Apples, Gala
pie, crisp or crumble
with pie spices

BC, QC, ON

Light Muscat or similarly light but only slightly sweet wine with yellow (not berry) fruit nose. Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Voignier.

Arctic Char
pan-roasted in butter with light seasoning

 
NU

Delicate fish suggests a medium-bodied Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc; or a very delicate Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Nouveau

Bacon, Peameal
maple-smoked with grainy mustard on a Yukon sourdough bun

ONT

Complex flavours suggest a go-to off-dry food wine that can take the salt, the fat and the sweet. Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling. See also Mustard and Yukon Sourdough

Bannock

All

Pair with your favourite wine as bannock offers a neutral canvas

Beef
char-grilled with
salt and pepper only (grass fed)

AB, SK

Medium-bodied, soft reds like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Granache, with hints of caramel and smoke pair well with lean beef.

Bison
char-grilled with salt
and pepper only (grass fed)

AB, SK

Medium soft reds as above but with a slight hint of fruit to balance the wildness of the meat. Not too tannic (dry) as bison contains little fat.

Blueberries
lowbush, wild

NB, ON

On their own, pair with a sparking wine.  Traditional grunts, pies and crumbles suggest a light fruited wine, or even a Tokay or Icewine.

Butter Tarts

ON, QC

Definitely a light, white late-harvest or dessert wine.

Cheddar

ON

Mild cheddars pair well with softer wines like Syrah, Pinot Noir , even Sauvignon Blanc. Aged cheddars support higher -tannin wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, oaked Chardonnay

Chokecherries
prepared jam with wild honey

BC, AB, SK, NL

A red oaked wine with light oak, vanilla and jammy fruit notes would pair beautifully. Cabernet, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Granache

Cranberries
highbush dried

All

In cranberry sauce try a sparkling wine, Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc.

Dungeness Crab
Steamed with drawn butter

BC

Dry whites with light fruit, citrus and soft flint pair beautifully, as do those with a buttery mouthfeel.  Pinot Gris, Riesling, un-oaked Chardonnay.

Fiddlehead Greens
streamed; sauteed in butter

NS, NB, BC

Aggressive characteristic, tough to pair.  Avoid big reds with high tannins as that will intensify bitterness. Sweet German wines are a good bet.

Halifax Donairs

NB

Rich and fat-forward describes donairs and their sauce.  Opt or a great big red or white wine - perhaps Greek or Croatian

Kraft Dinner

All

See Cheddar above for suggestions with soft or sharp varieties of KD.  Sweet wines don't pair well.

Maple
as a curing flavour

 
ON, QC

Most maple-smoked meats and seafood lean toward white wines with caramel notes and enough acidity to cut through sweet and fat. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc.

Montreal Smoked Beef
on rye bread with mustard

 
QC

 
According to those in the know, Israeli red is the way to go.  Layers of flavours in everything from the bread to the pickling spice make pairing a challenge.

Montreal Bagels and Lox  with cream cheese and dill

 
QC

According to those in the know, Israeli red is the way to go.  Layers of flavours in everything from the bread to the pickling spice make pairing a challenge.

Mussels
steamed in white wine, garlic, butter and lemon

 
PE, BC

 
A dry, non-mineralized Pinot Gri, Sauvignon, Voignier or Riesling would be a good choice.  Cook in the same wine you pair with. 

Mustard
prepared with vinegar
in a sauce or dressing

 
BC, AB, MB

 
Vinegar poses a challenge to pairing, so choose an acidic wine that will cancel out the vinegar and let the 'mustard' shine through. Look for whites from cooler regions, like Canada.

Nanaimo Bars

 BC

 Gorgeous paired with a slightly salty-sweet Manzanilla Sherry, or a Madeira for its smoky caramel sweetness.

Oka Cheese

 ON

 A medium firm cheese suggests moderate pairing with Gamay, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Nouveau, Cabernet Franc.

Oysters
raw on the half shell

 
BC, PE, NS, NB

 
Champagne is the obvious choice, but crisp and slightly citrusy, lightly mineralized Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Voignier, Riesling and Sancerre are great choices also.

PEI Potatoes
traditional bake with onions and clove

 
PEI

 
Vanilla-oaked red wines that are not too tanic, pair well with the cloves and onions.  Spanish Tempranillo with slight pepper, is a good choice.

Pemmican

 All

 Super concentrated flavours of dried smoked venison, condensed fat and dried berries invite pairing with a heavy-hitting Port or Madeira

Poutine

QC

Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah/Shiraz should hold their own against the 'rich', but a big bright dry, spicy, fruity, floral Gewurztraminer may be your best bet.

Rappie Pie
topped with melted butter and molasses

 
NS

 
Without the molasses the pairings would be similar to PEI Potatoes, but with it, a slightly sweet and spicy Gewurztraminer or buttery Chardonnay might be a better choice.

Salmon

BC, NL

Rich white wines that can support the oiliness. Oaked Chardonnay, white Burgundy, Voignier

Sardines

Sparkling wines, dry Riesling, white Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Grenache are foils for salty fish

Saskatchewan Lentils
with wheat berries; prairie salad

 
SK

 
One their own, lentils are fairly neutral, but in a prairie salad with a lemon vinaigrette toothy lentils suggest a crisp, acidic white like an Aegean White Muscat, or Italian Pinot Grigio

Saskatoon Berries
in a traditional sauce for venison

 
SK

 
Big jammy, plummy wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot - even Cabernet France from hot spots like California, Okanagan and Australia pair beautifully with the berries and tame the wild meat.

Sugar Pie
traditional, made with maple sugar

 
QC, ON

 
Made almost exclusively from maple sugar, cream and eggs, sugar pie needs a formidable pairing with a slightly caramelized Cream Sherry, Port or Madeira.

Tourtiere

 QC

A crisp, acidic sparkling wine or Champagne will bring out tourtiere's complex spices but cut through the richness of the meat and pastry.  Crisp apple cider is a traditional pairing.

 Venison

 QC

Wild meat is lean and can be strong flavoured.  Red, lightly fruited wines without too much tannin pair well.   Cabernet France, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Winnipeg Goldeye

MB

Dry white Eastern European and Greek wines, and dry sparkling wines pair well with oily, smokey fish

 Yukon Sourdough

 YT

Yeasty sourdough bread wants to pair with beer, but suggested wines include those like Beaujoulais, with soft fruit to cut the sour.