Food & Wine Pairings – Rosé Wine and World Cuisines
- Xavier Courpotin
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Discover how to master food and wine pairings to match your exotic dishes… or the less exotic ones too.
Rosé wine is not just a “terrace wine”. It can pair with almost any dish if you know how to choose it. In food and wine pairings, rosé knows how to stay discreet or step forward, depending on what you expect from it. Its freshness, fruit-driven profile and light structure make it the perfect companion for travelling through world cuisines.
With a well-crafted Languedoc rosé like On The Cusp, you get a wine that stays true to its identity while adapting to very different dishes. Ready to explore food and wine pairings together?
Mediterranean cuisine: the most natural pairing
Ripe tomatoes, olive oil, fresh herbs, grilled fish, slow-cooked vegetables… flavours are clean and straightforward. Rosé wine accompanies rather than dominates.
If you want to succeed in your food and wine pairings:
For tomato-based pasta or pizza: choose a fruity, fresh rosé, often made from Grenache or Cinsault grapes.
For paella or grilled fish: you need a slightly more structured rosé, able to stand up to saffron and marine flavours. Rosé is also perfect with a classic bouillabaisse.
You can opt for a Tavel from the Rhône Valley, a Costières de Nîmes, a Patrimonio from Corsica or even a Bandol — all excellent rosé wines that pair beautifully with paella.
For mezze or grilled vegetables: go for a lively, aromatic rosé that extends the herbal notes and fresh cheeses.
A cuvée like On The Cusp IGP – Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert works perfectly here: precise fruit, delicate freshness with a touch of pepper, and the perfect balance for Mediterranean dishes — fittingly from its native region, Languedoc-Roussillon.
Asian cuisine: playing with balance
Asian dishes are often a challenge: sweet, salty, acidic, spicy… Rosé wine can help you avoid mistakes in your food and wine pairings.
Sushi, sashimi, tempura? Choose a very pale rosé, dry and crisp, with minimal extraction. It respects the finesse of the fish without overpowering the vinegared rice.
Thai curry, coconut milk, chilli ? Go for a fruity, aromatic rosé with moderate alcohol. It softens the heat and supports the herbs.
Sweet-and-sour Chinese dishes or wok cooking ? A supple, well-balanced rosé bridges sauces and flavours without rigidity.
Here, rosé wine becomes your discreet but effective ally for achieving the perfect food and wine pairing.
Latin American cuisine: warmth and generosity
Mexican, Brazilian or Argentinian cuisines are bold and generous. Your rosé wine must keep pace — never weighing down the dish, but never disappearing either.
Tacos, fajitas, quesadillas: a fresh, fruity rosé to tame the chilli and balance flavours.
Ceviche: a lively but light and easy-drinking rosé, with low extraction (short maceration, pale colour), matching the acidity of lime or lemon.
Grilled meats, asado: a structured rosé capable of supporting fat and smoky flavours from charcoal or open-fire cooking.
Once again, On The Cusp rosé is a great example: its tension and light fruit profile adapt to all these dishes without ever losing balance. Citrus aromas (grapefruit, clementine) with a subtle peppery note; on the palate, more red fruits with a gentle acidity and a beautifully controlled structure to elevate your food.
In every case, grilled meats and rosé wine… a perfect match.
African cuisine: depth and freshness
African dishes are often rich, spicy and slow-cooked. For successful food and wine pairings, you need a rosé that brings freshness and respects the spices.
Couscous, tagines: a structured yet digestible rosé, with acidity to support the spices.
Peanut-based sauces, spicy dishes: a generous rosé with lower alcohol.
Fermented and very spicy Ethiopian dishes: a dry, straight rosé that cleanses the palate and lets you enjoy every bite.
Overall, to pair with African cuisine, rosé wines from the Mediterranean basin are recommended — Côtes de Provence, but even better suited are wines from Languedoc-Roussillon, such as a Corbières. You can also suggest a Clairet from the Bordeaux area.
Final Sip, the On The Cusp Way of Food & Wine Pairings
Rosé wine is your best ally if you want to master food and wine pairings with style. It adapts to all cuisines, from the simplest to the most complex, while keeping its identity.
What matters most is understanding the dish, choosing a rosé with the right style — grape variety, structure, freshness, aromas, colour — and letting the wine do the rest. With a cuvée designed for sharing among friends, On The Cusp rosé, available in magnum or 75cl bottle, you can explore world cuisines while enjoying the same balance and harmony at every meal. To learn more about On The Cusp, visit our website here or @onthecusp.
Rosé wine has no borders. And your food and wine pairings are an invitation to discover, taste and explore.
Get the vibes, we bring the wine !
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