Most of what a wine pairing book teaches comes down to a kitchen habit: taste for acid, salt, fat and heat, then ask what will balance them. Anyone who has squeezed a lime over a rich taco knows the idea. A good book teaches you to do the same thing with a glass.
This guide covers seven books for adult readers, chosen for matching food with wine and not for wine in general. That is a different job from our wine book page, which covers regions, grapes and tasting. We say which picks have a review behind them and which rest on the publisher’s details.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a food book, the Amazon listing, publisher and author information and published reviews, which we name where we use them.
Quick verdict: the wine pairing guide to start with
For most readers, start with Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings by Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke, which teaches a method you can use anywhere. If you cook first and pour second, choose Wine Food. If your food leans spicy or global, choose Wine Pairing for the People.
The other four cover the principles in depth, everyday food, barbecue and small bites. Two of the seven have a Publishers Weekly review that we read ourselves.
Five pairing books side by side
Five of the seven, one for each kind of reader. All seven are described in full below.
| Book | Best for | Recipes | Length | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most readers | Not stated | 288 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon | |
![Wine Food: New Adventures in Drinking and Cooking [A Recipe Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Qq+APF61L._SL500_.jpg)
Wine Food, Dana Frank and Andrea SloneckerBest for cooks
|
Home cooks | More than 75, per PW | 256 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Wine Pairing for the People, Cha McCoyBest for global food
|
Global food | 25 | 272 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
| Gifts | Not stated | 240 pages, paperback | View on Amazon | |
Fire + Wine, Mary Cressler and Sean MartinBest for grilling
|
Grilling | 75 | 240 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Our picks for the best wine pairing book, title by title
All seven were in stock and new when we checked. We have not cooked from these books or tasted the pairings. Where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is.
1. Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings, Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke – Learn to Think Like a Sommelier
Sohm is wine director of Le Bernardin and a James Beard Award winner, and his publisher says he has been named Best Sommelier in the World by the Worldwide Sommelier Association. Muhlke is a culinary consultant and his co-author on the earlier Wine Simple, which is a separate book that appears on our wine book page.
This one is only about wine with food. It covers restaurant wine lists, dinner parties and meals at home, with basic wine information, ways to think about the elements of a dish, visual guides and cheat sheets. The goal, per the publisher, is to teach you to work out pairings yourself.
The examples in the copy show the range: Thai red curry with dry Riesling, and a burger with fries and ketchup with cabernet franc. The copy we read carries no outside praise and gives no count of pairings. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN.
Why we like it
- Teaches a method as well as matches
- Visual guides and cheat sheets
- Covers ordering in restaurants
- Everyday food along with fine dining
Key specifications
| Author | Aldo Sohm and Christine Muhlke |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Clarkson Potter |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Not stated |
| Focus | Pairing method |
| Best for | Most readers |
Why we recommend it
This is the one to buy if you want to stop looking things up. A method you can carry into a restaurant is worth more than a long list of matches.
Skip it if you want mostly recipes. It teaches pairing first, and the Frank and Slonecker book below is the better cooking book.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Top-level author
- Recent
- Useful at home and when dining out
Cons
- No pairing count in the copy
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
2. Pairing Food and Wine For Dummies, John Szabo – The Principles, Plainly Set Out
Don’t let the series name put you off. Szabo is described by the publisher as the original Canadian Master Sommelier, certified in 2004, and he writes about wine for several Canadian publications.
The copy says the book goes beyond a simple list of which wines to drink with which food. It covers European and Asian cuisines, fine dining, burgers and barbecue, with specific advice on curries and vegetarian dishes and tips for hosting a food and wine tasting party.
At 414 pages per the listing, it is the longest book on this page. It dates from 2012, so expect some references to feel dated. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and author’s details.
Why we like it
- Master Sommelier as author
- Advice on curries and vegetarian food
- Tips for tasting parties
- Long, reference-style book
Key specifications
| Author | John Szabo |
|---|---|
| Publisher | For Dummies |
| Year | 2012 |
| Pages | 414 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | Not stated |
| Focus | Principles of matching |
| Best for | Self-teachers |
Why we recommend it
A good pick if you like plain, organized explanations and don’t mind a series format. Keep it nearby as a reference and look up what you are cooking.
Skip it if you want something handsome for the coffee table. This is a working manual.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wide range of cuisines
- Teaches the why
- Strong credentials
Cons
- Older than most books here
- Plain format
3. Wine Food, Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker – Dishes Written Around the Bottle
Frank is a sommelier and Slonecker a cookbook author, and together they wrote this with each dish paired with a wine. Publishers Weekly, which reviewed it in June 2018, counts more than 75 dishes and says “each recipe opens with a charming anecdote.”
The pairings named in that review include fried chicken with General Tso’s sauce and txakoli, chicken pot pie and white Burgundy, and mango rice noodles in coconut milk and fish sauce with champagne. There is also a pairing cheat sheet, with chicken tikka masala and rosé as one example, along with advice on storing wine and recognizing flawed bottles.
