Wine & food

At one time, the rules on choosing wines to accompany food seemed pretty simple: white wine with fish and poultry, red wine with red meats and cheese, sherry to start and port to finish. But really, there are no hard and fast rules.

Wine and food pairing is a very personal pastime, and draws from a person’s background, culture and habits. People of a German origin may think a particular wine is dry, while the French may find the same wine sweet. Similarly, someone brought up eating a lot of spicy food may judge a wine differently to a person who dined largely on pasta or potatoes. Ultimately, it comes down to what each individual enjoys, and what combination works best for him or her.

Pairing is not a mysterious science but simply the decision of which wine will bring out the best in the food which it accompanies, and vice versa. Just as you don’t want the wine to overpower the combined flavours of the food, so you don’t want the taste of the food overpowering the delicate aromas of the wine. There needs to be a balance.

At best, a particular partnership of wine and food adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts. At worst, a strongly-flavoured food might strip the wine of some of its complexity, and make it taste rather ordinary. But on the whole you can afford to be bold: very few combinations actually clash.

Typically you want to drink light to dark, just as when you plan a meal you start with delicate tastes first, working your way towards heavier flavours. Thus, a red wine will not usually be served with appetizers, though it will match perfectly with heavier foods such as beef and venison. Generally speaking, red wine and food can be paired as follows:

Strong Cheese: paired with Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, Zinfandel and Port
Tomato-based dishes: paired with Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, and Zinfandel
Pork: paired with Beaujolais, Shiraz and Pinot Noir
Beef: paired with Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, and Zinfandel
Lamb: paired with Cabernet
Venison: paired with Cabernet, Shiraz and Zinfandel
Tuna: paired with Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet, Zinfandel
Chocolate: paired with Merlot, Cabernet and Port

Given the light to dark way of eating and drinking, one typically serves white wine with appetizers or opening courses in a meal. White wines pair well with most dishes of a lighter nature, such as salads, fish and poultry. Generally speaking, white wine and food can be paired as follows:

Mild cheese: paired with Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminers, Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, White Riesling
Strong Cheese: paired with Chenin Blanc, Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay
Oysters: paired with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Shellfish: paired with Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc
Seafood: paired with Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Salmon: paired with Grand Cru
Pasta with cream sauce: paired with Sauvignon Blanc
Asian Food: paired with Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Dry Riesling
Poultry: paired with Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay
Pork: paired with Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling and Chardonnay
Chocolate: paired with White Riesling

Champagne tends to compliment lighter dishes such as appetizers and opening courses, though it also pairs very well with sushi and light meals, as well as seafood, fruit and dessert.

Mild Cheese: paired with Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc
Strong Cheese: paired with Extra Dry, Brut, Blanc de Blanc, and Blanc de Noir
Appetizers: paired with Extra Dry, Brut, Blanc de Blanc, and Blanc de Noir
Seafood, including shrimp, shellfish, lobster and crab: paired with Brut, Blanc de Blanc, and Blanc de Noir
Asian Food: paired with Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc
Poultry: paired with Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir
Fruit and Dessert: paired with Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noir

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