Simple Wine Pairing

White wine for white meats or fish, and red wine for red meats, right!……no not necessarily. Wines are meant to compliment foods based on fruitiness, dryness and complexity, wine's age, spiciness of the food, sauces used in preparation, etc. Consider the tastes and flavors of the wine and the food. Start with the meal. Do the ingredients have rich sauces or lots of garlic? A bold red wine (Cabernet) or bold white (heavy oak Chardonnay) might be the ticket for your dish. Delicate flavors such as white, flaky fish and sautéed vegetables, consider a lighter, cleaner Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio), Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Buying an inexpensive wine and food guide might be helpful. Remember everybody has different taste so there is no right or wrong, the most important thing is what pleases you.

When paired together properly, the right wine can bring out subtle flavors of a meal in such a manner that your dinner will be unforgettable. It used to be that people thought:. Put aside those rules, because they no longer apply. Wines should be chosen to compliment food based on a number of factors: the wine's age, fruitiness, dryness and complexity, and the food's spiciness, amount of fat, sauces used in preparation, etc. Do you need to hire a sommelier to learn proper enjoyment of food and wine? Absolutely not. Nor do you need to think about purchasing $50 bottles of wine, or buying or preparing gourmet dinners. Any meal is an appropriate occasion to experiment and decide what works best for your palette. The basic tip for food and wine pairing is to consider the tastes and flavors of each. Since the meal is going to be the focal point, start there. Do the ingredients require rich sauces or lots of garlic? If so, you will probably need a red wine that can stand up to such a dish. A soft Pinot Noir may not do the job, but a nice Zinfandel (the red, not the white version) could be just the right match. More delicate flavors such as white, flaky fish and sauteed vegetables, would not fare as well against a bold wine. And bold is not just red, but also heavy oak-y Chardonnays, as well. Consider a lighter, cleaner Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio in Italian) or even a Sauvignon Blanc. Knowing the complexities of a meal may come naturally, but many people don't understand the basics of wine varietals and their nuances. You really do not need to talk in snobby "wine talk," to describe a Merlot as "jammy, or with a smoke nose." Again, this is about figuring out what you enjoy, and what tastes best when you eat dinner.