: a juicy red like Malbec or Zinfandel.
• Ribs and barbecue: Zinfandel or Shiraz stands up to smoky, sweet sauce.
• Fried chicken and wings: sparkling wine or a crisp white cuts through the richness.

Chinese takeout. A mixed table of dishes calls for a flexible wine. Off-dry Riesling handles sweet and sour, and Pinot Noir works with richer dishes. Ontario makes good examples of both.

How do I get the wine and the takeout in one order?

We do takeout pickup from restaurants and pickups from the LCBO, so both can go on the same order. Each additional stop on the same order starts at $4.

• Open the order form, or call 289-275-0767.
• Add the restaurant and your order details.
• Add the LCBO stop with the wine you want: name, grape, size and how many.
• Choose a substitution preference. With wine, Call me is popular, or tell us “a similar Riesling is fine”.

Dispatch, a real person, calls every online order to confirm the details and give you an approximate delivery time. You can read more on our LCBO and Beer Store page.

Have photo ID ready at the door. You must be 19 or older to purchase alcohol in Ontario. Bottle Buddeez is AGCO licensed and not affiliated with the LCBO or The Beer Store.

We deliver in Ajax and Whitby, where the published delivery fee is $8.99. Brooklin, Oshawa, Courtice and Bowmanville are call for pricing.

Pick the food, pick the wine, and send both through the order form or call 289-275-0767. Enjoy responsibly.