Let’s get into a “home bar” mood with some wine tonight! Cheers with our employees’ recommended pairings!
What should you pair with wine? While there are standard pairings—red with meat, white with fish—there are also some surprising combinations when you actually try them. In this article, employees of Seven & i Holdings experiment with pairings using Seven Premium products. We’ll also share some recipe ideas that add a little extra flair to your everyday favorites!
We Tried Them Out For You ♪
From left: Yokoi and Goda of Seven & i Holdings
Yokoi is the person to turn to whenever there’s a drink involved. Wine, sake, beer—he’s game for anything!
Goda is more particular, choosing the perfect drink to match the day’s snacks.
The two had fun experimenting with different pairings!
The Wines We Chose for This Tasting!
Seven Premium Gran Andes Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Wine)
Aromas of cassis and black cherry mingle with complex notes of cacao, vanilla, and cinnamon. This wine offers a well-balanced taste, with mellow fruit flavors, smooth tannins, and gentle acidity.
Seven Premium Gran Andes Chardonnay (White Wine)
The fruity aromas of pineapple and passion fruit blend with the floral fragrance of orange blossoms, complemented by notes of almond. Enjoy its rich, rounded fruit flavors.
Give These Pairings a Try! Recommended Pairings with Seven Premium Products
What pairs best with the Gran Andes wine range? From meat dishes to accompany red wine to creamy dishes that complement the acidity of white wine, discover how these pairings work together.
① Red Wine × Gold Hamburg Steak
The red wine, Gran Andes Cabernet Sauvignon, was paired with Seven Premium Gold Hamburg Steak. Packed with rich meaty flavor, the Hamburg steak is a great match for the wine. Bread dipped in the rich sauce is also a delicious treat to enjoy alongside a glass.
Goda
The Cabernet Sauvignon’s signature mellow fruit flavors and deep tannins pair beautifully with the rich demi-glace sauce and juicy meat of the Gold Hamburg Steak! Take a bite, then sip the wine, and the savory flavor of the meat really comes alive.
Yokoi
Red wine and meat are always a winning combination! Even after you finish the Hamburg steak, the leftover sauce makes a great snack. Since I’m drinking at home, I don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks, so I’ll soak up every last drop with bread (laughs). The bread coated in sauce goes so well with the red wine that I find myself drinking even more
② White Wine × Carbonara
The white wine, Gran Andes Chardonnay, was paired with Seven Premium Carbonara. The pasta’s rich, creamy flavor complements the refreshing acidity of the white wine.
Yokoi
Carbonara is quite rich, so I wasn’t sure how it would go with white wine, but this is great! The wine leaves my palate feeling refreshed. I just keep going back for more pasta and wine!
Goda
The Chardonnay’s crisp acidity and fruity aromas balance out the richness of the cheese and eggs in the carbonara, leaving a clean, refreshing finish. Even on a weeknight, you can pick up these two items at Seven-Eleven on your way home and enjoy a little indulgence with your evening drink.
Add a Little Twist to Your Everyday Favorites! Easy Home Wine Bar Recipes
Seven Premium products are delicious just as they are, but with just a few extra touches, you can turn them into something a little different from the usual.
This time, we asked culinary expert Tomoko Wakita to share creative twist recipes designed to pair perfectly with wine!
Tomoko Wakita
Tomoko Wakita is a food writer and food coordinator who works across a wide range of fields, including recipe and product development, in-home cooking classes, and food styling. Also known as the “Tipsy Mom,” she creates easy-to-make dishes with a stylish touch that pair well with alcoholic drinks.
① The Perfect Match for Red Wine: “Decadent Cheesy Yakisoba”
A rich and indulgent twist on classic sauce yakisoba (Japanese stir-fried noodles), topped with a generous layer of melted cheese.
Wakita: Yakisoba with red wine? It might sound like an unusual combination, but the spicy notes of the sauce actually pair beautifully with red wine!
Ingredients
Stir-Fried Noodles with Spicy Sauce (1 serving)
Cheese Slices (7 slices)
Dried Sausages (20 g)
Mixed Nuts (39 g)
Coarse Ground Pepper (13 g)
Instructions
Heat one serving of “Stir-Fried Noodles with Spicy Sauce” in the microwave. Place two slices of “Cheese Slices” on top and heat again until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with “Dried Sausages,” coarsely crushed “Mixed Nuts,” and “Coarse Ground Pepper,” adding each to taste.
Wakita: The melted cheese on top does a great job of bringing the wine and the sauce together. And when it comes to snacks, that crunchy texture is a must! Crumbling the dried sausage and nuts over the top adds a fun contrast in texture.
Yokoi
This is so deliciously indulgent…! The best moment is slurping up noodles coated in rich, melted cheese and immediately following them with a sip of Cabernet.
I was amazed at how the usual yakisoba had turned into the perfect wine snack.
First, I was surprised to see cheese on yakisoba! Then I took a bite and was even more surprised by how good it tasted!
And then, when I took a sip of Cabernet, all my worries that the ingredients might clash disappeared. Everything came together beautifully in my mouth. That’s three surprises in one dish!
Goda
When you think of yakisoba, beer is usually the first thing that comes to mind, so pairing it with red wine feels refreshingly different! Just transferring it from the package to your favorite plate instantly gives it that home wine bar feel. It’s the kind of dish I’d love to enjoy while watching a movie on the night before a day off!
② The Perfect Match for White Wine: “Creamy Basil Oeuf Mayo”
A twist on the classic French dish oeuf mayo (egg with mayonnaise), made with Seven Premium’s Soft-Boiled Egg.
Wakita:The creamy mayonnaise sauce, with its refreshing basil aroma, complements the herbal notes and crisp freshness of Chardonnay. It’s a perfect match for a well-chilled white wine.
Ingredients
Soft-Boiled Egg (1 egg)
Mayonnaise (250 g)
Milk (1,000 ml)
Basil & Cheese Sauce (2 single-serving packets)
Instructions
Mix 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, ½ tablespoon of milk, and 1 packet of Basil & Cheese Sauce. Pour the mixture over boiled eggs and enjoy! (Makes enough for 2 boiled eggs.)
Wakita: Seven Premium’s Soft-Boiled Egg has just the right amount of salt, and the beautifully runny yolk is irresistible. All you have to do is pour the mixed sauce over the eggs, so it’s practically foolproof!
Goda
The creamy egg yolk combined with the refreshing basil makes me crave a glass of white wine from the very first bite! Spreading the sauce on a small plate and arranging the egg on top makes it look just like a French appetizer. It really adds a special touch!
Yokoi
Even I can make this because all you have to do is mix the sauce! It takes just two minutes to prepare, yet it looks like you’ve put in a lot of effort. I’m amazed at how much you can transform the Soft-Boiled Egg that I eat all the time!
Tonight, Enjoy Your Favorite Pairings
Dining out on a special occasion is lovely, but simply picking up a bottle of wine and some prepared dishes at Seven-Eleven on your way home and serving them on your favorite plates can make your usual evening drink feel a little more special.
Red wine with Hamburg steak, white wine with carbonara. If any of these pairings catch your eye, why not give them a try? Add in a few of the easy recipe ideas and enjoy creating your own home wine bar experience.
