Pairing Wine and Food

Successful Food and Wine Pairing

After posting my guidelines on successfully putting together a cheese platter, I thought it a good idea to focus on wine.  In future posts I will do more of an in-depth write-up about which red and white wines to pick out when hosting a dinner party.  However for now I thought I’d do a brief overview about pairing wine and food and give a few basic rules about what to look for when choosing a wine.

Image by DeeJayTee123

How to Pair Wine and Food

1.  When pairing wine, match the weight and texture of the wine with the weight and texture of the food.   For example, if you’re serving a light-bodied fish such as sea bass, then a fruity light wine such as Pinot Grigio would work well with it.  If you’re having a heavier fish such as salmon then a richer-bodied wine such as a Burgundy or Pinot Noir would work well.

2. Balance the strength of flavours in the wine with the strength of flavours in the food.  If you’re serving a mild-tasting dish such as pork or turkey, then a milder wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay is good.  For more intense flavoured food, such as beef in a rich sauce or a tomato-based pasta dish, go for a fuller-bodied wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.

3.  Match the flavours in the food with the flavours in the wine.  For example, if you’re serving up duck in a plum sauce then a fruity red wine is in order.  If you’re having a peppery dish then match a peppery Zinfandel.

4.  Balance tastes.  Though balancing the strength of the wine and food is important, it’s also necessary to bear in mind which tastes work well together.  If you’re serving spicy food, for example, a rich wine will not work as it will be too overwhelming on the palatte, so go for a fruitier wine such as a riesling which will offset the spice.

This Australian wine pairing website gives some more great ideas about the types of wine to pair with each dish.

Dinner Style By: Gloria