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

In this great big world of infinite wine and food pairing possibilities you might very well discover your own new combination; one that so totally “works”. Often such a discovery involves a special person, a far away place, and a sense of adventure and experimentation that you wouldn't attempt while safe at home or in your favorite wine bar. Let’s say that you actually want to have that experience of food and wine discovery more often…

Humans have a heritage of seeking gustatory perfection, but our fundamental aims can be summed up with this Northern Italian expression: "Pane e vino fanno un bel bambino." In English: Bread and wine make a beautiful baby. In other words, food staples and wine together, are considered the  source of nourishment and of life. You will find this sentiment all over the Old World where local wine and food culture have evolved together - over centuries in many cases.

Trust the Locals


A very simple guideline to get you through almost any wine and food pairing dilemma comes in the form of another mantra, one  that wine pros have drilled into their heads: What grows together, goes together. The bounty of a region; of the land and sea and nearby lakes and streams determines the local cuisine. What people eat there inspires the wines that are made there.

Discover a food's cultural roots and then drink with it the wines from that culture -

Why do the Tuscans love their Chianti (and Brunellos) with their pasta and tomato sauce? Hard wheat and sun-ripened tomatoes are abundant in the region. The semolina pasta is a dense medium and the tomato sauce is acidic and tangy. Chianti with its juicy dried cherry-ness, medium-body and lifting acidity helps to marry the pasta to the sauce so well that Jupiter and Bacchus themselves may have created the match.

In France fish pulled from the upper Loire river and oysters and mussels harvested from where the Loire meets the sea all beg to be washed down with crisp and minerally white wines. And it just so happens that the local whites fit that bill; fresh and light like the seafood itself and never overpowering.

There’s nothing like the Classics

Like local customs, the classic food and wine pairings are all based on tried and true tradition. Whether they work for you is personal, but we can take what we have been discussing and understand why the classic pairings work so well.

At the high end of haut cuisine there is the wedding of Champagne and Caviar - You might say the pairing works just because you spent a small fortune on both (!), but more so due to Champagne's brisk acidity which cuts through the caviar's salinity and fishiness. The finish is then all about those wonderful celebratory bubbles bursting on your tongue right along with the caviar.

Muscadet and Oysters, Sancerre with Mussels - Muscadet is a rather austere white that balances well with the delicate nature of the oyster. And for the same reasons, steely Chardonnay in Chablis pairs magically with Oysters. The slightly fuller and grassy Sauvignon Blanc of Sancerre hits all the right notes with the richer meatier nature of mussels. 

Chianti and Southern Italian Reds with pizza or red-sauced pasta – as mentioned above, tomato's acidity together with garlic, olive oil and herbs can give a red wine a hard time - unless it has the tartness and leathery fruitiness that Chianti and many of Italy’s traditional reds have in spades.

Riesling and Sauerkraut – In Germany it’s Kraut and across the border in France’s Alsace it’s Choucroute. Combine with the region’s sausages and smoked meats and you’ll find no better wine match than the King of white grapes – Riesling. Gewurztraminer too would have the power and grace to stand up to the tang of fermented cabbage and oily meats. However, I don’t think anyone would argue with a suggestion of BEER paired here!

Southern Spain’s bone dry and lean Fino Sherry – paired with olives, oil-fried marcona almonds, chips or other salty snacks, AKA Tapas. This is not your grandmother's sherry  and sipped by itself Fino Sherry may not impress you at first, but pair it with a salty fried snack and you will have an "aha" moment. Fino Sherry has whopping acidity and even its own briny characteristic. Pairing it with salty tapas will seem so natural once experienced.

Port and Stilton - The English are not known for having a fine food culture nor for creating smart wine pairings. But in the generations of owning the big Port houses and being Port’s biggest consumers they have certainly stumbled on a winner of a flavor/texture/power combination here. Big, big flavors from the alcoholic, sweet and berry cordial-like Port mash up against the pungent (stinky?), rich and tangy, fine English bleu cheese creating a harmony that will astound you.

The neo-classic pairing of Cabernet with Ribeye Steak – Tannins with protein and fat, yes, and also rich cassis/blackberry fruit with sweet meat juices and caramelized drippings. Thank you California! Yet this pairing is a direct descendant of the classic French pairing of Bordeaux with Lamb. The herbal earthiness and blackcurrant fruit of French Cabernet blended with Merlot is why Bordeaux is in the glass next to the platter of herb-crusted rack of lamb with its distinct rich and earthy nature.

White Burgundy with Lobster – In Burgundy the Chardonnay is not made in the New World butter-bomb style, but with just a kiss of warm and spicy French oak. The wines have a roundness that melds with the rich sweetness of a lobster claw or tail, and with enough acidity to cut through drawn butter.

Tune in next time for tips on pairing wines with cheese. It’s ALL good, isn’t it? You bet, and some pairings are especially fine!