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Wine Pairing Tips
Let me guess, you need help with the wine selection for your host. We're always on the fence when it comes to bringing wine to our host. Should you choose the Pinot Noir or Pinot Grigio? Wine Pairing Tips When pairing food and wine, the wine shouldn't overpower the food, nor should the food overpower the wine. Wine can enhance the flavor of food. A good food and wine match will enhance the flavors and unique characteristics of both the food and the wine.
Think of wine as if it were a condiment — it should compliment the food. For more quick and easy recipes for wine pairing, please visit Cool-recipes.com.
The basic flavors in our foods are also found in wine. They are sweet, tart (sour, acidic), bitter (puckery, astringent sensation) and salty (which isn’t found in wine, but affects its flavor). In addition wine has alcohol which adds aromas and body, making the wine feel richer. Wine drunk by itself tastes different than wine with food. The same way that spices interact with foods and change the flavors, wine interacts the same way with food. The acids, tannins and sugars in the wine interact with the food to provide different taste sensations.
Acidity A wine pairing tip for foods that are acidic — citrus or vinegar — choose a wine high in acidity. Acidic white wines are Sauvignon Blanc and most sparkling wines. Acidity in wine cuts saltiness, so sparkling wines generally pair with salty foods better than less tart wines such as most red wines. Salty, Sour or Bitter Foods with a prominent salty, sour or bitter taste will make a wine seem sweeter and less tannic. Tannins from the skins and sometimes stems of grapes and the oak barrels used for aging cause the bitter or astringent aftertaste in some red wines. Match Food and Wine Flavors Match the flavors of both the food and the wine. An earthy Pinot Noir goes well with mushroom soup. The grapefruit/citrus flavors of Sauvignon Blanc pairs with fish in a lemon sauce. For great recipes, Easy Down Home Recipes has easy preparation ideas and great cooking tips. You'll find the perfect recipe to pair with your favorite wine.
In some European countries the best wine is reserved for the cheese course. Red wines go well with mild to sharp cheese. Pungent and intensely flavored cheese is better with a sweeter wine. Goat Cheeses pair well with dry white wine, while milder cheeses pair best with fruitier red wine. Soft cheese like Camembert and Brie, if not over ripe, pair well with just about any red wine including Cabernet, Zinfandel and Red Burgundy.
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Consider how the food is prepared. Delicately flavored foods — poached or steamed — pair best with delicate wines. Braised, grilled, roasted or sautéed, which can be richer and fattier dishes pair with fuller-bodied wines. Now Serve the Wine You've Chosen When you're serving more than one wine at a meal, it's customary to serve lighter wines before full-bodied ones. Dry wines should be served before sweet wines unless a sweet flavored dish is served early in the meal. In that case match the sweet dish with a similarly sweet wine. Wine Pairing Tips and Lessons Learned Don't stress over the perfect food and wine pairing. The best pairing is good food, good wine and good company. Friends and loved ones are the most important ingredients. The best wine pairing hot tip is, if you like it that's all that matters. Remember "it's a matter of taste!" Date Night Pairing Wine Tip
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