Pairing wine with food is one of the more daunting tasks of the experienced connoisseur. In many ways, it is the ultimate goal of honing your tasting technique. Wine is specifically intended to accompany and enhance culinary experiences. In some cases, wine should match the character and flavors of the food, while in others, wine can provide a contrasting tasting experience. To make pairing easier, I have provided a list of general guidelines that will help in making choices in the kitchen or restaurant.
1. Pair the richness of food with the body of a wine. If you are eating a French dish with a heavy cream sauce, pair it with a full-bodied wine. If you are eating a light dish of steamed vegetables, pair it with a lighter wine.
2. Pair salty foods with high acidity or sweet wines. Acidity can be identified by evaluating the amount of tartness in the wine (think Sweet Tarts that make your lips pucker). Seafood, which is often served in a butter sauce, is a good example of a food that should be paired with an acidic wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Gewürztraminer. Many highly acidic wines like these have a strong citrus character, which opens up the taste buds and complements fish very nicely. Finally, sweet wines like Riesling or Torrontes cut through salty foods and provides a contrasting tasting experience.
3. Pair fatty or oily foods with high acidity wines. Duck and fish, for example, should be served with Sauvignon Blanc or Gewürztraminer. Depending on the cooking style or recipe, a fatty or oily food can be paired with a red Italian wine such as Barolo or Chianti.
4. Pair acidic foods — like tomatoes, vinegar and lemons — with high acidity wines.
5. Pair sweet foods with sweet wines. Fruits and desserts, for example, should be paired with a Riesling, Sauternes or dessert wine.
6. Avoid pairing most fish with red wine. With the notable exception of smoked salmon, red wine does not usually complement fish’s oily character. Stick with a high acidity white wine. Salmon, and its drier, smoky character, however, can be paired with a lighter red.
7. Pair red meat with highly tannic red wines. Tannin, which enters the wine from oak barrels and the skin of the grapes, can be gleaned from the burning sensation you feel on your tongue and cheeks. Pair a steak with Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. Lamb, which is a little gamier than beef, is perfect with Pinot Noir.
8. Avoid pairing spicy or Cajun foods with wine. Drink beer instead. Wine exacerbates the burning sensation created by Cajun or hot spices and makes for an unpleasant experience.
9. Pair a wine region’s signature dishes with its signature wines. Over centuries, chefs matched dishes with the region’s wine. Thus, a good way to pair food and wine is to learn from which region a given dish originated and then to match it with a wine from that region. If you are eating Beef Burgundy, go with Pinot Noir, the region’s star red grape. If you are eating tapas, try a Spanish wine like Rioja. Finally, if you are eating Pasta Bolognese, pair it with an Italian red such as Barolo or Montepulciano.
10. Experiment! Sometimes breaking the rules and exploring odd combinations can reveal some interesting pairings. If you think your crabmeat recipe would go well with a Cabernet Sauvignon, give it a try. In the end, personal taste should guide your pairings.
With these rules and some imaginative experimentation, you will be on your way to becoming a master of pairing food and wine. Bon appetit and cheers!
Jeff’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can be reached at j.katra@cavalierdaily.com.
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