Wine is the traditional pairing partner for food, but it's far from the only one. The beverage culture surrounding a meal includes options that are equally capable of enhancing or completing the dining experience.
Sherry
Sherry is one of the most underappreciated and versatile wines in the world, and you happen to be in one of the best countries on earth to drink it. Produced in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, sherry ranges from bone-dry and saline to dense and sweet.
| Style | Character | Pairs With |
|---|---|---|
| Fino | Pale, dry, saline, almost sharp. Served cold. | Olives, almonds, jamón, fried fish, any tapas |
| Manzanilla | Like Fino but from Sanlúcar. Lighter, more delicate, with a sea-air salinity | Seafood, especially raw. Possibly the best aperitif wine in existence. |
| Amontillado | Amber, nutty, dry, medium body. More complex than Fino. | Soups, mushrooms, aged cheese, roast chicken |
| Oloroso | Dark, rich, dry, full-bodied. Intense nutty aromas. | Red meat, stews, game, strong cheese |
| Palo Cortado | Rare. Combines Amontillado's elegance with Oloroso's body. | The wine nerd's sherry. Works with complex, layered dishes. |
| Pedro Ximénez (PX) | Thick, sweet, raisiny. Almost a syrup. | Poured over vanilla ice cream. With blue cheese. As dessert itself. |
Sherry is absurdly good value. Some of the finest sherries in the world cost under €15 a bottle. At a restaurant, a glass of Fino or Manzanilla as an aperitif is one of the smartest orders you can make.
Vermouth
Vermouth is one of the great aperitif traditions. An aromatised, fortified wine infused with botanicals (wormwood, gentian, citrus peel, herbs, and spices). It's designed to stimulate appetite before a meal, not to accompany one.
Vermouth comes in several styles. Red (sweet), white (dry), and rosé. And is experiencing a major revival across Europe. In many Mediterranean cities, particularly in Spain and Italy, the pre-lunch vermouth ritual is a cornerstone of social eating culture. Your city guide will cover the local vermouth tradition in detail.
When you see house-made or locally produced vermouth on a bar's offering, it's worth trying. The artisanal versions are a different experience from mass-market brands.
Beer
The craft beer revolution has reached most major food cities. For food pairing, beer follows similar principles to wine:
- Light lagers, refreshing, low complexity, good with fried food and simple tapas
- Wheat beers, softer, slightly fruity, work with salads and lighter dishes
- Pale ales and IPAs, hoppy bitterness cuts through rich and spicy food the way wine acidity does
- Dark beers (stout, porter), rich and roasty, pair with chocolate, coffee desserts, and hearty stews
Coffee
Coffee is the punctuation mark of a meal in many cultures. The post-meal espresso is a near-universal ritual across southern Europe.
Coffee is worth paying attention to as a palate exercise. If you've developed your senses through this academy, applying them to coffee. Noticing acidity, body, sweetness, specific flavour notes. Can be a revelation. Specialty coffee roasters and cafés have expanded rapidly in most major cities, offering lighter roasts and single-origin beans that reveal the coffee's character rather than masking it with dark roasting.
The same principles apply: taste deliberately, compare, and build reference points. A great espresso after a great meal is one of life's small, reliable pleasures.
Non-Alcoholic Options
A serious restaurant should offer serious non-alcoholic options. This is an area that's evolving rapidly:
- Mocktails and zero-proof cocktails, the best ones are as complex and considered as their alcoholic counterparts
- Shrubs, drinking vinegars mixed with fruit, sugar, and water. Sharp, refreshing, excellent with food
- Fermented drinks, kombucha, water kefir, jun. Acidity and complexity that can genuinely pair with dishes
- Alcohol-free wine, quality varies enormously, but the best ones (made by dealcoholising real wine) are increasingly convincing
- Juice pairings, some tasting menu restaurants now offer full non-alcoholic pairing menus using pressed juices, teas, and fermented drinks
If you don't drink alcohol, you should still be able to have a complete, considered beverage experience alongside your meal. Restaurants that take this seriously are worth rewarding with your business.