What to Drink with What You Eat - Definitive Pairing Guide

Our review of What to Drink with What You Eat finds it invaluable for cooks, home entertainers, and curious readers who want confident, practical pairing advice. The book presents concise, expert-backed recommendations for pairing food with wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea and water, and its single biggest selling point is the breadth of beverages covered in a single, accessible guide. Written by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg with contributions from Michael Sofronski, this review highlights how the book translates sommelier knowledge into everyday choices without overwhelming technical jargon.

Key Features

• Comprehensive beverage coverage: Offers pairing guidance across wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea and water so readers can match nearly any dish to an appropriate drink.
• Expert authorship: Draws on advice from America's top sommeliers and the authors' experience to provide trustworthy, experience-based recommendations.
• Practical format: Organizes pairings in a user-friendly way that makes it easy to find suggestions for common ingredients and dishes.
• Accessible writing: Uses clear language that helps both beginners and more knowledgeable readers understand why certain pairings work.
• Useful for entertaining: Helps hosts make quick, confident pairing choices when planning menus or serving guests.

Who It's For

Home cooks and dinner hosts who want a single reference for pairing a wide range of beverages with food will find this book particularly useful. Its practical approach suits anyone who prefers clear, actionable guidance over academic tasting theory, including people building confidence in hosting or selecting drinks to complement meals.

Professional sommeliers or advanced wine students who need deep technical tasting analysis may want more specialized texts focused solely on wine regions or varietal studies. Similarly, readers seeking recipe-driven cookbooks rather than pairing guidance should look elsewhere.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Broad scope covering wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea and water makes it an all-in-one pairing resource.
• Advice is grounded in contributions from respected sommeliers, lending practical authority to recommendations.
• Clear, accessible writing helps readers quickly apply suggestions at home or when entertaining.

Cons

• Not primarily a technical textbook, so readers wanting deep oenology detail may find the coverage high level.

Specifications

Title	What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water
Authors	Karen Page; Andrew Dornenburg; contributor Michael Sofronski
Subject	Food and beverage pairings
Category hint	Books, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Beverages & Wine
Style	Practical, expert-backed pairing guide
Audience	Home cooks, hosts, beverage enthusiasts

Our Verdict

What to Drink with What You Eat is a solid, good-value reference for anyone who wants reliable pairing advice across many beverage types. Its expert foundation and practical organization make it a go-to book for hosts and home cooks, and it pays off for readers who want quick, usable guidance rather than in-depth technical study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover beverages beyond wine?
Yes, it explicitly includes beer, spirits, coffee, tea and even water alongside wine for full-spectrum pairing guidance.

Is the advice suitable for beginners?
Yes, the writing is accessible and focused on practical recommendations, making it friendly for beginners.

Who are the authors and contributors?
The book is by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg with contributions from Michael Sofronski and draws on sommelier expertise.