It was the summer of ’92. I sat in the dim light of a crowded dining room, surrounded by abstract sounds and smells. It appeared before me in an instant – a veal chop, straight out of the oven, drizzled in a balsamic glaze. A tempting waft of charred smoke rose up, inviting me to take my first bite. I gave in, and a fork full of flavour was in my mouth. It was good.
Then there was the wine – it was a 1988 Kenwood Jack London Zinfandel from California’s Sonoma Valley. It had been poured into my glass minutes earlier and I had swirled it round and round, waking the flavours from within, releasing the fruits that had long been encased in the bottle. I took a sip and the result took my breath away! The food – this dish of charbroiled veal, coupled with the wine – this Zinfandel in all its fruitiness – this combination was the most phenomenal thing that I had ever tasted. It was as though heaven itself had entered the room and surrounded me with sheer delight. It was at that moment that I embarked on my love affair with wine and food.
If you have never experienced food and wine synergy, then you are missing out on one of life’s most enchanting experiences. True synergy is not totally unlike true love – where two elements come together to achieve something greater than both of the parts.
The subject of pairing wine with food has long intimidated many of us and plainly bewildered others. Finding the right match is sometimes viewed as complicated and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! While it’s true there are some scientific reasons that certain wines go better with certain foods, for the most part it is simply a matter of common sense – putting together two flavours that taste good together.
Whether you consider yourself a real gourmet, or someone who just eats ‘food for fuel,’ one thing is certain: flavours play an important part in your daily life.
We mix flavours together in every meal we make, from a sandwich (what kind of cheese should be used with this meat?) to crafting soup (which herbs will go best with these vegetables?). So, whether you know it or not, you already have experience in the art of pairing flavours and a head start on knowing how to pair wine with food.
Let’s start with the basics: Here are five rules of thumb (one for each finger), to keep in mind, when approaching food and wine pairings:
COLOUR CODING
While there are several exceptions to this rule, white wine often goes best with white fish and white meats; red wine is often the best bet with red meats like venison, lamb or beef. The subtlety of choosing specific wines for these pairings depends on the methods of cooking and accompanying ingredients.
BLOOD AND TANNINS
Red wines usually have a degree of tannin to them (an astringent quality in the wine that makes our mouths feel dry), and more tannic wines tend to go best with rarer meats. So, if you like your beef rare, look for a wine that is full and complex, such as red Bordeaux or Barolo, as they tend to be higher in tannins; if you prefer your meat well-done, have a wine that is rich and berried instead – something like a California Zinfandel or an Australian Shiraz perhaps.
BALANCE TEXTURES
Contrast plays an important part in food and wine pairings. Take salad dressing, for example: oil is very viscous and rich, while vinegar is quite the opposite – thin and astringent. When the two are mixed together, the result is a harmonious balance of oiliness and acidity, much like a perfect wine and food pairing. So an oily fish such as trout will go wonderfully with a vibrant and fruity wine – something a little higher in acidity, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon.
FLAVOUR SHOWCASE
When you want a flavour to shine, it is important to frame the flavour with subtle enhancements, not overpower it with another, more powerful flavour. For instance, if you really like the herbaceous notes of a creambased pasta dish, be sure to pair it with a wine subtle enough to show it off, such as a delicate and crisp Italian Pinot Grigio. If you paired it with a full and luscious wine like a big, oaky Chardonnay, it might taste yummy, but you’d be hard-pressed to find those distant herbal flavours, as they’d be masked by powerful toast and buttery notes.
HOT AND COOL
When serving spicy foods, it’s best to pair them with fruity wines, which act as a coolant to the palate after a mouthful of heat. Fruity and off-dry whites, such as German Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, are great bets with spicy Asian dishes, while light and fruity reds such as Gamay are good companions to spicy beef dishes such as Mexican burritos. Rules are good to have as guidelines, but what is paramount is that you enjoy the meal, creating it and indulging in it. Above all, pairing wines with foods is a great way to experiment with different flavours, learn about your own taste preferences and, best of all, have fun!
Look around for taste inspirations to know what flavours go best together.
Something as simple as childhood classics like peanut butter and jelly can inspire a terrific pairing by breaking down the flavours. The peanut component to the classic can be found in a modern Pad Thai dish, while the jelly can be represented by a very grapey wine, such as a Beaujolais Nouveau. Knowing how well the flavours of peanuts and jelly mix in a sandwich, why wouldn’t they work wonderfully together as food and wine?
Another way to approach flavour pairings is by enhancing similarities. Take roast beef in a mushroom sauce, for example. This dish has some earthy flavours from the mushrooms in the sauce, and an effective way to bring out those flavours in the food is to pair it with a wine that also has earthy flavours – something like a California Sangiovese perhaps, or a Brunello di Montalcino, which is made using the Sangiovese grape.
There are countless things to consider when pairing wines with food, but the most important thing is to drink what you enjoy. So, if you really love white wine, and red wine is just not your thing, then drink white – even if you are having steak. Sure, a Cabernet would be a better pairing, but if you don’t like red wine, then what good will that do you? Instead, focus on pairing the dish with as full and luscious a white wine as you can muster, such as an oaky California Chardonnay. After all, you do want to taste your wine with dinner, and drinking something light like a Pinot Blanc would taste a bit like drinking water.
Food and wine are always best enjoyed together, so have a great time figuring out which food and wine combinations work best for you.
by Mirelle Sauvé