The Right Wines To Pair With Charcuterie When You're Skipping The Meat And Cheese

There's no shortage of options for building a delightful charcuterie board without loading up on chevre and slices of Culatello. For example, colorful vegan boards are loaded with raw and cooked vegetables like asparagus and olives, cucumbers and carrots, nuts, hummus, and maybe even some nut-based cheese. They're garnished with rosemary and other fresh herbs and offer a completely different flavor profile than their meaty, cheesy counterparts. Because of that, of course, they need a totally different set of wines for pairing.

Charcuterie has the illusion of a choose-your-own adventure kind of edible experience. But anyone who's built a charcuterie board knows the whole thing is intentionally curated, from selecting the best board to choosing the right beverage. We got some exclusive tips on wine pairings for vegan charcuteries boards from Ricardo Cubias, Assistant General Manager and Level Three Sommelier at Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach.

Cubias suggests wines with lighter body and sweet or crisp notes to pair with vegan charcuterie to support the flavors and textures of all those vegetables, fruits, and nuts. He said: "Without butter, cheese or meat fats, you'll want wines with crisp acidity or a soft, fruit palate to keep things fresh and not heavy."

Everything about a vegan charcuterie board is light and crisp. Crunchy, snappy textures from raw veggies, crackers, and nuts intermingle with softer moments from fruit and spreads like hummus. Light and medium-bodied wines like pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, and rose compliment the vibrant interplay of textures without overpowering all the delicate flavor notes.

If you build a charcuterie board with things like beet spreads, grilled veggies and lentil pâté, Ricardo Cubias recommends pairing a chillable red wine like Grenache or a light Paso Pinot Noir — wines that are "fruity, (with) soft tannins and nothing overpowering." White wines like Paso Robles Albariño and Edna Valley Chardonnay may pair well with nutty flavors. As Cubias notes, "They cut through hummus, olives, roasted nuts and vegan cheeses with just the right amount of zip."

There are plenty of vegan wines out there to enjoy when you're ditching the meat and cheese from your charcuterie. Cavit Pinot Grigio is a crisp vegan wine that will pair beautifully with fresh ingredients and any kind of mushroom-based fare on the board. Villa Sparina also is a light, peachy vegan white wine that is lovely alongside vegan cheeses, hummus, and crackers.