Pairing wine with food can seem daunting, but with a little practice and experimentation, you can transform a simple dinner into a memorable dining experience with the perfect pairing. Whether you're looking to enjoy wine with steak or a delicate piece of fish, the right wine can elevate your meal to new heights.
Understanding Wine & Food Pairing
The success of pairing wine with food is based on a few key elements that stem from creating harmony between the wine and the food's characteristics. These elements include fat, acid, salt, sweetness, weight, and texture. The goal is to balance the taste characteristics of the wine with the flavours in your dish.
Fat
A lot of meals we enjoy with wine have a high fat content. Think about dairy-based dishes like pasta with a heavy cream sauce or a rich cut of beef. To balance out the fat in a dish you'll want to select a wine that’s going to complement the richness of the meal while helping to cut through the fat and cleanse the palate between bites. To do this a wine needs to be high in alcohol, tannin, acid, or a combination of the three.
This is why steak and a heavier Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc work so well together. The richness, in part provided by the alcohol, matches the intensity of the dish while the high acid and tannin content of the wine helps cut through the fattiness and prevent the dish from feeling too cloying or heavy in your mouth.
Acid
Much like in food, acid in wine provides freshness and lift. You can feel acidity in wine along the sides of your tongue and it can increase salivation
When thinking about pairing an acidic wine remember this rule: acid likes acid.
Have a salad with a fresh lemon dressing? Try a high-acid Sauvignon Blanc. Something from New Zealand, the Loire Valley in Frace, or Niagara would work well here.
What about pasta with tomato sauce? Though the acidity of the tomato sauce may not be as noticeable as that of the salad dressing, tomatoes' high acid content is best matched with a high-acid wine, such as an Italian Chianti (which is made from Sangiovese grapes).
Sweetness
Sweetness in wine and food can be difficult to pair. A good rule of thumb is to always make sure your wine is sweeter than your dessert. If it isn’t, it can lead to your wine tasting bitter.
However, sweet wines don’t always need to be paired with dessert! A low-alcohol sweet wine can be a great compliment to spicy food and help offset some of the heat. Sweet wine can also have a contrasting pairing - just like blue cheese with a sweet preserve works well together, blue cheese with a sweet wine (such as Niagara Icewine) can be a great pairing!
Texture & Weight
Matching the weight of the wine with the weight of the food is essential. Lighter wines are best suited for lighter fare while robust wines should accompany hearty dishes. The idea here is that neither the wine nor the food overpowers the other.
For example, a light-bodied wine like Rosé is excellent with a margarita pizza, while a heavier wine like Syrah complements a rich, cut of lamb or beef roast. When pairing wine with fish, think about the texture of the fish. If it's heavier, like salmon, a lighter red such as Pinot Noir will work nicely. If it's a light, flaky white fish like haddock, think about pairing it with a lighter white wine.
Tips for Pairing Wine & Food
While science provides the foundation, the art of wine pairing involves creativity and personal preference. Here are some tips to guide you:
Regional Pairing
Food and wine that grow together, go together. Foods and wines from the same region often pair exceptionally well together. This is especially true of European wine regions that have had hundreds of years to evolve together.
If you’re having a food that is strongly associated with a particular region, consider pairing it with a wine from that region.
Don't Be Afraid To Experiment
Personal preferences play a significant role, so trust your taste buds. At the end of the day, as long as you enjoy what’s on your plate and in your glass, that’s all that matters.
Start with the Main Dish
When planning a meal, choose your main dish and select a wine that complements it. This approach ensures that the wine enhances the primary flavours of your meal. For example, if you’re preparing a steak dinner, selecting a robust red wine first will help guide your choice of side dishes and seasoning.
Focus on the Sauce
The sauce or seasoning can significantly impact the pairing. A wine that complements the sauce will generally work well with the entire dish. For instance, think of how many different ways you can prepare a chicken dish - from creamy or lemon-based to red sauce or barbeque. In these situations, you want to think more about the sauce than the protein of the dish.
When In Doubt - Bubbles Go With Everything
Sparkling wine, whether Champaign or Prosecco, is very food-friendly. The high acid of sparkling wine means pairs well with a wide variety of foods, including greasy or heavy dishes. It can also hold its own against salty foods and even complement complex, briney flavours (think capers, oysters, olives, etc.).
Learn more about food and wine pairing on our guided Niagara Wine Tours. Book your experience today.