PW’s one complaint is that “there is no dessert chapter.” This pick has the firmest outside evidence on the page, since we read that review ourselves. We couldn’t open a copy of the publisher’s description for this title, so these details come from the review and the listing.
Why we like it
- More than 75 dishes, per Publishers Weekly
- Each dish has a wine
- A pairing cheat sheet
- Covers storage and flawed bottles
Key specifications
| Author | Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Lorena Jones Books |
| Year | 2018 |
| Pages | 256 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | More than 75, per PW |
| Focus | Cooking with a wine in mind |
| Best for | Home cooks |
Why we recommend it
Choose this if you think about dinner first. It is a cookbook where the wine is part of the recipe, and the matches look more adventurous than the usual steak and cabernet.
Skip it if you want dessert wines or a dessert chapter. PW points out the lack of one.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Read a named review
- Recipes you can cook tonight
- Unusual matches
Cons
- No dessert chapter, per PW
- Publisher’s copy not read
4. Wine Pairing for the People, Cha McCoy – Food From Beyond Europe
Most pairing advice starts with French food. McCoy’s book moves by continent, then by region or country: Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, the United States and Asia. Dishes mentioned in the copy include Moroccan tagine, Jamaican jerk chicken, Mexican elote, a shrimp po’ boy and pad thai.
McCoy is a certified sommelier, an educator and the creator of The Communion, a wine dinner series, according to her publisher. It also says she was Cherry Bombe’s first beverage director. The foreword is by Stephen Satterfield.
The book has 25 recipes from chefs and mixologists, each with a suggested wine, plus pairing lists, menus and a tour of wine regions. The publisher cites a 2026 James Beard Award and carries praise from Victoria James and Marcus Samuelsson. We read those through the publisher, not from the awards body. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN.
Why we like it
- Built around a wide map of cuisines
- Pairing lists and menus
- Elote and jerk chicken both named
- A working sommelier and educator
Key specifications
| Author | Cha McCoy |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harvest |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 272 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 25 |
| Focus | Global food and wine |
| Best for | Spicy and global cooking |
Why we recommend it
This is the closest match on the page to how many of our readers actually eat. If your dinner table has chiles, spice and smoke on it, you will find more here than in a list of classic French pairings.
Skip it if you want a big recipe book. There are 25 recipes, and the rest is pairing guidance and a tour of wine regions.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Covers food other books skip
- Award cited by its publisher
- Recent
Cons
- Fewer recipes than others here
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
5. Big Macs & Burgundy, Vanessa Price and Adam Laukhuf – Wine for Everyday Food
This one began as Price’s weekly Grub Street column, per the publisher, and its premise is in the title. It pairs wine with everyday and indulgent foods, from popcorn and veggie burgers to General Tso’s chicken, and explains the science behind why the matches work.
Chapter names in the copy include Subsistence Pairings, Southern Comforts, Fast-Food Fixes, Wine with Breakfast and one on McDonald’s. Price is a sommelier, restaurateur and wine educator. Laukhuf is a former magazine editor.
The publisher quotes Peter Liem calling her writing “personal, engaging, and refreshingly unpretentious,” and says Food & Wine, Saveur and Town & Country named it among the year’s best. We read those through the publisher. We found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN.
Why we like it
- Starts from food people really eat
- Explains why a pairing works
- Funny chapter structure
- From a weekly column
Key specifications
| Author | Vanessa Price and Adam Laukhuf |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harry N. Abrams |
| Year | 2020 |
| Pages | 240 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | Not stated |
| Focus | Everyday and fast food |
| Best for | Gifts and casual readers |
Why we recommend it
A good gift, and a good way in for anyone who finds wine talk stuffy. The joke carries a real lesson, since a burger or takeout has flavors a wine can work with.
Skip it if you want a serious reference for dinner parties. The Sohm book does that job better.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to read
- Unpretentious
- Best-of lists, per the publisher
Cons
- Not a cooking book, as far as the copy says
- Pairing counts not stated
6. Fire + Wine, Mary Cressler and Sean Martin – Barbecue With a Bottle
Cressler is a sommelier and food writer, and Martin is a pitmaster who runs a catering company, per the publisher. They blog together at Vindulge, in Portland, Oregon. The book has 75 recipes with wine pairings, and it teaches grilling and smoking basics that work on any grill.
It covers brisket, ribs, steaks and pulled pork, along with a lighter Pacific Northwest style. Named recipes include a Pinot Noir BBQ sauce, wine-braised short ribs, pulled mushroom sliders and smoked salmon with beurre blanc.
Publishers Weekly reviewed it in January 2020, saying “wine rightfully deserves a spot at the BBQ table” and that “even those who choose to pass on the wine will find a lot to like.” That is a review we read. The paperback we link is listed with a later date than that review, so it looks like a later printing of the book.
