Wine
and Food Pairings
The
whole purpose for finding good wine and food pairings is simple.
Since wine can change the way your food tastes and vice versa,
you want to pick a combination that will make the whole dining
experience a pleasurable one.
At
best, you will find a combination that makes both the wine
and the food taste better together than they ever would by
themselves (a phenomenon you have to experience for yourself
to believe).
At
worst, you will find a combination that makes an otherwise
great wine or entrée completely unpalatable. You may
like garlic toast, and you may like ice cream, but you eat
them both at the same time and… I think you get my point.
Before
I start mentioning guidelines and pairings I must first express
my opinion about rules and wine. Taste is more art than science.
Just because something tastes good or bad to you, does not
mean that they will taste bad to others.
Take
the suggestions for what they are worth, but don’t be
afraid to bend the rules to your liking. If it tastes good
to you, that’s all that matters. Although, if you’re
planning a dinner party, it’s usually best to play it
safe and stick with combinations that have proven to be favorable
among a wide group of people.
What
Can Happen?
Here
are a few of the things that can occur when wine and food
are consumed together:
Amplified
or Diminished Traits – sometimes the acidity,
sweetness, or tannin in wine can be amplified or diminished
by certain foods.
Overpowering
– a strong wine will overpower a delicate dish (and
vice versa) creating an unpleasant balance.
Transferring
Flavors – the wine can seem to transfer
some of its flavors into the meal and vice versa.
New
Flavors – sometimes flavors that are not
present in either the wine or the food are perceived when
consumed together. (Sometimes these are unfavorable metallic
or mediciny flavors)
Some
Suggested Wine and Food Pairings
Don’t
Forget the Sauce – Sometimes a strong tasting
sauce or seasoning is more important than the meat itself.
| White
Wines |
Recommended
Foods, Sauces, etc. |
Avoid |
| Chardonnay |
Salmon,
Grilled Chicken, White Creamy Sauces, Veal |
Very
Spicy Foods |
| Gewurztraminer |
Chinese,
Swiss Cheese, Pork, Ginger, Foie Gras |
Light
Foods |
| Pinot
Grigio |
Creamy
Sauces, Turkey, Shrimp, Veal |
Tomatoes,
Spicy Foods |
| Riesling
(Dry) |
Chicken,
Shrimp, Lobster, Smoked Trout |
Sweets |
| Sancerre |
Trout,
Goat Cheese, Shellfish, Sea Bass |
Sweets |
| Red
Wines |
Recommended
Foods, Sauces, etc. |
Avoid |
| Barberra |
Pizza,
Lasagna, Lemon Chicken, Pasta |
??? |
| Cabernet
Sauvignon |
Steak,
Lamb, Roasts, Dark Chocolate, Duck |
Tomatoes,
Fish |
| Merlot |
Grilled
Meats, Barbeques, Chicken |
Sweets |
| Pinot
Noir |
Duck,
Salmon, Tuna, Beef Sroganoff, Lamb |
Very
Spicy Foods |
| Syrah
or Shiraz |
Peppered
Red Meats, Sausage, Stews, Barbeques |
Fish |
Again,
the art of wine and food pairing is a very personal thing.
Experimentation is the best way to figure out what works for
you. Many of the wine
of the month clubs will have suggested food pairing information
related to that month's selections.
Good
Luck!
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