Food and Wine Matching
Wine and food. A match made in heaven when it works.
A great starting point is of course to match the wine of a region with the cuisine of a region. There are no set rules however. If you want to drink a full on Barossa Shiraz with your lemon sole and it works for you, then good luck to you. Remember, the purpose of wine / food matching is to increase the pleasure of both. So if it works for you, it works for you.
There are some basic considerations that are worth noting. Here goes . .
- Match light body wine with lighter weight food / heavier body wine with heavier food
- Match the flavour intensity of the wine with the flavour intensity of the food
- Match the acidity of the wine with the acidity of the food
- Match the sweetness of the wine with the sweetness of the food.
- Tannin, Salt and Oils – some pointers
Match light body wine with light weight food / heavier body wine with heavier food
The heavier the food, the heavier the wine needs to be. So if you have a lovely winter stew or a roast beef joint, a heavier full bodied powerful wine is yer only man. It does not have to be red (though its usually the safer bet). Its the body of the wine that counts here. A full bodied white wine may work better than a light bodied red. More delicate food like fish will generally work better with lighter wines. White wine will generally work best here but some low tannin red wines can also work very well. You also need to keep in mind what the sauce is. A heavier sauce will need a heavy bodied wine.
Match the flavour intensity of the wine with the flavour intensity of the food.
Flavour intensity and weight are closely related but are not the same. Food like potatoes are heavy in body but light in flavour. A shaving of raw garlic is light in body but has masses of flavour intensity. Its the same with wines. Some German and Austrian white wines for example are light in body but have masses of flavour intensity. Strong flavour wines and light flavour foods do not match well and vice versa. The method of cooking is also important to keep in mind. Steaming, roasting, etc will affect the flavour intensity of the food.
Match the acidity of the wine with the acidity of the food
Acidity is something we take note of in wine (expecially crisp white wines) but it often slips past our radar in food. If the food has higher acidity levels, it will make the wine taste less acidic. You may find the wine less zippy and refreshing as a result. Tomatoes, citric fruits are high in acidity so keep that in mind when chosing your wine.
Match the sweetness of the wine with the sweetness of the food.
The rule of thumb here is that the wine must be at least as sweet or sweeter than the food. If the food is sweeter, the wine will appear acidic and tart. Late harvest wines and ports work well.
Thoughts on Tannin, Salt and Oils
Oily fish and tannic wine simply do not work. The wine takes on a metallic taste when they are combined. Low tannin red wines can still work fine though.
Salty foods will make high tannin wines taste very bitter.
Salty foods and wines with some sweetness work well. Ever try that classic combo of Port and Stilton ?
Salty foods can also benefit from a little acidity in the wine. Try a crisp Muscadet with shellfish some time.
Wines that have a good level of acidity can work very well with oily rich foods. Try fois gras with a sweet dessert wine like Sauternes. It works because the acidity cuts through the fat.
Natalie Maclean
We have only touched on the basics here. A lot to remember ? Well you could take the pain out of all of this and head over to http://www.nataliemaclean.com/ where its all done for you. Here you will find wonderful articles on food / wine matching. Better still, there is an online food / wine matching process. Type in the food or wine you are having and suggested matches appears in front of you. You can also add this wonderful service to your blog or website (it has pride of place on iGoogle for me). What really sealed the deal for me was the ability to download an app on my iPhone (other mobile devices are also catered for). Wondering what to have with spicy chicken wings ? Just click on it and the matching wine types are revealed (Beaujolais, Italian Spumante, Riesling, Syrah and New World Sparkling Wines are suggested) Job done. And the best bit, its free ! Great job Natalie
So I hope this has been interesting. Just remember, its all about what works for YOU. Keep trying new combinations as this will result in some truely spectacular results ! And let us know how you get on.
