GENERAL
FOOD PAIRING GUIDELINES
When you drink wine by
itself it tastes one way, but when you take
a bite of food, the wine tastes different.
This is because wine is like a spice. Elements
in the wine interact with the food to provide
a different taste sensation. So, when making
a food and wine match, think about the four
basic taste components your tongue recognizes:
salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. How the
food tastes, on this very basic level, can
dictate a good wine selection for your meal.
BY THE WINE STYLE
Red Wine-
Red dinner wines are usually dry and rich,
sometimes with a tart or astringent quality.
They go well with hearty or highly-seasoned
foods, such as beef, pork, game, duck, goose,
and pasta dishes (with red sauce).
White Wine-
White dinner wines are lighter in body and
flavor and can be dry and tart or sweet
and fragrant. Serve these white wines with
foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish,
ham, and veal.
Rosé Wine-
Rosé wines are pale red wines that
can be either dry or sweet. These wines
complement ham, fried chicken, shellfish,
cold beef, picnic foods, and buffet foods.
Dessert Wine-
Dessert wines are heavier and sweeter than
dinner wines. Serve dessert wines alone
or with items such as fruits, nuts, pies,
dessert cheeses, cakes, and cookies.
BY THE WINE VARIETAL
Cabernet Sauvignon - Red meats, game, sharp cheeses and dark chocolate
Merlot - Pasta, lamb, prime rib and roast pork
Sangiovese - Ripe tomato dishes like bruschetta and pasta with red sauce
Syrah - Pork, beef and chocolate desserts
Chardonnay - Chicken, seafood and creamy soups
Riesling - Mild cheeses, fruits and shellfish
Gewürztraminer - Asian foods and Thanksgiving Turkey dinners
Beef, pizza and pasta dishes with red sauce
Semi-hard strong cheeses, chicken, white-fleshed fish and shellfish
BY THE FOOD
Cultural Connection-
Generally, wines and foods belonging to
the same culture are the most compatible;
for example, serve Italian wines with Italian
food.
Sweet Foods-
Sweet Foods like Italian tomato sauce, Japanese
teriyaki, and honey-mustard glazes make
your wine seem drier than it really is so
try an off-dry (slightly sweet) wine to
balance the flavor (Chenin Blanc, White
Zinfandel, Riesling).
Acidic Foods-
High Acid Foods like salads with balsamic
vinaigrette dressing, soy sauce, or fish
served with a squeeze of lemon go well with
wines higher in acid (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot
Grigio, Pinot Noir). White Zinfandel, although
not as high in acid, can provide a nice
contrast to high acid foods.
Bitter Foods-
Bitter and Astringent Foods like a mixed
green salad of bitter greens, Greek kalamata
olives and charbroiled meats accentuate
a wine's bitterness so complement it with
a full-flavored forward fruity wine (Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot). Big tannic
red wines (like many red Zinfandels, and
Shiraz or Syrah wines) will go best with
your classic grilled steak or lamb chops,
as the fat in the meat will tone down the
tannin (bitterness) in the wine.
Appetizers-
Appetizer wines are served as a cocktail
or before the meal to sharpen the appetite.
Dry sherry and chilled dry (white) vermouth
can be served with any type of appetizer.
Soft, light-bodied wines that are simple
and fruity, such as Chenin Blanc, are usually
suitable accompaniments for hors d'oeuvres.
Red Meat-
The red with red rule works well with beef
because the tannin in red wine scrubs beef's
rich flavor off the palate. Reach for a
tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah,
or Zinfandel, especially if the meat boasts
a heavy sauce. Rare prime rib tastes almost
sweet, so it's perfect with a fruity Merlot/Pinot.
Dessert-
A dessert and wine match is most successful
when the sugar/acid balance on the plate
and in the glass are similar. With rich
cheesecake, bring out a syrupy late-harvest
wine. Complement chocolate cake by choosing
a red wine with chocolate or spice components,
such as a Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon.
With fruitcake, open a dessert wine such
as a sweet Gewurztraminer or Ice Wine. Super-sweet
or tart desserts make most wines taste sour
and flat.
Smoked Ham-
Pair a sweet smoked ham with a sweet wine
-- a Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer,
or Riesling. If you enjoy rosé wines,
now's the time to pop the cork; and for
those who believe a wine's first duty is
to be red, serve a lightly chilled Beaujolais.
Holiday Turkey-
If your holiday turkey menu features sweet
side dishes such as glazed carrots or marshmallow-topped
sweet potatoes, choose a white wine with
similar sweetness, such as a Chenin Blanc
or Gewürztraminer. If your menu items
are savory, you can lean toward a Johannisberg
Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or a light, fruity
Viognier. If your bird boasts a spicy
sausage stuffing, sip a Merlot or Pinot
Noir.
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