Why we like it
- 75 recipes, per the publisher
- Read a named review
- Teaches grilling basics too
- Sommelier and pitmaster together
Key specifications
| Author | Mary Cressler and Sean Martin |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Sasquatch Books |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 240 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 75 |
| Focus | Smoke, grill and wine |
| Best for | Backyard cooks |
Why we recommend it
If smoke is your main flavor, this answers a question most pairing books barely touch. Cooks who follow our grill cookbook guide will find this a natural next step.
Skip it if you don’t own a grill or smoker. Most of the book assumes you do.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Clear recipe count
- Named review
- Useful even without the wine, per PW
Cons
- Narrow focus on outdoor cooking
- Regional bent toward the Pacific Northwest
7. Wine Time, Barbara Scott-Goodman – Small Bites for a Glass or Two
Not every glass of wine comes with a full dinner. This book is about simple bites that pair with wine, for occasions the publisher lists as a barbecue or book club, a date night or a solo dinner. Scott-Goodman is an author, art director and designer of many cookbooks, and Jennifer May took the photographs.
The copy says more than 65 new recipes while the title says 70+, so read either as a rough figure. It adds wine cocktails, step-by-step cheese board instructions and a chapter on sauces and chutneys.
The publisher’s copy names no dishes and carries no outside praise, and we found no Publishers Weekly review at this ISBN. This pick rests on the publisher’s details and the author’s cookbook background.
Why we like it
- More than 65 recipes, per the publisher
- Step-by-step cheese boards
- Wine cocktails included
- Sauces and chutneys chapter
Key specifications
| Author | Barbara Scott-Goodman |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Chronicle Books |
| Year | 2021 |
| Pages | 192 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | More than 65 |
| Focus | Snacks and small plates |
| Best for | Casual entertaining |
Why we recommend it
Good for the person who hosts a glass of wine and a board more often than a five-course dinner. Our cheese book guide goes further on the board.
Skip it if you want to learn the principles. This one gives you the matches and leaves the theory to the books above.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to use on a weeknight
- A cheese board guide
- Photographs by Jennifer May
Cons
- Recipe count differs between title and copy
- No review at this ISBN that we could read
How to choose a book on food and wine
The right one depends on where you are when the question comes up.
- Do you want a method or a list? Sohm and Szabo teach you to work it out. Wine Time and Fire + Wine hand you a recipe with a match already made.
- What do you actually eat? A book built around European dishes may not help with chiles and lime. McCoy and Szabo both speak to curries or spicy food, and Price goes straight to takeout.
- Will you cook from it? Wine Food, Fire + Wine and Wine Time are recipe books. The others teach pairing first.
- Who is it for? Big Macs & Burgundy is the easy gift. The Dummies book is for a person who likes to read the manual.
- Do you have the basics? A pairing goes better with a decent wine glass and a wine opener that doesn’t shred the cork.
How we picked these seven pairing books
We searched Amazon’s book listings first and kept print editions from named authors at established publishers, plain in stock with a new lead offer. We compared each one with every other book page on this site so that nothing repeats. Author, year, format and page count come from the Amazon listing. Recipe counts and descriptions come from the publisher’s copy, as carried by booksellers.
Here is what stands behind each pick. Wine Food and Fire + Wine have Publishers Weekly reviews that we read ourselves. The other five rest on the publisher’s and author’s details, and any praise is quoted only as the publisher carries it. We found no PW review at their ISBNs, which does not mean no other review exists.
We have not cooked these recipes or tasted these pairings. Some well-known titles are missing for a simple reason. What to Drink with What You Eat by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, and Evan Goldstein’s Daring Pairings, were not plainly in stock when we checked, and Goldstein’s Perfect Pairings showed only a few copies. Madeline Puckette’s Wine Folly is a general wine guide, so it is not a pairing book in the sense this page means. If those come back into stock, they are worth a look.
Wine pairing book questions, answered
What is the best wine pairing book for a beginner?
Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings, because its publisher says it starts with basic wine information and uses visual guides. Big Macs & Burgundy is the more relaxed way in.
What wine goes with spicy food?
Sohm’s publisher offers dry Riesling with Thai red curry as an example. For a whole book on the question of global and spicy dishes, read McCoy. We haven’t tasted these matches ourselves.
Is a food and wine pairing guide useful in a restaurant?
Yes, if it teaches a method. Sohm’s book addresses restaurant wine lists directly. Also, a good server or sommelier can help you, and asking is free.
Do I need a recipe book or a reference?
If you cook a lot, take Wine Food. If you mostly want to know what to pour with what you already make, take Sohm or Szabo.
Are these books for everyone?
They are about alcohol, so they are for adults of legal drinking age. If you would rather skip it, our mocktail book guide covers drinks with no alcohol.
The best wine pairing book for your table
Buy Sohm’s book if you want one, Wine Food if you want to cook and McCoy’s if your table is more about spice than sauce. For the grapes and regions behind it all, our best wine book page is the next stop.
And when you would rather not plan dinner at all, take a look at our menu or call to order.