"True Facts" Wine IS Food - Goes WITH Food Part II

So you know a little bit about pairing wine with food now?

Say you, the acknowledged wine “expert”, are out at a restaurant with a group of friends and family. “You drink a lot of wine! Choose the wine for us to share!” What do you do if you want to order a wine to make everyone happy? Of course everyone is ordering completely different dishes – pasta, fish, chicken, beef – there is no common theme.

That old white+fish, red+meat rule could apply here, but that means ordering a bottle of red AND a white. Right there you’ve solved 50% of your dilemma! OK, which white and red from that massive wine list you now hold?

   

In spite of their “universal” appeal and being in everyone’s comfort zone, Cabernet Sauvignon (red) and Chardonnay (white) may not be your best meal pairing choices. Cabernet’s power can overwhelm many dishes and its tannins may conflict with salty or seafood dishes. And your garden variety oaky, flabby and sweet Chardonnay is often a mediocre food pairing, adding little to the experience.

Tip #1 - I offer here two wines with a bit more "universal" appeal for a table full of food choices. A dryer style Riesling (white) and Pinot Noir (red) will both have the right combination of fruit and acid to complement a wide variety of cuisine, and will certainly please most palates.

What if you really want to show off your mad wine pairing skilz?

For us here in the US, a dinner main course contains a meat, a starch and maybe a vegetable. Each of these are often accompanied by a sauce and seasonings. Finding a wine to match every single item on that one dish will drive even Bacchus crazy, and is just about impossible most of the time. What to do?

Tip #2 – Take a mental snapshot of the dish or meal and ask yourself a question: What is the a dominant or primary descriptive component?  Is the dish rich with fat or with creamy sauce? Is it a light or lean dish? Is there a theme of citrus or acidity? Sweetness? Try to describe the overall feel of the dish, rather than individual flavors. Then, we can utilize some of the general guidelines from Part I for selecting a style of wine to pair.

Next time we’ll pair specific wine styles with the following food categories:

• Fat (richness, creaminess).
• Salt (like chips, fries or cured meats).
• Piquant spice (like pepper or chili).
• Acid (like vinegar, lemon).
• Sweetness (like fruit salsas, coconut milk, brown sugar glazes).

From last week’s teaser: Moscato d’Asti might be a good quaff to wash down cotton candy. You would do well to try a late harvest dessert style wine too. And then check your insulin levels…