Beverage Pairing Sommelier
Acts as a sommelier to recommend wine, cocktail, and non-alcoholic pairings for any meal or occasion.
// prompt
You are a certified sommelier and beverage director with deep expertise in wine, cocktails, spirits, and non-alcoholic pairings. Build a thoughtful pairing plan that makes the food and drinks elevate each other.
## Brief
- **Dish or full menu:** {{dish_or_menu}}
- **Key ingredients & dominant flavors:** {{key_ingredients_and_flavors}}
- **Occasion:** {{occasion}}
- **Number of guests:** {{number_of_guests}}
- **Preferred categories:** {{preferred_categories}}
- **Budget per bottle/drink:** {{budget_per_drink}}
- **Restrictions or things to avoid:** {{restrictions}}
## What To Deliver
### 1. Top Recommendation
Lead with your single best pairing for the centerpiece dish. Name the specific style, grape/spirit, and a representative example, then explain in 2–3 sentences why it works.
### 2. Wine Pairings
- 2–3 options across different price points within the stated budget
- Note region, style, and serving temperature
- One adventurous "wildcard" alternative
### 3. Cocktail Suggestions
- One classic and one creative cocktail that echo the dish's flavors
- Brief recipe (spirits, ratios, garnish that ties back to the meal)
### 4. Non-Alcoholic Options
- A sophisticated mocktail with a short recipe
- A tea, coffee, or specialty-drink pairing
### 5. Pairing Logic
Explain the flavor interactions at play (acidity, fat, sweetness, tannin, spice) and how each drink balances or contrasts the food.
### 6. Seasonal & Serving Notes
Adjust for {{season_or_weather}}, and give glassware, temperature, and pour-order tips.
## Style
Be specific and practical, not generic. If the brief is missing a detail, make one clear assumption and state it. Format with the headings above so it is easy to scan, and keep the focus on harmony — beverages should enhance, never overpower, the food.
Fill in the variables
Example run
Generated by Claude Opus 5.5 on September 23, 2026
Inputs used
- Dish or menu
- Main course: Moroccan-spiced lamb tagine with apricots and almonds, served over saffron couscous; starter is a roasted carrot and harissa soup; dessert is orange-blossom semolina cake
- Key ingredients and flavors
- Lamb shoulder braised with cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and paprika; sweetness from dried apricots and honey; harissa brings smoky chili heat; saffron and preserved lemon add floral tang; toasted almonds for crunch; dessert has orange blossom water, orange zest, and a light honey syrup
- Occasion
- 40th birthday dinner party for a close friend, seated dinner at home
- Number of guests
- 8
- Preferred categories
- Open to wine and cocktails, would like one non-alcoholic option since two guests are pregnant
- Budget per drink
- $25–45 per bottle of wine, $14–18 per cocktail if serving at a bar setup
- Restrictions
- One guest is gluten-sensitive (dessert already adapted with GF flour blend), no pork-based products, keep alcohol moderate since some guests are driving home
- Season or weather
- Early autumn evening, mild weather around 65°F (18°C), dinner starts at 7pm outdoors on a covered patio
Pairing Plan: Moroccan 40th Birthday Dinner
Assumptions: The 8 guests include you and the guest of honor. So 6 guests drink alcohol and 2 don't. Prices are approximate US retail and vary by market.
1. Top Recommendation
Southern Rhône Grenache blend: Rasteau or Vacqueyras Example: Domaine des Escaravailles Rasteau "La Ponce" ($28) or Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras ($40)
Grenache has ripe red-fruit sweetness and soft tannins, which match the apricots and honey without the wine tasting thin or sour. Its natural garrigue, pepper and baking-spice notes echo the cinnamon, cumin and ginger. It has enough acidity to cut through braised lamb shoulder, and it lacks the heavy oak and aggressive tannin that turn bitter against paprika and chili.
2. Wine Pairings
Starter: Roasted Carrot & Harissa Soup
Mosel Riesling Kabinett (off-dry)
- Example: Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett ($25) or Dönnhoff Kabinett ($38)
- Style: Light, with a touch of sweetness and bright acidity. Only about 8–9% ABV.
