There once was a time when we only needed one set of immutable rules for pairing wine with food – red wine goes with meat, white wine goes with fish. Let’s face it, these were rules for Brits and Americans. Soldiers returning home from remote stations in Europe after WWII brought back tales of cultures and customs filled with local wines paired with indigenous foods. Those wines were carried back and later imported as well, but Britain and the American heartland were/are not known for their/our indigenous cuisine! So what wine pairing rule translated best for the meat and potato cultures? Red wine with meat, white wine with fish! Done! Now pass the gravy.
The world seems a lot more complicated now. Expectations for a host or hostess are high, what with the Food Network beaming HD images of glorious culinary creations, and food/wine magazines touting the latest fusion cooking crazes from across the globe. My Facebook feed sends food porn pictures right to my smart phone! I can haz wine with my dinner now?
At the most fundamental level, wine and food pairing rules are still just as simple as ever. The extremely basic mantra is to drink what you like (go ahead, have that Cabernet with sushi, and wash your pepperoni pizza down with Chardonnay!). And in a pinch you can dredge up the old stand-by of red with meat and white with fish – there’s validity here. But there are times and occasions when you want to have things just right - you want to impress on a date, say, or put on the perfect dinner party with wine to match each course. You may even find yourself holding the book-like wine list in a nice restaurant and wondering how to order a bottle that makes everyone happy. So here are some additional rather simple guidelines to pairing wine with your meal.
Understanding that certain general wine and flavor reactions occur will help lay some foundations. First some basic principles of taste:
Tannins go well with fat! Tannins are those naturally astringent qualities found in grape skins, as well as walnuts, tea, tamarinds, etc. They are perceived in your mouth as a drying sensation; like cottonmouth if present in excess. Tannins are softened by animal fat and protein, and the coupling enhances the flavor of both food and wine. Ribeye and a Barolo, anyone?
Salty food can enhance the flavor of wine. It lowers the perceived acidity and it even sweetens the wine a bit. Think of tasting a lime sprinkled with salt and how it seems both sweeter and less tart. But the aforementioned tannins can get unpleasant in the presence of salty things, even becoming a bit metallic tasting. Something to keep in mind.
Acid in wine is that tangy or sour sensation you get on the sides of your tongue. A wine’s acidity is probably the primary characteristic making it such an enjoyable beverage with food. Acidity cuts through fat and richness in a dish, melds with and softens tangy flavors and cleanses the palate for the next bite of food. Salty foods and foods with vinegar or citrus are outstanding when paired with acidic wines, especially Champagne and bubblies and crisp, lean whites.
Sweet wines are ideal for taming heat in food. A little bit of residual sugar helps to tone down spicy Asian, Cajun or Latin dishes. A sweeter wine can be a magical accompaniment to spicy-sweet Thai or Szechuan fare, for instance. However, if the wine is tannic or high in alcohol expect the heat to intensify and the food to taste even spicier! Pair wisely here, my friends.
And sweet wines are exactly what you want to pair with desserts. Sweet with heat, sweet with sweet, and, surprisingly, sweet with savory. More on this later.
Oak – this element in a wine can pair with most anything toasty, nutty, creamy, buttery or garlicky. Oak adds weight and texture to a wine, making it more suitable to food preparations that themselves incorporate elements of weight and richness.
Next Up: Which wine goes with cotton candy?
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