7 Iconic New York Foods and the Imported Wines That Match Them

A pastrami sandwich stacked three inches high does not care about wine rules. Neither does a slice of cheesecake dense enough to stop a fork, or a halal cart platter drowned in white sauce and hot sauce. Yet New York is one of the most important wine markets in the country: market research on the state puts it at roughly 6.5% of all US wine consumption, the third-largest market after California and Texas, and the clear leader in the Northeast. New Yorkers drink wine often, and they drink it with exactly this kind of food.

So we asked a simple question: if you take seven foods that every New Yorker knows by heart, which imported bottles actually make them better? Here is our answer, built from our own portfolio of wines from Spain, Italy, Chile and South Africa, all in stock in the U.S. and ready to ship to all 50 states.

Key Takeaways

• Smoke loves smoke: pastrami and Reserve Pinotage are made for each other.
• Fat needs structure: a New York strip calls for an aged Rioja Gran Reserva or a Chilean Cabernet.
• Tomato needs acidity: chicken parm sings with Nebbiolo d'Alba, not with a heavy, oaky red.
• Heat needs freshness: dumplings with chili oil and halal cart hot sauce want rosé or a lightly sweet white.
• Dessert must be sweeter than the dish: New York cheesecake and Moscato d'Asti is the easiest win on this list.

What Wine Goes With a Pastrami Sandwich?

Pastrami is brined, rubbed with black pepper and coriander, smoked and then steamed until it falls apart. That smoky, peppery, salty profile flattens delicate wines. Classic advice points to light, fruity reds such as Beaujolais or to sparkling wine for pastrami bites. We go one step bolder for the full deli sandwich.

• Bruce Jack Reserve Pinotage (South Africa): Pinotage carries its own smoky, dark-berry character, so it meets the spice rub head on instead of fighting it.
• Siglo Sack Tempranillo (Rioja): bright red fruit and soft tannins handle the brine and the mustard without drying out your palate. The famous burlap sack on the bottle makes it a conversation starter at the table, too.

Serve the Pinotage slightly cool, around 60-62°F. A little chill keeps the fruit lively next to all that salt.

What Wine Pairs With a Bagel and Lox?

Weekend brunch in New York often means everything bagels, cream cheese, capers, red onion and silky smoked salmon. The usual recommendations are crisp, mineral whites like Sancerre or dry sparkling wine, because acidity cuts the fat of the salmon and the cream cheese.

• Cremaschi Furlotti Sauvignon Blanc (Chile): citrus, green herbs and a clean finish that echoes the capers and onion.
• Bruce Jack Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa): a touch more texture, which stands up nicely to a thick schmear.

Serve both well chilled, around 45-48°F. If you are hosting a brunch, open both and let guests compare a cool-climate Chilean style with a South African one.

What Is the Best Wine With a New York Strip Steak?

The strip is the steak that carries the city's name, and the city's steakhouses are among the most influential wine-list setters in the country. The textbook pairing is Cabernet Sauvignon: juicy dark fruit, fine tannins and enough acidity to clean the palate after every fatty bite. We agree, and we add one Spanish alternative that sommeliers love to hand-sell.

• Manzanos Gran Reserva Rioja 2015, 95 points Wine Enthusiast: years of barrel and bottle aging bring leather, dried cherry and spice that mirror the char of a well-seared crust. This is the bottle for a special dinner.
• Manzanos Reserva Rioja 2018, 93 points Wine Enthusiast: a little younger and fresher, a superb by-the-glass choice for a steakhouse list.
• Cremaschi Furlotti Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile): the classic Cabernet match, with ripe black fruit from the Maule Valley.

Decant the Gran Reserva for 30-45 minutes and serve it around 62-65°F. For more on how New York sommeliers build these lists, read our New York sommelier playbook.

Which Wine Goes With Chicken Parm?

Chicken parmesan is the red-sauce joint's greatest hit: crispy cutlet, tangy tomato sauce, melted mozzarella. Tomato is high in acidity, so the wine needs at least as much acidity or it will taste flat and flabby. That rules out many soft, oaky reds and points straight to northern Italy.

• Duchessa Lia Nebbiolo d'Alba (Piedmont): bright acidity, red cherry, rose petal and firm but polished tannins. It refreshes the palate after every cheesy bite.
• Duchessa Lia Barolo: if the meal is chicken or veal parm for a celebration, Barolo turns it into an occasion. See our guide on how to serve Barolo.