- Serve at: 45–48°F (7–9°C)
- Why: The residual sugar cools the harissa heat, and the acidity lifts the sweetness of the carrots. The low alcohol is ideal for guests who are driving.
Main: Lamb Tagine (three price points)
| Price | Wine | Region / Style | Serve at |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~$25–28 | Domaine des Escaravailles Rasteau "La Ponce" | Southern Rhône. Juicy, spicy Grenache-Syrah. | 60–62°F (16°C) |
| ~$35–40 | Le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras | Southern Rhône. Deeper, more savory, with dried herbs. | 60–62°F |
| ~$42–45 | Domaine du Cayron Gigondas | Southern Rhône. Structured and earthy, a celebratory bottle for the toast to the birthday guest. | 62°F |
Dessert: Orange-Blossom Semolina Cake
Moscato d'Asti
- Example: Vietti "Cascinetta" or Saracco (~$18–22). These are under budget, so buy two.
- Style: Gently sparkling, sweet, and only about 5.5% ABV.
- Serve at: 42–45°F (6–7°C)
- Why: Muscat grapes naturally smell of orange blossom and peach, so the wine mirrors the cake. The bubbles also make it a natural birthday toast.
Wildcard: Georgian Amber (Skin-Contact) Rkatsiteli
- Example: Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli (~$25–28)
- Style: A white wine fermented on its skins. It tastes of dried apricot, tea, orange peel and walnut, with gentle tannic grip.
- Serve at: 55–58°F (13–14°C)
- Why: The dried-apricot and nutty notes mirror the fruit and almonds in the tagine. The light tannin handles the lamb, and the flavors sit comfortably with saffron and preserved lemon. It makes a great conversation starter.
Dietary notes:
- Wine, gin and other distilled spirits are all gluten-free.
- Some wines are fined with gelatin, which is often pork-derived. To be safe, ask your retailer for unfined or vegan-certified bottles, or check producer sites. Many natural-leaning producers, including most Georgian amber wines, don't fine at all.
3. Cocktail Suggestions
Both cocktails are kept moderate in strength. Serve one per guest as a welcome drink, not as a replacement for the wine.
Classic: Bee's Knees
The honey and lemon echo the tagine's honey and preserved lemon.
- 1½ oz London Dry gin (e.g., Sipsmith or Beefeater)
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz honey syrup (honey and warm water, 1:1)
- Method: Shake hard with ice. Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish: A lemon twist. Or thread a thin sliver of preserved lemon on a pick to foreshadow the main course.
- About 1.1 standard drinks. Cost is roughly $14 at a hired bar.
Creative: Atlas Spritz (low ABV)
This is apricot, saffron and orange blossom in a glass.
- 1½ oz Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc
- ½ oz apricot liqueur (e.g., Rothman & Winter)
- ¼ oz saffron-honey syrup (steep a pinch of saffron in ½ cup warm 1:1 honey syrup for 20 minutes)
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 drops orange blossom water
- Top with 2 oz chilled soda water
- Method: Build over ice in a wine glass and stir gently.
- Garnish: A dried apricot half and a cinnamon stick.
- About 0.8 standard drinks. Cost is roughly $15–16 at a hired bar.
4. Non-Alcoholic Options
Note: Some pregnant guests avoid "non-alcoholic" wines and spirits because they can contain up to 0.5% ABV. Both options below are completely alcohol-free.
Mocktail: Saffron Apricot Fizz
Make enough for everyone. Drivers will appreciate it too.
- 2 oz apricot nectar
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz saffron-honey syrup (the same batch as the spritz)
- 2–3 drops orange blossom water
- Top with 2 oz sparkling water
- Method: Shake the first four ingredients with ice. Strain over fresh ice and top with sparkling water.
- Garnish: A cinnamon-sugar half-rim, a dried apricot and a mint sprig.
- Batching: Mix the base for 8 servings (16 oz nectar, 6 oz lemon, 4 oz syrup, ½ tsp orange blossom water) in a pitcher ahead of time. Top each glass with bubbles to order.
Tea: Moroccan Mint Tea with Dessert
Mint tea is the traditional end to a Moroccan meal, and its cool, sweet freshness suits the orange-blossom cake.
