Which wine with Belgian food? Pairings for 8 classic dishes
Belgian food is often paired with beer, but wine has its place at the table too. For each classic: the principle of the pairing and a few appellations to try.
Updated 23 October 2026
Mussels and fries
You need a dry, lively white that refreshes and brings out the sea: a muscadet sur lie, a picpoul de Pinet or an albariño. Avoid oaked whites, which weigh the dish down.
Grey shrimp croquettes
Fried food calls for freshness and bubbles: a crémant or a brut champagne, or a taut white such as muscadet. Acidity cuts through the fat; bubbles cleanse the palate.
Flemish carbonnade (stoofvlees)
The sweet, slightly sour beer sauce takes a fruity, round red that is not too tannic: a grenache-based côtes-du-rhône, a primitivo from Puglia or a beaujolais cru such as morgon.
Waterzooi
Chicken or fish, cream and vegetables: a white with roundness but no heaviness. A Mâconnais chardonnay, a dry Loire chenin or an Alsace pinot gris suit the sauce well.
Chicory gratin
The bitterness of chicory and the béchamel don't like tannins. Choose a supple, aromatic white (Alsace pinot blanc or dry riesling) or a very light red such as pinot noir.
Liège meatballs
The sweet-and-sour Liège syrup sauce goes with a juicy, low-tannin red: a gamay, a côtes-du-rhône or a primitivo.
Rabbit with kriek or prunes
Red-fruit notes and the brown sauce match a pinot noir (Burgundy, Alsace) or a beaujolais cru, whose fruit echoes the cherry.
Eel in green sauce (paling in 't groen)
Fresh herbs call for a lively, herbaceous white: a Touraine or Sancerre sauvignon, or an Austrian grüner veltliner.
Three rules to remember
- Rich or fried: acidity or bubbles.
- Sweet and sour (syrup, beer, fruit): a fruity, supple, low-tannin red.
- Bitter (chicory): no tannins, rather a white.
Every VinoBox wine comes with a sheet giving its pairings. To choose the level of your boxes, see our plans; and to serve these wines well, read our temperature guide.
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