What Wine Goes With Dumplings?

From Flushing to Chinatown, New York runs on dumplings: pork and chive, soup dumplings, pan-fried potstickers with black vinegar and chili oil. Wine experts usually suggest sparkling wine for fried dumplings and dry whites or refreshing rosés for steamed ones. Our picks:

• Las Campanas Rosé (Navarra): Navarra has a long rosé tradition, and a dry, fruity rosado is flexible enough for pork, shrimp and vegetable fillings alike.
• Cremaschi Furlotti Chardonnay (Chile): a little body and gentle oak for richer pan-fried dumplings.
• Duchessa Lia Gala Rosa: a playful, fruity option when the chili oil is generous.

Halal Cart Chicken and Rice: Yes, It Works With Wine

Chicken or lamb over rice with white sauce and a red stripe of hot sauce is late-night New York in a foil tray. Take it home, plate it and open something fresh.

• Cremaschi Furlotti Carmenere (Chile): soft tannins and a peppery, herbal note that flatters lamb and cumin-spiced chicken.
• Duchessa Lia Moscato d'Asti: if you love the hot sauce, a lightly sweet, low-alcohol sparkling Moscato tames the heat instead of amplifying it.

What Wine Goes With New York Cheesecake?

The rule for dessert is simple: the wine must be sweeter than the dessert, or it will taste sour. Food-and-wine writers recommend sweet, fresh whites for plain New York cheesecake and specifically name Moscato d'Asti for lighter, Italian-style versions.

Duchessa Lia Moscato d'Asti is our clear pick: gently sparkling, peach and orange blossom on the nose, and low in alcohol, which makes it easy to enjoy at the end of a long dinner. Serve it very cold, around 42-45°F.

For Restaurants, Retailers and Distributors in New York

Iconic local food is the easiest story to sell on a wine list or a shelf talker. Rioja already appears on a large share of New York wine lists for American cuisine, and Italian wines remain the most listed imports after California. A few practical ideas:

• Build a "New York Classics" pairing box on the menu: one wine per signature dish.
• Pour the Manzanos Reserva by the glass next to the strip steak, with the Gran Reserva as the bottle upsell.
• Place Moscato d'Asti next to the dessert menu, where it sells itself.
• For delis and casual spots, the Siglo sack bottle is a visual hook customers remember.

Our wines are in stock in the U.S., which means shorter lead times and reliable reorders. Five generations of the Fernández de Manzanos family, since 1890, stand behind the Spanish range, and our portfolio has earned more than 600 scores of 90 points or higher, including a Decanter Platinum 97 points for Manzanos 125 Aniversario. Trade buyers can become a distributor or source through us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best red wine with a New York strip steak?

Cabernet Sauvignon is the classic choice because its tannins and acidity cut through the fat. An aged Rioja Gran Reserva, such as Manzanos Gran Reserva 2015 (95 points Wine Enthusiast), is an excellent alternative with more savory, spicy notes.

What wine goes with a pastrami sandwich?

Choose a fruity red with some smoke or spice, or a dry sparkling wine. Bruce Jack Reserve Pinotage matches the smoky rub, while a young Tempranillo like Siglo handles the salt and mustard with soft tannins.

What wine should I serve with cheesecake?

Pick a wine that is sweeter than the cake. Moscato d'Asti is a reliable match for classic New York cheesecake thanks to its gentle sweetness, light bubbles and low alcohol.

Can you drink wine with dumplings?

Absolutely. Dry rosé, crisp whites and sparkling wines all work. A dry Navarra rosado is especially versatile across pork, shrimp and vegetable fillings.

Where can I buy Manzanos wines in New York?

Use our Find Our Wines locator to see retailers and restaurants near you, or browse our full portfolio.

Bring New York to the Table

The best pairings are the ones you actually eat. Next time you order a strip steak, grab a pastrami on rye or bring home a cheesecake, open one of these bottles and taste the difference. Consumers: find our wines near you. Trade: partner with Manzanos Wines USA.

Manzanos Wines USA is the premier importer of premium wines from Spain, Italy, Chile, South Africa, and France, serving all 50 US states through our nationwide distributor network. Learn more at manzanoswinesusa.com.

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