Red wine + Basil
251 recipes mention both · top 8% of pairs
CompKitchen is a free flavor-pairing site: it compares the aroma molecules two foods share and how often cooks put them together. No account needed.
Do red wine and basil go together?
Many recipes mention both. 251 recipes in our collection mention both, and they share 76 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 8% of a large random sample of ingredient pairs.
Add a third ingredient
- Rosemary: the best fit for both, top 3% of pairs with red wine, top 1% with basil.
- Thyme: top 4% of pairs with red wine, top 1% with basil.
- Tomato: top 3% of pairs with red wine, top 2% with basil.
- Oregano: top 8% of pairs with red wine, top 1% with basil.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with red wine and basil
Mostly mains: 48 of the 63 recipes with a course label are mains.
These have the ingredient list only, without the method. Where we have the original source, the recipe page links to it.
The count of 251 includes every recipe our index matched to both foods, some through an alternative or a related ingredient. This list is shorter because it shows only recipes whose ingredient lines name both. Open a few to see how they are used.
Can you swap one for the other?
No. Red wine and basil are different kinds of food, so neither stands in for the other, whatever molecules they share. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
See the scienceshared molecules, aroma labels and where this pair ranks
What they have in common
They overlap on 76 flavor molecules: 27% of red wine's 283. Among the shared key aromas are damascenone (apple, rose) and 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy). Shared chemistry is a reason to try a pair, not a promise that it works on the plate.
All 76 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 207 only in red wine and the 298 only in basil.
Red wine and basil questions
Do red wine and basil go together?
251 recipes in our collection mention both, and they share 76 flavor molecules, which puts them in the top 8% of random ingredient pairs.
What do red wine and basil have in common?
They overlap on 76 flavor molecules: 27% of red wine's 283. Among the shared key aromas are damascenone (apple, rose) and 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy). Shared chemistry is a reason to try a pair, not a promise that it works on the plate.
What goes with red wine and basil?
Rosemary is the best third ingredient: top 3% of pairs with red wine and top 1% with basil. Thyme and tomato also fit both.
What can you make with red wine and basil?
Mostly mains: 48 of the 63 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include Awesome Red Wine Pot Roast, Baked Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Red Wine Sauce, Basil Brad's Marinade of Love, Beef Roast in Red Wine (Carni Arrosto al Vino Rosso).
Can I use basil instead of red wine?
No. Red wine and basil are different kinds of food, so neither stands in for the other, whatever molecules they share. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
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Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
CompKitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Red Wine vs Basil. https://compkitchen.com/compare/red-wine-vs-basil. Accessed 2026-11-15.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_red_wine_vs_basil_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Red Wine vs Basil},
author = {{CompKitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/red-wine-vs-basil},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-15}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719458 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.