The number of wine styles available in stores seems to increase on a daily basis.  And the world seems to become even smaller as you stroll through local food markets with isles dedicated to flavors from around the world not to mention fabulous gourmet shops that now stock even the most obscure ingredient from halfway around the world.  The possibilities for wine and food pairings are endless and the idea of pairing a wine and a food that taste better together than they each did on their own is in itself intoxicating!

Here are a few basic tips to get you started in putting together your own delicious wine and food pairings. And remember, do what tastes good to you. Wine and food matching is both an art and a science. Keep these tips in mind and let your taste buds do the rest.

Think Regional

The most simple and logical tip is this; regional wine styles have evolved over generations to compliment their regional cuisine.  Chianti is meant to be served alongside rich and hearty pasta dishes like penne and meat sauce.  When in doubt try a regional wine pairing for your dish

Balance

You don’t want your wine to overpower your food, but you also don’t want the flavors of your food to be too intense for the wine you serve to accompany it. Complicated? Not really. Consider both the flavors and the textures of your food.  A steamed lobster with its rich buttery meat is perfectly suited with a rich full bodied white wine.  An oak aged Chardonnay would strike the perfect balance in body and sweetness to accompany this meal. 

Dominant Flavour

This is a simple technique; first determine what the most dominant flavor in your dish is, then match your wine to that flavor.  This will usually be the seasonings or sauce used in the dish and not the meat.  The dominant flavor in a chicken which has been seasoned with a Malabar pepper rub is not the chicken; it’s the spices in the rub.  The ordinarily light and mild flavor of the chicken is changed completely when treated with the pepper rub.  The best accompaniment for any spicy dish is a little sweetness a fruity, medium bodied red, perhaps a Gamay or Grenache, would strike the perfect balance between the delicate chicken meat and the heat of the rub.  

Another way of creating delicious matches is to mirror the characteristics of the food in the wine you chose.  A jammy, berry-flavored red Zinfandel with a rich meat and a berry sauce works so well because the flavor of the wine is mirrored in the flavor of the sauce.  A fool proof matching technique  is to add a splash of the wine you are serving to the sauce for a fool-proof match.

Contrasting flavors in food and wine is something that can be fun to experiment with.  A sweet rich port is the perfect traditional accompaniment to strong, pungent stilton striking the perfect sweet and salty balance and creating an amazing taste sensation. 

Consider Acid, Sugar and Tannin

These are the three key components we talk about when referencing wine and they can either make or break a meal when paired with the wrong dishes.

Acidity in food can make a wine without much acidity taste bland or flat. Tomatoes for example; are packed with acid and need a wine with enough acidity to balance it out. A light to medium-bodied red from Italy (such as Chianti, Valpolicella or Dolcetto), or a zesty white such as Sauvignon Blanc helps to balance that acidity.

The sweetness in food also needs to be balanced. Quite simply for desserts; your wine should always be at least as sweet as your dessert.  But when serving a main that has hints of sweetness you are best serving a wine which also has a touch of sweetness to balance the flavor.  Consider grilled Shrimp with Mango Chutney paired with a medium bodied Pinot Grigio

Lastly, tannins are a component of wine that comes from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. They’re found mostly in red wine and leave an astringent feeling in your mouth (much like strongly brewed tea).  It’s easy to reduce the effects of the tannins by simply pairing your tannic wine with a dish high in protein. A classic example is serving a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a big, juicy steak.  The protein in the meat coats your mouth and makes the tannins in the wine seem soft and smooth.

Don’t Forget the Alcohol Content

The alcohol content in wine can have a huge impact on how it tastes with the food, especially when the food you are serving is spicy.  Alcohol intensifies spice, so unless you love blow-your-mouth-off heat, avoid serving high-alcohol wines with your spicy dishes. A great alternative is an off-dry wine, which has just a bit of sweetness in it. The level of alcohol in these wines tends to be lower, and the sweetness helps to cool down the heat of the spice.

Here are a few of our personal suggestions and pairings that we think work well:

AMARONE

Cabernet Sauvignon’s flavors can be described as “jammy” and range from notes of black currant, cherry, plum, bell pepper, chocolate, mint, cigar box, chocolate and spice. Most Cabernets need a few years of aging to gain their fine wine quality of layered fruit and firm structure. California Cabernets are drinkable from 3 to 10 years or even longer. Tannins—a natural part of grape skins, seeds, and stems—give Cabernet it’s firm-body, substantial wine taste. Because red wines soak with their skins, they gain color and increased tannins during fermentation. Cabernet pairs well with rich roasted meats such as steaks, prime rib with a reduction sauce or with smoky, grilled vegetables.

CHANTI / SANGIOVESE

Sangiovese (San-gee-oh-vay-zay) is the main grape component of Chianti, one of Italy’s best known wines. The cultivation of these grapes can be traced back through the centuries to ancient Greece and Rome. In fact, the word Sangiovese is derived from Latin “sanguis Jovis” or the blood of Jupiter. True to its name, Sangiovese is a brilliant ruby red wine full of bright, ripe fruit flavors. With its well-rounded, crisp acidity and mild tannins, this wine is extremely versatile and pairs with a wide range of fowl, meat and pasta dishes.

