Pairing Wine with Food.. drink this not that

Common sense rules to get started pairing food and wine.

 

 

 

 

1) Drink what you like

 

What you like to drink always takes precedence over any recommendation that anyone might make.

 

Start by thinking about the dish or meal as a whole.

 

Is it mild or flavorful?
Is it fatty or lean?
Is it rich or acidic?

 

2) Keep flavors in balance.

 

Match mild foods with mild wines. Match big, flavorful foods with big, flavorful wines. (For example, pair a bold-flavored Pepper Steak with a spicy, bold red Zinfandel.)

 

Similarly you generally want to match the richness of the food and the richness of the wine. (For example, pair a rich Chicken in Cream Sauce with a rich Chardonnay.)

 

 

3) Cleanse the palate with tanins or acids.

 

If you're eating a relatively rich, 'fatty' dish and thinking about drinking a red wine (when you eat a beef steak, for example)
you probably want a wine with some good tannins^* in it to help cleanse the palate.

If you're eating a very rich, 'fatty' dish and thinking about drinking a white wine (when you eat fried chicken, for example) you probably want to contrast the meal with a refreshingly crisp acidic wine
such as a Sauvignon Blanc.

 

You can ignore this rule for dishes that are just relatively fatty - such as Chicken in Cream Sauce - which will probably do better with a rich Chardonnay that can match their rich flavors.

 

 

4) Match Acids with Acids

If you're eating a dish with a strong acidic content
(such as Shrimp with Lemon or Pasta with Tomato Sauce)
pair it with an acidic wine that can keep up with the acids in the food.

Acidic Wines and Cream Don't Mix

 

Rich cream sauces will usually clash with an acidic wine like a Sauvignon Blanc.  Think about it this way...If you squeezed lemon juice into a cup of milk, would it taste good?

 

Wine and Strong Spices

 

Strong spices, such as hot chili peppers in some Chinese or Indian food, can clash and destroy the flavors in a wine. In most cases, wine is not the ideal thing to drink.

  However, if wine is what you must have, consider something spicy and sweet itself such as an off-dry Gewurtztraminer or Riesling.

 

 

When In Doubt...

 

Remember that foods generally go best with the wines they grew up with.  So if you're eating Italian food, think about having an Italian wine

  This isn't a requirement, but often helps simplify the decision

 

 

 

(Tannins can come from many places, including the skins of the grapes used in winemaking as well as the wood barrels a wine may have been aged in.  Tannin tastes similar to the flavor you would get if you sucked on a tea bag. This astringent flavor is what helps strip the fats from your tongue and thereby cleanse the palate of the rich fats from a meal and provide a refined, refreshing drink.

Some studies have also indicated that tanin might help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Specifically, tannin might suppress the creation of a peptide that causes arteries to harden.)

 

 

Party Tip: It’s easy to serve your Holiday Party wine at just the right temperature! For whites, you ideally want to serve the wine at about 45 degrees. Chill the bottles in the fridge for a couple hours and then let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before pouring. For reds, serving at room temperature can sometimes be slightly too warm. Try putting your red bottles in the fridge for about half an hour before pouring.