The Basics of Wine and Food Pairing

Wine and food pairing can be daunting. And through a little education and some trial and error (and I mean like,"Holy shyte what the hell did you do to my mouth error"), I've put together a little guide to help you along your way.

I'm going to teach you some easy wine and food pairing tips that will totally turn around your perception of the "science/art" that is pairing. First though,...remember this; everything in wine (when it comes to guidelines) is based on generalities. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but that is what makes wine so fun. Follow these guidelines, and you'll only go wrong some of the time, but you'll be right most of the time.

Basics:

• Wine refreshes the palate between bites - and helps you to slow down and enjoy the meal.
• Elements in food and wine can complement or take away from each other.
• Practice, practice, practice - If you pair more of your food with wine, you're bound to find something that works.
• The weight of the wine needs to match the weight of the food - rich heavy wine with rich heavy food,...and visa versa.
• Wine flavour can contrast or complement the food you're eating (in terms of flavour) - it all depends on the desired effect.
• Match simple food with complex wine (and visa versa),...that way one doesn't steal the spotlight from the other.
• Do your research - Figure out where your wine comes from,...right down to the region, then figure out what the people in that area eat with their wines - works best with old world wines.

These basic guidelines should help you figure out what to do. Also, don't forget that the character of the food will change the flavour of the wine. Chefs know this best, but here's a quick way for you to cheat and win:

• Alcohol accentuates heat (spicy foods need to be paired carefully) - Rieslings are good with Thai - personal note of experience.
• Sweetness accentuates acidity
• Fat and proteins reduce the perception of tannins (why do you think the thick heavy red tastes better with a steak - because they do)
• Salt also reduces the perception of tannin, but watch out for this because too much will destroy your wine experience, and it just tastes gross if there is too much.

Boom,...you're ready to rock with your wine and food pairing skills, impress the gf/bf/significant other/friends etc etc etc with your new knowledge.

Look out for my next post,...I'm thinking Chardonnay,...what do you think?