5 essential recipes for appetizers to pair with wine

Wine has become an essential element of aperitifs. It's ideal for spending quality time with friends or family. Especially since it's more accessible and pairs perfectly with many dishes. We present some classic recipes to accompany your aperitif wine tasting.

You can also read our article on croziflette and the wine to drink with it.

1. A cheese and charcuterie platter: a classic for an aperitif

The appetizer platter is a classic choice for pre-dinner drinks or casual dinner parties. Its success stems primarily from its simplicity, but also from the fact that the combination of wine, cheese, and charcuterie can offer unique and exciting flavors. The recipe is quite simple: just take pieces of cheese and charcuterie and arrange them attractively on a platter. Impress your guests with different ways of slicing the cheeses and charcuterie.

To awaken the senses during your aperitif, offer a variety of products by including several types of cheese and charcuterie, such as salami , sausage , bacon , and more. You can add some fruit like olives or grapes to decorate the platter before serving it during the aperitif.

2. Mini sandwiches

Always a hit at cocktail parties, mini sandwiches are easy to prepare and pair perfectly with aperitif wines. The choice of ingredients is quite flexible when making mini sandwiches for an aperitif. You'll need at least white bread, spreadable butter, crème fraîche, slices of ham , and slices of cheese . You can add chicken or smoked fish to the recipe for extra flavor.

To do this, remove the crusts from the slices of bread and start cutting them into small pieces. You can cut them into various shapes. Butter the bread slices and spread the cut sides with crème fraîche. Then fill the inside with the different ingredients, alternating with a slice of bread. Secure everything with a toothpick or skewer . No cooking is required; serve your mini-sandwich directly on a platter with a dry, fruity wine .

3. A plate of raw vegetables with sauce

A vegetable platter is a classic choice for appetizers. Whether raw or cooked, vegetables are a perfect accompaniment to aperitif wines. You can choose seasonal vegetables for your platter. Similar to a cheese and charcuterie board, simply arrange the vegetables attractively on the platter for a more appealing visual effect.

You can serve raw vegetables with a special sauce for a crunchy effect . You can also add a bed of bread spread with the sauce and top with pieces of vegetables.

A vegetable platter is a classic for appetizers. Raw or cooked, vegetables are a delightful accompaniment to aperitif wines. You can choose seasonal vegetables for your preparation. Similar to a cheese and charcuterie board, simply arrange the vegetables attractively on the platter for a more appealing visual effect. It's important to obtain even slices of tomatoes or zucchini; for this, we recommend using a mandoline . The uniform cut of the vegetables will make your appetizer platter more visually appealing , which will impress your guests. You can serve raw vegetables with a special dip for a crunchy effect. You can also add a bed of bread spread with the dip and top with pieces of vegetables.

4. Fish rillettes with cheese

Although red meat is more renowned for pairing with wine, fish is just as excellent. The main ingredients will, of course, be fish fillet, fresh cheese as a binder , and onion for added flavor. There are many different fish options available. You can choose from:

• Tuna
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Sardines

You can also use other seafood such as shrimp or mussels for this recipe. To prepare it, cook the fish fillet and flake it. Meanwhile, dice the onions and cook them over low heat. Combine everything and mash with a fork to create a rillettes-like consistency. Season to taste with salt and spices.

5. Appetizer skewers

Appetizer skewers are a must-have for any aperitif. They're a great way to combine all the essential elements that accompany appetizers on a single skewer. Preparation is quite simple and easy. Ideal for gatherings with friends or family, they're perfect for serving at cocktail parties with red wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy .

Simply dice all the ingredients and thread them onto skewers to create a beautiful kebab. You can use cheese, cured meats, olives, and vegetables. Cooking isn't necessary unless you're adding meat to the mixture.