As a sign that my priorities are clearly in line, my very first app download was one related to wine. I downloaded the Nat Decants Food + Drink Matcher designed by wine expert Natalie Maclean.
Boy did I pick a useful tool as my first iPhone app. When you install an app, you want it to be something that is especially useful when you are away from home and on the go. This app offering a staggering 380,000 food and drink (that’s right it pairs more than just wine) pairings. It is perfect to use when you are at the store shopping for wine for dinner or at a restaurant deciding what to eat and drink.
The level of detail is just awesome. When I wanted to select a wine to drink with pizza, I was given 27 choices of pizza from Chicago-style to pesto pizza. Maclean recommends aglianico, chianti, sangiovese or valpolicella wines for Chicago-style pizza and for pesto pizza her selections include ale beer and pinot grigio, primitivo and sauvignon blanc wines.
Here’s a great summary of the inner workings and offerings of the Nat Decants Food + Wine Matcher:
Start with either a drink or a dish
Choose Bubbly, White, Red, Rosé, Dessert
Pair beer, spirits, cocktails, liquor, coffee, tea
Select from 292 grapes, wines and blends
219 cheeses and cheese dishes
61 pasta dishes, 118 vegetarian & salads
57 chicken, 59 beef, 41 pork, 112 seafood
27 types of pizza plus other take-out favorites
48 herbs, spices and sauces
94 Asian, Indian and Chinese dishes
123 types of chocolate and desserts
More than 380,000 pairings, with new ones added daily