The best foods to pair with wine

When we’re asked what the best foods to pair with wine are, we don’t answer with a formula. We look at the bottle, then at the table. A Brunello di Montalcino calls for something different from a local Vermentino. An old Bordeaux should not be treated like a glass of young Sangiovese. And a dinner can also begin with focaccia, tomato, and a well-poured glass.

At Tomkat, at Via Calderia 12, in Lucca’s historic center near Piazza San Michele, the menu is short by choice. It helps us eat well with wine, rather than putting obstacles between the customer and the cellar. We have almost 200 Italian and French labels, selected bottle by bottle and updated every week. Tuscany comes first, because that’s where we are. Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux are the other part of the conversation.

The best foods to pair with wine, at the table

Pairing is not a competition to see who can say the most words. It’s a matter of weight, flavor, and timing. A very sweet dish can make a dry red seem severe. A blue cheese may call for a wine with more depth. A slow-cooked beef roast needs a red that can stand up to the fork, not a wine chosen simply because it has an important name.

That is exactly what our menu is for. There are a few dishes, a well-chosen pantry, and a cellar that lets you change your mind. For those spending one or two evenings in Lucca, it’s a practical way to drink Tuscan wine without committing to an overly long dinner. For those who live between Lucca, the Piana, and Versilia, it’s a reason to come back: a selection of wines by the glass that changes often, including less obvious bottles.

Focaccia y Tomate with white wines and light reds

Focaccia y Tomate arrives at the table to be shared by hand: focaccia, Campanian tomato, Tuscan olive oil, and Maldon salt. It’s simple, but not neutral. The tomato brings acidity, the oil adds roundness, and the salt lingers on the finish.

It works with a Tuscan Vermentino because the wine keeps pace with the tomato and cleanses the oil from the palate. It’s a natural choice at the start of the evening, especially if you have just left the streets of the center and want a glass before deciding what comes next. If you prefer red, a Sangiovese that is not too full-bodied can be more interesting than it seems. The shared acidity does the work. There’s no need to complicate it.

This is also the answer for anyone who thinks red wine always requires meat. Sometimes it only requires a well-made tomato and the right wine.

Beef roast and great Tuscan reds

The beef roast is slow-cooked and served with chimichurri sauce and a tangy beef jus. Here, we don’t pretend that a light glass is the most brilliant solution. The dish has texture, juices, and time. It wants a red with structure, but also enough freshness not to become heavy after a few bites.

Brunello di Montalcino is one of the choices most often requested at our tables, and it makes precise sense with the roast. Sangiovese brings acidity and tension, while the wine’s body stands alongside the meat without covering it. A Bolgheri can also work, especially for those looking for a broader, spicier profile. It depends on the vintage, the bottle, and how much you want the wine to lead the dish.

For a bottle of older Tuscan vintage, ask us first. Not all mature vintages call for the same food. Some are still nervous and lively, while others are softer, with notes that approach broth and long cooking. These are details that are not meant to impress. They help us choose well for that evening.

Sweet-and-sour pork ribs: better not to force it

The Pork Ribs sweet & sour are the dish that most tests shortcuts. The sweet-and-sour profile changes the table: sugar, acidity, and meat demand attention. A very tannic red can become harsh. A wine that is too alcoholic can seem even hotter.

Here, we often prefer to think in terms of contrast and freshness. A red with clear fruit and non-aggressive tannins can be a good path. In some cases, a wine by the glass chosen for that week makes more sense than the usual famous bottle. The list changes often for exactly this reason: we don’t want you to order the same thing out of habit.

There is no universal answer for ribs. There is the bottle that has been opened, your taste, and the desire to have a second glass without tiring your palate. These are details we are happy to resolve at the counter or at the table.

Cured meats, cheeses, and wine: the pantry matters

The pantry is useful when you want a light dinner, to share several things, or to give the wine more room. We move from Culatta di Parma to Jamón 100% Ibérico de Bellota, from Tuscan pecorino to Jura Comté. There are also Gillardeau oysters and caviar.

With cured meats, Sangiovese remains a highly dependable choice. It has drive, does not become heavy with fat, and keeps the conversation lively. With Jamón Ibérico, however, it is worth looking to France as well. A well-chosen Champagne can have the precision and freshness needed to accompany the fat without erasing the sweetness of the meat. It’s not a ceremonial pairing. It’s simply very good.

Jura Comté has depth and savory intensity. It can work well with an evolved Tuscan red, but also with a glass of Champagne if you are looking for a more taut direction. Aged pecorino has a more decisive character and deserves to be chosen together with the wine, not afterward.

Gillardeau oysters and caviar change the register again. Here, minerality, salt, and texture become central. Champagne and some whites from our French selection find their place naturally. They are small dishes, but not accessories. If you are drinking an important bottle, they may be the best way not to interrupt it.

When to choose Burgundy, Champagne, or Bordeaux

Tuscany is what many guests look for in Lucca, and that makes sense. Brunello, Bolgheri, and Sangiovese are among our most requested wines. But the cellar also has a distinct French identity. That is why we have Burgundy from great domaines and small vignerons, Champagne, and a Bordeaux Experience with châteaux from the 1980s onward.

Red Burgundy can be a wonderful choice with the beef roast if you are looking for more finesse than power. It is not automatically the most suitable bottle: it depends on how evolved it is, which vintage we are talking about, and how you want to eat. Champagne is more flexible than many people think, especially with focaccia, cured meats, Comté, and seafood from the pantry.

With a mature Bordeaux, however, we prefer not to rush. Opening a bottle with a few decades behind it deserves a table willing to pause for a while. The beef roast is often a good companion, but a selection of cheeses can also work, especially when the wine has already moved beyond its most tannic phase and shows a more earthy, softer side.

An evening in Lucca, without overthinking it

We are open in the evening, Monday through Saturday, from 18:00 to 23:00. Anyone who wants to better understand part of the list can book a guided tasting, starting at 20 euros. You don’t need to be a collector. You need curiosity and time to listen to two good stories instead of ten unnecessary ones.

In 2025 we received the Star Wine List Best Newcomer and the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. In 2026 came the Star Wine List Best Medium-Sized Wine List and once again the Best of Award of Excellence. These are naturally welcome recognitions. But the point remains more concrete: finding the wine and food that make you stay at the table for one more glass.

If you are in Lucca this week, book a table and tell us where you want to begin: Brunello, Bolgheri, Champagne, or a bottle you had not planned on. We’ll take care of the rest together.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli