# Herb & Wine Pairings
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Significance
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The herbs used in a dish can completely change the flavoring of the meal. Just as each herb has a unique taste, each wine varietal has its own taste. Although each varietal can taste different based on age, winemaking technique and quality of grapes used, each varietal has basic flavor profiles that the grape exhibits. Wine experts use these flavors to suggest pairings for food. Herbs are important when pairing because herbs used in a dish can change the entire flavor.
Types
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White wine and tarragon is a good match. In a San Francisco Chronicle article on wine pairings, writer Lynne Char Bennett suggests pairing tarragon with aromatic white wines. If you'll be serving both red and white wine, take Bennett's advice and use thyme in a dish, as she says the herb pairs nicely with both wines.
Warning
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Red wine and tarragon should be avoided. Although the best wine pairings can bring out the flavors in the food and the vino, the worst pairings can actually hinder. According to wine writer Ted Loos in an Epicurious article about wine pairings, tarragon is not the best choice for an herb and Pinot Noir pairing. Loos says the tarragon herb, "hinders the wine's fruitiness."
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