CHARDONNAY

The Chardonnay grape takes on an immense array of flavors. Tastes include orchard or tree fruit such as; apple, fig, pear and peach or tropical fruit like pineapple and melon.  There can be notes of citrus fruit like lemon and grapefruit or the spice and sweetness of honey and richness of butter or butterscotch and the nuttiness of hazelnut. Chardonnay grows best in cooler climates that give it enough 'hang time' to bring out these wonderful fruit aromas.  Chardonnay's rich elegance and versatility finds its match in an array of foods that are equally stylish. Strongly herbed dishes are suited just as easily as dishes which highlight butter or cream sauces or the more earthy flavors of mushrooms and mustards.  Lobster, crab, prawns, scallops, salmon, halibut, chicken, turkey, pheasant, pork and veal whether herbed, earthy or served with a luxuriously rich sauce will all be compliment by this diverse wine.

MERLOT

Merlot by nature is a soft, drinkable wine with rich, plum-like flavors with blueberry and cherry notes. The grape—naturally low in tannin—is also low in acid. It is often described as "smooth."  It is frequently blended with Cabernet to make a more full-bodied wine.  In the Old World, Merlot was relegated to poor clay soils. In the New World, the winemakers of today have planted it in well-drained soils in warmer locations.  Merlot is no longer relegated to the status of a “blending wine” but rather has become a popular and outstanding varietal in its own right.  Merlot pairs well with any of the red meats. It has the weight and fruit to match wine-braised stews and roasts, and the structure and polish to pair with rare, grilled prime cuts of beef or lamb.

PINOT GRIGIO

Pinot Grigio is genetically related to Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, and is easily subject to genetic color mutation. The result is that the grape skins range from a bluish gray to a delicate pink color, this depends on the clone and the geographic zone in which the vines are grown.  In fact, the word “Grigio” means gray in Italian, although the juice is drawn off the skins before they impart a pink tint to the wine. Pinot Grigio has a brilliant golden color with a very pleasant nose marked by apricot, tropical lemon and pineapple flavors, complemented by floral and spicy notes.  The wine exhibits ripe fruit flavors on the palate and a lasting, enlivening finish.  Pinot Grigio is lovely when paired with fresh and smoked salmon or trout, halibut, crab, prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, squid, chicken, turkey, pork, veal, quail, and pheasant are wonderful choices for pairing.

PINOT NOIR

This difficult-to-grow red grape is the soul of French red Burgundy.  It's prized for its texture in the mouth and is often described as “velvet” or “leather.”  Typical Pinot Noir flavors are raspberries, cherries, and smoke. This wine pairs deliciously well with grilled salmon and lightly sauced pasta dishes.

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France.  The grape gets it name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France.  Depending on climate, the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical with lively notes of melon and grapefruit accents.  The wine is light and crisp with fresh floral aromas for a pleasurable drinking experience on its own or to be easily paired with food. Sauvignon Blanc pairs deliciously well with grilled poultry,  pork marinated with lemon and tarragon and equally well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre.  It is a nice choice for vegetarian cuisine.  It is also known as one of the few wines that can be paired with sushi and other exotic Asian dishes.

 

Wines made from Syrah are often quite powerfully flavored and full-bodied.  The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen.  Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red) and robust notes of chocolate, espresso and pepper accent the rich fruit.  The wine is full bodied, with lush fruit flavors balanced by soft, supple tannins. Syrah pairs well with game and robust meat dishes such as lamb, beef, duck and goose.  And the more simple preparations of poultry such as roasted chicken with rosemary and garlic.

ZINFANDEL

Wildly popular in the U.S., many consider Zinfandel the quintessential "California red." In fact, California is the largest grower of this variety of red grape currently being planted in over 10 percent of California’s wine vineyards  It is also widely planted in Italy as the Primitivo grape. Zinfandel can range from a light Beaujolais-like wine to a late-harvest red with ultra-intense pepper and jam.  "Zin" is frequently blended with other grapes.  Zinfandel is usually characterized by jammy raspberry fruit and hints of pepper, soft and well-integrated tannins and a dry finish.  An extremely versatile wine, Zinfandel pairs well with dishes ranging from BBQ beef to grilled chicken or roast game. With its balanced acidity, forward fruit and soft tannins, it pairs well with hard to match spicy and highly seasoned foods and sauces.

WHITE ZINFANDEL

This pink colored “rosé” wine ranges from slightly dry to sweet in nature.  White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel wine grape, which would otherwise produce a bold and spicy red wine.  As such, it is not a grape variety but a method of processing the Zinfandel grapes.  Forward fresh notes of strawberry and red cherry characterize this wine both to the nose and on the palate. White Zinfandel is light bodied for drinking on its own or to be easily paired with many foods. Due to the slight sweetness of the wine, White Zinfandel can be served with traditional dishes such as chicken, pork or seafood. This wine will equally pair well with dishes with a slight red pepper or chili quality.