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How to Pair Food and Wine
Food and wine should work like a highly successful relationship. When they work well you should walk away with a feeling they were both outstanding. You can relate to food and wine as makeup for each other. When properly applied they are beautiful. I think we can all agree that alone both food and wine have qualities that make them shine, together they can astound.
When thinking about pairings you need to consider the intensity of food flavors compaired to the fruit, acids, body and nose of wine. For example, if you are having spicy cajun food you do not want to pair a full body Cabernet as the tannins in the wine will accentuate the spicy heat of the food. A medium bodied wine with good fruit such as Pinot Noir or Grenache would stand up well to the spiciness of the entree and bring out the complex flavors of the dish. What's most important in these pairings are the friendships and memories we generate through the age old ritual of sharing food and wine with friends and family.
There are a few concepts to remember when planning a food and wine pairing.
- Always serve wines from driest to sweetest or from lightest body to fullest body. This might change based on the order of food courses. Example: you might serve a full bodied slieghtly sweet Viognier with scallops as an appetizer followed by a dry Sauvignon Blanc with a risotto or fish course as an entree.
- Foods with fat and protein need acid and body for balance. Example: Lobster or salmon work well with a big Chardonnay or Viognier, while beef works with Cabernet or Syrah. Pasta and red sauce work well with Sangiovese because the acid in the tomatoes is complimented by the acid, strawberry and raspberry notes of the wine.
- Foods with citrus notes go well with wines with citrus notes. Example: Chicken Picatta uses lemon as an ingredient, Sauvignon Banc has citrus notes, if you prefer red you could have a Pinot Noir for the same reasons.
- If you are going to pair a sweet wine with a sweet food always make sure the wine is sweeter than the food.
- As we suggested earlier if you are serving a spicy hot food try a sweeter if not highly sweet wine as a compliment.
- We have one hard fast rule. When serving Italian food always serve Italian wine and preferably wine from the same region. Example: If you are having Tuscan food serve Tuscan wine. If you are having Sicilian food serve Sicilian wine.
- Strong cheeses work best with sweeter full bodied wines, thick fatty cheeses such as brie work well with fruit forward reds like Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. Tangy cheeses like soft goat work well with acidic whites such as Sauvignon Blanc.
- Salt in food will increase the sense of sweetness in wine, while sweetness in wine will accentuate acid or bitterness in food.
Below is a broad based guide to pairing wine with food:
- Apples - Sauvignon Blanc, white Bordeaux, un-oaked Chardonnay
- Artichokes - No white wines, Cotes du Rhone, Pinot Noir, Grenache
- Barbecued foods - Shiraz, Zinfandel or Rose
- Beef - Red Bordeaux, Cabernet, Big Merlot, new world Super Tuscans, big Shiraz, northern Rhone reds, (Hermitage, St. Joseph, Cote Rotie), Malbec, big Chateau Neuf du Pape, Barolo, Barbaresco, Zinfandel. If it's a big wine it works with beef.
- Stuffed cabbage or peppers - Gamay/Beaujolais
- Caviar - Champagne or White Burgundy/Chardonnay
- Sausages - Zinfandel, Beaujolais, Riesling, Guwertztraminer
- Chicken, (with white sauces) - Chardonnay, Viognier, (Roasted) - Chateauneuf Neuf du Pape, Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone
- Mexican/Cajun foods - Pinot Noir, Grenache, lighter Zinfandels
- Asian foods - Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, Tocai, Gruner Veltliner, (if you must have red, Pinot Noir)
- Creme Brulee - Sauternes, Muscat
- Chocolate - Port, Orange Muscat
- Duck - Red Bordeaux, Cabernet, Shiraz, Zinfandel
- Fish - (fatty fish such as Salmon or Tuna) Pinot Noir, White Burgundy/Big Chardonnay, (lighter fish) Sauvignon Blanc
- Indian foods - Gewurztraminer, Riesling or Pinot Noir
- Cured Ham - Red Burgundy/Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Gewurztraminer or Riesling
- Lamb - Cabernet, Red Bordeaux, Barolo, Chateau Neuf du Pape, our personal favorite is Cabernet Franc with its hints of mint
- Pork - Cotes du Rhone, Gewurztraminer, Riesling
- Pizza - Chianti, Barbera
- Risotto - Trebbiano, Orvietto
- Shellfish - Chardonnay, Viognier, Champagne
- Smoked Fish - Gewurtzraminer, Riesling
- Turkey - Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone
- Veal - Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone, lighter Cabernet
- Venison - Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Red Bordeaux
For other pairings please call or stop by for suggestions!!!!
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