A Guide to Pairing Wine with Mediterranean Food

The best dining experience doesn’t typically arise from “predictable” circumstances; rather, they are born of chefs who embrace innovation. Unfortunately, the more unique a dish, the more difficult it can seem to pair it with the appropriate wine option. In every step of your dining experience, Anixi stands ready to help, whether through a tasty cruelty-free meal, easy at-home recipes, or this: a guide to pairing wine with Mediterranean food.

The newest restaurant to the City Roots Hospitality family, Anixi is proud to highlight the healthy, drastically under-used flavors native to Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon, with options ranging from unforgettable mezze to truly outstanding entrees. Our cruelty-free menu ensures that no matter our craving, you’ll find exactly what you need behind our inclusive doors. 

From the appetizer list to the full bar, Anixi’s menu takes hold of all the potential of Mediterranean meals as you’ve never seen before. For cruelty-free food that fits perfectly into any lifestyle, simply come to our Chelsea location or place an order for pickup or to-go.

Pairing Wines with the Anixi Menu

Red Wine

At the end of a long day, few options are more soothing than a glass of rich red wine. Use this easy guide to better select a dish perfectly paired to bring out the best of all flavors, highlighting the subtleties in every glass. 

Hoping for a classic glass of pinot noir or cabernet franc? Both of these wines are strong in flavor but still softer than many wines. As such, you’ll need to pair these with a dish that is driven by notes of fruit or mushroom. We suggest a serving of our crowd-pleasing wild mushroom kabob. 

In contrast to the soft flavors of the previous wines, merlot tends to be much bolder, with strong hints of spice and an incredibly full body. To help make the most of this glass, you’ll want to pair it with a dish with traditionally “meaty” flavors, which can easily hold their own in the face of this bold wine. Get ready for a filling serving of our grilled “steak” shish kabob, flavored with a generous quantity of paprika, preserved lemon, turmeric, coriander, and fresh herbs. 

Of all the red wine options, few are quite as rich in flavor as Syrah or zinfandel. At the same time, these wines tend to balance the bold flavor with strong accents of berries and fruit. To highlight these spectacular wines, you’ll need to pair them with equally strong flavors. Any dish with black pepper or bold “cheese” is the perfect choice! To make the most of this glass, we suggest pairing it with our “lamb” cigars or “beef” lahmacun. 

White Wines

All too often, white wine is written off as being less complex or worthy of attention than red alternatives. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just as red wines can come in a variety of flavor profiles, so can white wine be rich, interesting, and sophisticated.

When it comes to dry, herbal wines like sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio, these aromatic flavors are best paired with the light, equally intricate flavors of most seafood dishes. If you feel pulled towards the draw of dry white wine, consider pairing it with one of Anixi’s seafood alternative dishes like the arak cured “salmon” risotto. 

Craving a sweeter, more friendly white wine? Maybe a Riesling, gewurtztraminer, or chenin blanc? Turn to a dish that will highlight the light flavor without overpowering it. Any dish with citrus makes the ideal match, so before ordering that cruelty-free riesling, place an order for our lemon-infused taramasalata dip. For another light option, try this flavor contrasted with our beet and citrus salad.

White wine isn’t always so meek in flavor; in fact, popular options like chardonnay tend to be quite strong! Balance out those fig, pear, and honey notes with a dish rich in cruelty-free cheese. Always feel free to ask your server for guidance, but we believe it’s hard to go wrong with a plate of our whipped “ricotta” dip or our fire-roasted eggplant pide. 

Other

The world of wine is every bit as intricate and ever-expanding as any other branch of the culinary arts. As such, it’s nearly impossible to categorize every kind.

The sweet, light flavors of many sparkling and rose wines seem to avoid being placed in any box, but generally speaking, these pair well with bright flavors. Turn to these for your salads or lemony desserts, like our ekmek kataifi with its delicate layers of phyllo dough and flavors of lemon rose syrup. 

As the name would suggest, most dessert wines are best suited at the end of a meal, alongside a sweet treat. When pairing these wines, try to pick flavors that easily coincide with those in the dish. A glass of chocolate noted wine is best sipped alongside a vegan chocolate dessert, while creamy hints of vanilla best pair with vanilla in their corresponding dishes. 

Dining with Anixi

While reading about balancing flavors can be a great help, there’s no better education than hands-on practice. Step into Anixi to experience a culinary adventure you won’t soon forget!

Hoping for an evening in? Simply explore our full menu, and place an order for pickup or delivery today!