January is typically the month when we go try to start up a healthy living outlook in life as the saying goes, “New year, new me.” In reality, you could start anytime with your healthy diet plan as long as you have the will and the determination to actually begin. Junk foods are out, very fatty foods and even soft drinks.
How about wine, probably? Hell no. You shouldn’t get it off though as wine is healthy for you, especially for your heart. Apparently cut off too much wine in your diet and drink moderately, as you know, too much is harmful to you.
Now, to start with your diet, the typical food for a good eating habit would be greens — more green veggies, beans, and fruits, along with a lot of exercise, of course. And then as the wine lover that you are, you ask yourself how can you integrate a little bit of wine on the side to make the diet more bearable at least.
Here is the part where we come in. There are a lot of wines out there that will fit in your kind of diet, whatever it may be. Choosing would be a struggle, but it will be worth it, trust me and the wine. Along with the veggies keeping away unwanted toxins and extra fats in the body, wine also keeps your cardiovascular health in shape.
Now you are looking for a salad that fits your newfound lifestyle, one that you could pair with your favorite wine. If you don’t have a particular wine in mind, there are a lot of pairings that you could see that nutritionists and wine enthusiasts alike suggest to keep you healthy and happy at the same time.
Greek salad and Verdejo
The straightforward fruitiness of Verdejo will easily fit with your typical greek salad. With the freshness and citrusy flavors of Verdejo, it will balance out the high acidity of the greeks salad’s dressing and its salty characteristics of feta cheese. If you are looking for a wine that is Verdejo based, then look no further than Rueda, Spain as they got the most delicious and most affordable Verdejo based wine.
Caesar salad and Lightly oaked Chardonnay
With a creamy dressing, you need a wine that has a little bit of boldness in it to withstand the dressing’s flavor. A lightly oaked Chardonnay would slightly overpower the dressing and would wash out its various components. A lightly oaked Chardonnay from Australia and Washington would fit the bill for this.
Waldorf Salad and Gewurztraminer
Waldorf salad has a lot to offer in terms of content. It might include, walnuts, apples, grapes with a light mayo dressing, which give a creamy texture and sweet outcome. With Gewurztraminer’s highly aromatic grape, it will give the salad a mixture of lychee and honey-stoned fruit. A bottle of Alsace would be an optimal partner as it has a bit of residual sugar that gives the Caesar salad the right combination.
Crunchy Noodle Salad
With the crunchy noodle salad’s key ingredients: honey, sesame, and ginger, a chilled bottle of Riesling would be a perfect fit for the meal, especially if the bottle of Riesling has some residual sugar in it. The residual sugar would be a key factor since it will balance out the sweetness and tanginess of the salad as well as neutralize any spice coming from the pepper, vinegar, and scallions present in the combination. If you want a perfect bottle of Riesling for your Caesar salad, look no further than the Mosel region of Germany.
Cobb Salad and Beaujolias
With the chicken, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, one would say Cobbs is not a salad. While we usually opt for light and white wines for salads, cobbs salad needs a heartier partner, a petrus red wine to match the substantial characteristics of the mixture itself. While we won’t be reaching out for a bottle of Cab, we should choose a red wine that has quite a lighter side with a fruity factor in it that would have even out the fats and proteins on this salad. Looking to one of the ten crus of Beaujolais would be great, and you might also look for Pinot Noir as they are both excellent in terms of salad pairing, as long as we are talking about Cobb salad.
Takeaway
Suddenly taking a left turn to a healthier life is a big challenge, especially if you are not up to it. But still, it is a welcome change for your body as you are investing for a fit and healthy retirement. With that said, finding a salad that is suitable for you may not be as much of a struggle as finding the perfect wine to pair with your choice of salad. Well, it won’t be that hard as long as you stick to your preferences and a suggestion from your good doctor.
Author Bio
Scarlett Wells is a freelance writer and wine enthusiast. She is an active critique examining all levels of wine types so she can produce reviews and articles that will help guide every consumer in selecting the right kind of wine to drink. Aside from that, she wrote a lot of blogs maximizing the real usage of wines. In her free time, she reads a lot about food and beverage pairing in order to help her become an effective mentor inspiring everyone to maintain a fit and fab lifestyle.