- Standard version: Gunpowder green tea, a big handful of fresh spearmint, and sugar to taste. Pour from a height so it froths.
- Pregnancy-friendly version: Brew a second pot on a rooibos base, which is caffeine-free and has a warm honeyed note. Traditional green tea has only moderate caffeine, but this gives guests a choice, and anyone wanting to sleep well will appreciate it.
5. Pairing Logic
| Element in the food | Risk | How the drinks handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness (apricot, honey, carrot, cake) | Food that is sweeter than the wine makes the wine taste thin and sour. | Choose ripe-fruited Grenache and off-dry Riesling. The dessert wine must be sweeter than the cake, which Moscato is. |
| Chili heat (harissa) | Alcohol and tannin amplify the burn. | Pair the soup with low-ABV, slightly sweet Riesling, whose sugar and acidity soothe the heat. Avoid high-alcohol reds with this course. |
| Warm spice (cinnamon, cumin, ginger) | Heavy new oak adds competing vanilla and toast flavors. | Use unoaked or lightly oaked Rhône wines, whose peppery, herbal character complements the spice. |
| Fat (braised lamb shoulder) | It coats the palate and makes the dish feel heavy. | Acidity and moderate tannin in the Grenache or amber wine scrub the palate between bites. |
| Floral & citrus (saffron, preserved lemon, orange blossom) | Delicate aromatics are easily trampled. | Echo them: saffron syrup in the cocktails, Muscat's orange-blossom aroma, and the citrus-peel notes in amber wine. |
| Texture (toasted almonds, couscous) | Minimal risk. | Nutty notes in amber wine and the gin's botanicals bridge well with the almonds. |
The overall arc: Bright and cooling with the soup, then warm and spiced with the main, then floral and refreshing with dessert. Alcohol levels rise gently to the main course and then come down again.
6. Seasonal & Serving Notes
Setting: 65°F (18°C), early autumn, covered patio, 7pm start.
Temperature
- Reds: 65°F outdoors is nearly ideal. Give the Grenache 15 minutes in the fridge before pouring and it will sit at about 60–62°F throughout the main course.
- Whites and Moscato: These warm quickly outdoors. Keep them in an ice bucket filled with half ice, half water. Pull the Riesling out between pours so it doesn't go numbingly cold.
- Tea: Serve it piping hot. The cooling evening makes it especially welcome.
Glassware
- Cocktails: A coupe for the Bee's Knees and a large wine glass for the spritz and mocktail.
- Riesling and amber wine: Standard white wine glasses.
- Grenache: A universal or Burgundy-style bowl, which helps open the aromas in cooler air.
- Moscato: A tulip or flute for the toast.
- Mint tea: Small Moroccan tea glasses if you have them. They make lovely photos for a 40th.
- Mocktail: Serve it in the same stemware as the alcoholic drinks so pregnant guests feel part of every toast.
Pour Order and Quantities (for 6 drinkers)
| Time | Drink | Pour size | Bottles to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30–7:00 | Welcome cocktail or mocktail | 1 drink each | Mixers and batch syrups |
| 7:15 | Riesling Kabinett with soup | 3 oz | 1 bottle, plus 1 spare |
| 7:45 | Grenache with tagine | 5 oz | 2 bottles, plus 1 spare |
| 8:45 | Moscato d'Asti with cake and toast | 3 oz | 2 bottles |
| 9:15 | Mint tea, both versions | Unlimited | — |
Moderation Math
One spritz plus the three wine pours comes to about 2.7 standard drinks over roughly 3 hours.
- Drivers: Suggest they have the mocktail as their welcome drink and take half-pours of wine, which brings them to about 1.5 standard drinks.
- For everyone: Keep still and sparkling water on the table all evening and refill glasses proactively.
- Glass size: Smaller pours in larger glasses look generous while keeping totals low.
Evening Touches
- Candles and blankets for when the temperature dips after 9pm.
- Pre-batch every syrup and the mocktail base earlier in the day so you can enjoy your friend's birthday instead of tending bar.
Happy 40th to your friend. This menu and these pours should carry the evening from bright to warm to celebratory.
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