So much fuss has been made over the “proper” combination of wine and food that many new cooks are actually turned off by the thought of serving wine with their meals. The fact of the matter is that wine can be a perfect accompaniment to fine dining, and you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment. Here are some tips on
food and wine pairing that can get you started.
Why is Wine an Important Part of a Fine Meal?
Wine has become an integral part of fine dining over the years, not just because it slakes thirst or makes people tipsy, but because the right wines can accentuate the flavors of a meal. Wine clears the palate and brings certain flavors to the forefront, while counteracting strongly salty or bitter tastes. It can be used like any other spice when it comes to preparing great foods.
Why is Matching Wine with Food Important?
Just as wines can enhance the good flavors of fine foods, the wrong pairings can make foods taste metallic, bitter, or overly sweet. Some people dedicate their entire lives to discerning the exact flavors that come from wines made from different grapes, stored in different casks, and aged for different lengths of time. This is, for example, the job of sommeliers in upscale restaurants.
However, you don’t have to be a sommelier or a wine fanatic to make good choices about the wines you serve with your meals.
What are the Most Important Factors for Pairing Wine with Food?
A trained wine lover can detect a vast array of different flavors in a glass of wine, and use those flavors to pick the perfect matching food. However, wine novices can do a good job pairing wine by paying attention to the following elements:
· Body – A powerful wine with a rich body should be paired with strong, richly flavored foods. Otherwise, you run the risk of the wine overpowering the flavors of your meal. For example, a hearty merlot could be served with blackened steak or spiced lamb, whereas it would probably be too strong for a lemon-drenched fillet of sole.
· Flavor – Sweet wines go well with desserts and sweet main dishes, whereas acidic wines are well-paired with tart sauces, salad dressings, and salty foods. Bitter wines cut through the bitter taste of sour meals. It’s a good idea to make sure that the flavor of the wine is at least slightly stronger than the matching flavor of the meal or else the wine might seem dull or even sour. For example, avoid serving a very sweet dessert with a mildly sweet wine.
· Alcohol – Usually, the lower the alcohol content of the wine, the better it matches the foods you are serving.
You might have noticed a theme when it comes to food and wine pairing – “like with like.” It’s usually easiest to pair wines with foods that have similar characteristics. This also holds for the old standby, white wines with white meat and red wines with red meat. Most red wine contains a bitter element called tannin which comes from the skin of the wine. Tannin tastes best with fatty, red meats.
Two More Wine Pairing Tips for Great Entertaining
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the basics of pairing wine with food, there’s something else that you should know – it’s also all right to break the rules. If there were one specific way of pairing wines with food, there wouldn’t be a need for sommeliers. Here are two important tips for creating not just a great pairing, but also a great meal:
· Match the Wine to the Guest. You might think that a good Riesling is the perfect partner to your famed seafood dish, but if your guests only drink red wine, they won’t enjoy it. Make sure that you put the people who will be eating your meals before any wine pairing rules.
· Surprising Combinations Can Be Startlingly Good. Just as sometimes cooks will pair a tangy sauce with a sweet dessert, sometimes breaking the “like with like” rule can have a delicious effect. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially once you become more familiar with the subject of food and wine pairing.
Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a resource for cookware sets, stainless cookware and enamel cast iron cookware.
