Here on our website, the wines are divided into categories by their characteristics, to help you find the right wine for you.

Appetizers: 
White wine or sparkling wine is best suited for starters. The choice may be light bodied or medium white wine, dry or sweet, depending on the dish.

With lobster- or seafood soup, dry sparkling wine is very suitable. For those who do not like sparkling wine, light to medium and dry Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay.

With grilled lobster, dry sparkling wine is great. Also dry and medium, even full-bodied, white wine. Chardonnay, Chablis or dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, depending on the side dish and cooking method.

Smoked and dill-cured salmon (Gravlax) is a popular starter in Iceland. Dry or semi-dry Riesling works well. With the smoked salmon, oaked Chardonnay is surprisingly good. For those who are fond of Sauvignon Blanc, it is also an interesting option.

Main dishes:

With poultry and pork, you can choose either white or red, light or medium bodied.

Turkey goes well with both white and red. Chardonnay (preferably oaked), Pinot Gris from Alsace, dry Riesling from Alsace or Chile. Ripasso from Italy or wine in that style.

With duck you can try the Cotes du Rhone, Ripasso, Rioja Reserva. Dry, even semi-dry, Riesling and Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Pork roast with crackling is popular during the holiday season, here you can choose a Reserva red wine from Spain, Chile Pinot Noir, Primitivo or Valpolicella from Italy. Dry Riesling from Alsace, Germany or Chile is also well suited.

With glazed ham, both white and red wines are served. Pinot Gris and dry or semi-dry Riesling. Pinot Noir from the New World, and I would like to mention popular red wines from Italy, so-called Appassimento. Crianza red wine from Rioja has also been popular with the roasted ham.

Lamb is a wine-friendly meal and usually attracts the best features in the wine. Red Bordeaux and lamb compares well. Rioja and most of the Spanish wines are also good here. Wine from Cabernet Sauvignon is very suitable. Red wine from Tuscany and Veneto are also good with the lamb.

Beef pairs well with powerful red wine. Bordeaux red wine and Chianti Classico are great with beef steak. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the New world and wines from the Rhine-valley are also suitable with beef, in fact, there are so many good choices that it's hard to mention everything.

Game is a lean meat and dry wines rich with tannin should be avoided, because the meat will then taste drier. The wine can be flavorful if it is to be paired with a very flavorful wild game. It's a better if the wine has matured and is full-bodied.

Rock ptarmigan (Rjúpa) is a flavorful Icelandic wild game, with flavorful dark meat. Australia's powerful shiraz comes first to mind, but the delicious Ribera del Duero or Rioja can also handle this dish. Hermitage should also perform well. Also strong Malbec from Argentina.

Wild goose is tasty and should fit well with Australia's powerful Shiraz. Rioja Gran Reserva and Reserva also work well. Wine from Chile where Carmenére plays a major role, both by itself and mixed with other grapes, have proven themselves good with wild goose.

Reindeer is a luxury food, so it should be justifiable to have wine in a higher price range. Hermitage, a Syrah (Shiraz) from the North Rhone, is not as powerful as the Australian wine, but has charm and finesse that suits the reindeer. The Chianti Classico also fits well. Australian Shiraz is well-suited for reindeer, it has the fruit and filling and usually a sweet taste that fits well. Chateaux from Bordeaux is highly recommended and Cabernet Sauvignon as well.

Páll Sigurðsson
Wine Expert