FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS
Most wines pair with most food
Seriously! A good quality wine (in any price range) can really
boost the flavor and enjoyment of food. So why not make a
good thing better? Occasionally a pairing, such as green salad
with vinaigrette dressing and a zinfandel, will make both taste“off”. This is meant to help avoid those relatively rare
occurrences.
There is some basis for the conventional wisdom of white wine
with white meat and red wine with red meat. The thing is,
there’s chicken parmesan, chicken teriyaki, chicken Veronique,
chicken kebabs, lemon chicken, etc. none of which taste
similar. Automatically grabbing a chardonnay won’t work
perfectly with all of those dishes. Why? Chicken does not
determine the overall flavor or texture profile. This is meant
to provide some simple tools to help guide pairings taking the
flavor and texture of both the wine and food into account.
As with most things, experience is the best teacher. Talk about
fun homework!
Here are some things to consider:
• Alcohol content determines a wine’s body or weight. The higher the alcohol content, the heavier the body/weight.
• Wines from warm climates tend to be higher in alcohol.
• Match like with like -- pair “heavy” wines with “heavy” foods.
• Wines that are more acidic tend to pair better with food.
• Wines from cool climates tend to be more acidic.
Every time we squeeze lemon on a piece of melon or squirt mustard on a hot dog, we are making the food more acidic. In food and wine, acidity in the right amount bolsters and brightens flavors. As a general rule, wines produced in cooler climates (or even in a cooler than normal year) tend to be more acidic. If a wine is described as crisp, tangy, zingy, refreshing or something similar, that’s a clue that it is acidic. These terms are most commonly applied to white wines, especially some German Rieslings, Sauvignon Blanc, Vinho Verde, Gruner Veltliner and Cremant d’Alsace. Acid is a flavor and style component that makes wines more food friendly. If a wine is “sour,” the acidity is out of balance.
• Wines that are less tannic tend to pair better with food.
• Certain varietals are less tannic, and therefore, more food friendly.
Tannin is actually a textural, structural and taste component in wine. It comes from the grape’s skin, stems and seeds as well as oak aging. When a wine is too tannic, it can taste astringent or bitter and feel like sand paper on your tongue. When it is in balance, however, it gives wine structure, presence and ageability as it is a natural preservative.
Wines from low to moderate tannin varietals are very food friendly. These include Pinot Noir, cool climate Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Barbero, Dolcetto and Beaujolais. Highly tannic wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah/Shiraz, pair best with fatty foods (such as cheese) and foods with a chewy texture (such as steak).
- Location, Location, Location
While enjoying wine with meals is slowly taking hold in America, it has been a part of life in Europe for centuries. European wines are typically crafted with the regional cuisine in mind, so grab a Chianti to go with that pasta in red sauce or Bordeaux to go with Camembert and so on. Using this as a pairing guideline is generally a safe bet.
Our tongues can taste 4 things. How easy is this?
• Sweet. Lots of things found in both wine and food can be
perceived as sweet. Let’s start with the obvious: Dessert
wines and desserts have high sugar contents and pair
beautifully together. Fruit sauces, glazes and reduction
sauces call for wines that are described as “fruity” or “fruit
