Pairing food with wine - Part 1

Pairing Food with Wine - Part 1

The art of matching food and wine can appear to be quite confusing, but it really needn't be. I'll be letting you into a few secrets that will make it a whole lot simpler.

Where to Start

The way to approach wine and food pairing from the outset is simple: consider the weight of flavour in the food on your plate and try to match this with the weight of flavour in the wine you choose.

For example, a hearty and robust stew would overwhelm a light, fresh wine. Similarly, the flavours of a delicate piece of fish would be eradicated under a deep and weighty red wine.

The whole reason for taking time to pair wine with food is to get the most out of what's on your plate or in the glass, and to try and make both taste as delicious as they can be.

What Should You Consider?

• Is the body of the wine light, or more robust?
• Is the wine dry or sweet?
• What level of freshness or acidity does the wine have?

Pairing Reds

The tannins in red wine work really well with certain foods, and they can actually help to break down the fat and protein in meat, making both the wine and food more palatable.

If you have a lighter dish, I would avoid an oaky red – save these wines for when you have something much more robust on your plate.

Pairing Opposites

When it comes to pairing wine and food, I will often pair like with like. For example, if I have a dish with lots of juicy flavours, I'll go for a wine with a similarly juicy taste.

There is, however, another way to approach it, and that is to find a contrasting match. I find that a salty blue cheese will work really well with a wine that has a lot of sweetness, as they balance each other out. Another example is pairing fried foods with fizz, as the bubbles help to cut through the oiliness.

Dominant Flavours Like Salt and Spice

If a dish is particularly salty or spicy, you need to have a wine that can cope with that and work with it rather than against it.

Oak and spice are not great bedfellows – so instead, opt for something fresher such as a sparkling wine.

When There Are Many Flavours on the Table

There may be a variety of dishes on your table, particularly if you're at a restaurant. If you're at home, I would recommend getting a few different wines for the table so that there's something for everyone. If you're in a restaurant, you could perhaps order by the glass so that each person can experience a good match for what they've ordered.