Wine Pairing Made Easy!

“One should always be drunk. That's all that matters...But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”

Six Basic Flavour Profile To Consider When Pairing Food With Wine:

 
― Charles Baudelaire

• Acidity in wine pairs well with fatty and sweet foods.
• Fatty foods need either an acidic or high alcohol wine, otherwise the wine will taste flabby.
• Bitter (aka Tannic) wine can be balanced with a sweet food.
• Salty shouldn’t compete with acidity in wine. Use sparingly as necessary to keep sharpness in the meal.
• Sweet food/wine benefits from a little acidity.
• Alcohol can be used to cut through fatty foods or balance a sweet dish.

Rule one: Acid needs acid

Any food with a high acid level, something you just want to squeeze a lemon onto, is a perfect match for a high acid wine. Choose a good Barolo, Sauvignon Blanc or Chianti for a white wine option. Serving a high acid wine with a meal like this will bring out the citrus notes of your food. This is also a great rule to keep in mind if you are a red wine person, who wants to pair with an acidic pork or chicken dish. Choose a high acid, low tannin red for a nice Red Wine, White Meat pairing. 

Rule Two: Tannins Need Fat

First of all, what IS a tannin? It’s the astringent component in red wine that give it structure. This is what can cause that bitter, pucker feeling in the back of your throat. This needs fat for balance, fat will soften the tannins and bring a smoother feel. Serve a bold Cabernet with a nice fatty piece of Prime Rib.

Rule Three: Fish Goes with Acid, Not With Tannins

 We have all heard the old rule of: White Wine for White Meat, Red Wine for Red Meat. The reason for that is acid and tannins, not color. If you are serving fish, think of the wine as you would a squeeze of lemon on top (high acid wine) rather than a sprinkle of cheese (tannin heavy red wine).

Rule Four: Pair Wine With Dominant Flavor, Not Necessarily The Meat

This is another reason to ignore the old rule White for White, Red for Red. Just because you have pork on your plate, doesn’t mean that is the flavor that will stick around. Is that pork being served in a robust red sauce? Or is that beef being served with a creamy lemon sauce? If the sauce on your plate is the dominant flavor, pair to that, not the meat.

Rule Five: Heat Needs Sugar

This is the best example of wine paring going awry. Serving a super spicy dish with a high alcohol, tannin heavy wine with will set your guests on fire, two great elements producing a catastrophe combination when mixed.  Alcohol intensifies the heat. For the most part, you want to stick with a sweeter, low alcohol wine. Even if you don’t like sweeter wines, you will be surprised at how those sugars are altered with introduction of the heat. Try a Gewürztraminer or a Riesling.

Rule Six: Sweet Needs Sweeter

You want the wine to be sweeter than the dessert. Even if you are not drawn to the sweeter wines, taking a sip of a rich, sweet port before, and after, a bit of a dense fudgy cake completely transforms the flavors of both elements.

Here's an easy wine pairing chart to ensure that you have the best pairings for your meal!

 Check out some eco-friendly and creative ways to reuse your empty wine bottles here at: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/reuse-wine-bottles/