Wine Pairing

If you are like me you really only know about a few of your favorite wines that you typically drink but would like to know more.  I find articles like the one below from Laurie Forster thewinecoach. to be very helpful  The full article can be found here. 

• The Contrasting method uses diverse flavors to play off each other, e.g., when pairing a dry red wine with a New York strip steak, the steaks juiciness and the wines dryness counteract each other. The Complementary method matches flavors to enhance them, e.g., rich foods with rich wines or powerful foods with powerful wines.  For instance, try pairing a seafood dish in a creamy sauce with a rich, buttery Chardonnay.  The richness of the wine will add to that of the dish giving real ”power” to the pairing.

• By weight: Light fare with lighter bodied, more delicate wines, and fuller bodied, more intense wines with bigger foods.  This is actually one of the food and wine concepts that is most intuitive.  Most of us wouldn’t think to order a light, fruity Pinot Grigio with a New York Strip steak, or conversely, a glass of hearty Cabernet Sauvignon with a cold seafood salad. 

• Other cool facts:
  • Salt lowers the perceived acid in wine. Acid in wine is that tangy or sour sensation you get on your tongue. Imagine biting a lemon that’s acid. Salty foods will need higher acid wines.  Try tasting a pinch of salt with both a crisp, high acid Sauvignon Blanc and a mellow, lower acid Chardonnay.  Notice how each change in the presence of the salt.  The acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc will soften but the Chardonnay will most likely end up losing most, if not all of its flavor.
  • Tannins in red wines are softened by animal fats in things like meat, cheese, and butter. Tannins, a naturally astringent substances found in grape skins, are also found in some foods like walnuts.  Tannins are perceived in our mouths as a sense of dryness. Highly tannic wines can make you feel like you have instant cottonmouth. Try eating a bunch of walnuts or red grapes…you’ll end up getting the same sensation.  Wines with firmer tannins are a natural pairing with fattier dishes likes red meats, cheeses or stews.  Try a Cabernet Sauvignon that has firm tannins with a bite of steak and notice how it softens.
  • Sweet wines tone down spicy foods whereas high alcohol dry wines will intensify the heat of spices. Try hot sauce with Moscato d’Asti (a sweet sparkler from Italy) or a slightly sweet Vouvray (a Chenin Blanc from France).  Then try the same sauce with an oaky Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.  The first two wine will tone down the heat whereas the last two will make the food taste even spicier.
  • High acid wines with high acid foods will create a neutralizing effect rather than intensifying the sourness. Try a Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese separately each is quite acidic, but as a couple they are fabulous!

• Go to wines: There are two grapes that are considered to be “universal” (meaning they can stand up to most food choices). These are dry Riesling and Pinot Noir.  They both have the right combination of fruit and acid to complement a wide variety of cuisine.

The best advice I have is to taste, taste, taste and taste some more.  The more different verities you taste the better your palate will evolve.  I have a real hard time keeping all the different varietals in my head so I focus more on if it is red or white, the grape and the region and while I am tasting I try to imagine what food might go with this wine.

The bottom line is to drink what you like but be willing to venture out of your comfort zone and you won't be disappointed.