Food and Wine pairing

I have spent most of my career pairing food with wine, and these are some basic rules that I have learned to follow;
I think food and wine pairing is best achieved when you find similarities and/or contrasts of flavor, body (texture), intensity, and taste – “Simple wines with complex foods…complex wines with simple foods.” A basic guideline I live by in pairing food and wine is that generally “light” foods go with “light” wines and “heavy” foods go with “heavy” wines. In the same sense, delicate meals call for a lighter wine and heavier meals a more bold wine.
For example: Sauted Halibut with a beurre blanc, I would suggest a light buttery California Chardonnay, or a crisp Sauvirnon Blanc. If I was serving a Filet mignon with a Port demi I would suggest a Kenwood Zinfandel or Bareboat Pinot Noir.

Wine and food can complement or contrast each other, as long as they don’t mask each other’s unique flavor and characteristics, matching the weight and textures of the food to the weight and texture of the wine. I think flavors are a combination of tastes and aromas. Sometimes, the best choice is to counterpoint flavors rather than matching them. For example: A Thai dish with a Riesling or Gewurztraminer, or a Lamb rack with a Rose or a berry Merlot.

I think balance in flavors is also very important. I like to pair the wine with the sauce, seasoning or dominant flavor of the dish. I also feel opposing flavors can play off each other, creating new flavor sensations and cleansing the palate. If a dish is acidic — citrus or vinegar — then an acidic wine would be appropriate, although a lightly acidic dish can be balanced with a lightly sweet wine. Foods with a prominent salty, sour or bitter taste will make a wine seem sweeter and less tannic. For example: If I was serving a Duck salad with orange vinaigrette I would suggest a Viognier or a Beaujolais.

With this in mind I find food and wine pairing a joy.

Tags: Cooking Tips