11 Perfect Wine and Music Pairings

Admit it: you’re totally confused about which wine to pair with your playlist, or anyway, what to listen to while you’re sipping that thing you just pulled the cork out of. It’s a major issue, after all. Because it’s all about mood. You know pouring a Mendoza Malbec with a platter of raw oysters is a cognitive dissonance. Consider the epic mindbender of trying to drink a hard rock wine with a Chopin etude. Can’t let it happen. Here are a few suggested pairings.
Your Wine: Benziger Family Wines Sonoma County Merlot
Velvet in a bottle. Smooth, fruit-forward but just a little dark (tea, cloves, lots of plum) with finesse and structure. And super-natural: Benziger’s wines are certified sustainable, organic, or biodynamic, so your green-creds are as put together as those soft, soft tannins.
Your artist: Sarah McLachlan
If merlot had a voice it would sound a lot like Sarah. Rounded, velvety, not a harsh note. If it were me, I’d just put her version of the St. Francis Prayer on repeat.
Your Wine: Chloe Prosecco
Some proseccos are casual or even a bit raucous; others are dignified but stylish. Chloe is one of those classic, Little Black Dress bubblies. Fine bubbles, straw-colored in the glass with a bit of a green tint, and a lovely expression of the Glera grape, very lively peach, apple, and white flower notes, a citrusy finish with a nice balancing hint of something stony.
Your artist: Ella Fitzgerald
Bubbly meets bubbly, Sophisticated Lady meets…. Sophisticated wine. Total versatility and perfect pitch. I’d recommend the Verve Johnny Mercer songbook specifically.
Your Wine: Cupcake Vineyards “Angel Food”
This white blend (Chardonnay and Viognier with some supporting cast members) is for folks who are not afraid of sugar. It really does taste a bit like cake batter, with some kind of vanilla-caramel thing dominating and a little bit of peach cobbler. Hey, you can’t be bone-dry all the time, right? Sometimes you just want something… a little sugary.
Your artist: Carly Rae Jepsen
“I really really really really really like you… And I want you. Do you want me too?… baby I really really really really really like you I really really really really really like you…” (any questions?)
Your Wine: Domaine Carneros “Le Reve”
This all-Chardonnay sparkling wine is rich and nuanced and elegant. Brioche and almond notes, tons of nuanced florals and pear notes, very creamy on the palate.
Your Artist: Duke Ellington
I believe Ellington was a Cabernet man, but I have to say, an elegant, urbane wine like this would go awfully well with, say, Masterpieces by Ellington. They’re both a little full of themselves but why not? They’re both timeless and delectable. They’ve earned the right to be a little self-satisfied.
Your Wine: Charles Krug Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Charles Krug has been around forever, and they kind of personify the genre of Napa Valley Cab. The 2014 release is a structured, sturdy wine with notes of dried blueberry, black currant and cherry. Long, long finish.
Your Artist: Bob Dylan
One gold-standard classic meets another. Pioneering and poetic, with structure, longevity, and the ability to change and morph and yet always remain themselves.