Food and Wine Pairing
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FOOD AND WINE PAIRING IS SUBJECTIVE: Everyone has
a different palate:
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Germans say something is dry, we say it’s sweet.
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People who eat spicy food experience wine differently
from someone who eats pasta and potatoes
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The TONGUE
The tip senses sweetness = fruit, alcohol, sugar
The front sides salt
The back sides acid
And very back bitter
each section has buds of different intensities
The NOSE
Very sensitive in picking out minute differences in aroma
Aromas are triggered by nose and brain connecting to memory
The more senses you sense in a day the more you build up in
memory bank
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The palate is located at top of mouth close to throat, this area is
sensitive and connects to the nasal cavity
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AROMA is very important
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What we perceive as tastes are really aromas: floral,
fruits, nuts, vegetables, spice, herbs, roasted flavors,
animal and alcohol are all aromas.
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THE SENSES
Sweet, Bitter, Sour (Found in food and wine)
Hot and Salty (come from food)
6th sense UNAMI (found in food and wine)
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Unami: “Delicious” or “Savory”
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Found in foods with high protein such as consumes,
aged meats, shitaki mushrooms, dried seaweed,
shellfish, raw seafood, soy sauce & tomatoes
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Amino acid: L-MSG (l-glutamate-monosodium
glutamate)
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Related to spiritual sense: “feeling of perfect quality in
a taste or some special emotional circumstance”
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Sweet and Unami are the only senses that are perceived as
pleasant
Can have adverse affects on wine, making wines more
tannic, bitter or metallic tasting
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Food and Wine Pairing
History
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Food and wine goes back centuries, in modern
times it has become more trendy
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In 1928 Escoffer wrote that red meat and burgundy
should be paired, as Champagne with entremets
In 1931 Micheline Guide recommended wines with
dishes
1939 a systematic approach by Pierre Andrieu
paired wine with the evolution of the meal
COMPARE
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Find a balance; use the dominant flavors of a dish to match the wine
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Weight of a wine should match the weight of a dish
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If a dish uses a specific wine in the sauce use the same wine in the
pairing
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Foods with sweetness or acidity is paired w/ a wine of equal or higher
sweetness or acidity
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E.G. spaghetti & Barbera; Chicken in cream sauce &
Chardonnay; Dulce de Leche & Sauternes
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Focus on bridging ingredients of a dish such as berries, mushrooms,
citrus etc… and use a wine that pairs with those same ingredients
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Salmon with butter sauce with higher acidic Pinot Noir
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Sour or acidic dishes are paired with a sweeter wine
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Foods with richness are paired w/ acidic wines to cut through.
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Intensity in flavors can provide a good contrast. E.g. An intense
Alsace Riesling contrasted with a rich fatty roasted goose work very
well
Old Systematic Approach: Red Wine with red
Meat. White Wine with Fish.
Systematic Method (Course wine)
*Dry before Sweet
White before Red
Young before Old
Simple before complex
Light before Heavy
* Exceptions: Foie gras with Sauternes
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Modern approach is a Lateral Approach with
wine-dish combinations regardless of sequence.
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Today there are so many subtle foods and
cuisines where matching food and wine takes
more into consideration.
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CONTRAST
COMPLETE
•Food and wine enhance each other. Such as salty prosciutto with melon
•Use wine as a condiment for the dish being eaten.
•Fish or seafood with acidic wine if you like lemon and butter sauce
Use an intermezzo or water as a palate cleanser
•Lobster with a buttery chardonnay if you like your lobster with butter
when there is a change in coursing
•Salty food with sweet wine
•Salty food with Acidic wine
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Important Wine Components
Acidity
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Sweetness
Where does it come from?
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Grapes = Tartaric, Malic and Citric Acids
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Fermentation = Succinic, Lactic and Acetic Acids
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Acidity comes from under ripeness; as sugars increase acidity decreases.
The key is to get to a point where acidity and sugars are in balance
Acidity gives wine it’s shine or brilliance
Influences aromas
Good acidity makes a wine food friendly
Affects of Acidity
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Has the opposite affect of sweetness (milk is a warm sweet feel; tea w/ lemon
is fresh clean feel)
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Penetrates richness of ingredients & sauce (butter/Cream) to refresh palate
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Mirrors tart items (Vinegar, lemon, tomato & chutney)
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Mitigates oiliness, pizza, sautéed, deep fried
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Brings out flavor in food
Changes in Acidity Levels raises concerns
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Modern winemaking and commercialism of wine has started to produce wines
of lower acidity & big fruit. Wines are not food friendly & are more suitable to
being drunk on their own.
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The healthy culture of wine being a normal mealtime component is more &
more eroded
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Leading to more consumption of wine on its own. Can be said that it is more
suitable to a culture concerned with alcohol consumption than with the dining
experience.
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Critics and Press are big culprits. Robert Parker is partial to fruit bombs and
non-acidity
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The DANGER: soon we won’t be able to tell the difference between a wine
from Spain, Italy, France or California.
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Modern winemaking is based on trends…unfortunately the trends don’t last
forever, and not always the best in quality.
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Wines are classified into different categories of sweetness:
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DRY: no detectable sweetness
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OFF DRY: White Zinfandel
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MEDIUM DRY: German Kabinett
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MEDIUM SWEET: Vouvray
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SWEET: Trockenbeerenauslese & Sauternes
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Sweetness comes from residual sugar, left after fermentation has been stopped and
from acidity levels
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Low acid wines can seem sweeter than they really are
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High acid wines mask the sugar levels
Fruity Character gives impression of sweetness, but it is fruit sweetness not sugar
sweetness; as a result of ripe grapes giving illusion of sweetness
Affects of Sweetness
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Takes the edge off hot foods
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Matches well with slightly sweet condiments such as chutneys
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Good contrast to salty flavors such as Asian foods
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Very sweet wines work well with salty cheeses, Roquefort
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Bitterness
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Bitterness adds balance, character and appealing flavors to wine
Not Present in White Wines
Is a result of high tannin levels especially green tannins associated with under-ripe
grapes
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Can come from aggressive pressing of grapes, fermentation choices, types
of oak & aging
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Affects of Bitterness
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Bitterness can make sweet foods bitter
Pair with like flavored foods: grilled, charred, blackened
Pair with bitter foods: broccoli, arugula, eggplant & bell peppers
Oak and Alcohol
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High alcoholic wines can give off tastes to food
Alcohol is a sweet liquid; wines w/ high alcohol have a hint of sweetness
Alcohol can also influence weight and body, the higher the alcohol the more body
Oak and Alcohol creates richness & intensity due to oak treatment, fermentation and
aging
Affects of Alcohol and Oak
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Alcohol accentuates heat and salt
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Oak wines match well with similar flavors (nuts, toast, smoke & Caramel)
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Roundness and Richness should match with similar textured foods
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Rich meats, fish & Chicken w/ cream= full bodied chardonnays, light foods will
be overpowered by wines of weight and richness
Saltiness
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Saltiness is a craving component of taste
We salt our savory foods, foods w/ Unami…work with wines w/ Unami
Saltiness cuts and accentuates sweetness
Wine doesn’t have salt but has affects on Salty foods
Affect of Salty Foods
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Acidity in wine cuts saltiness in food. Champagne & whites work with salty
dishes, seafood: better than less tart reds
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Salt will accentuate the tannins in a wine
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Salt accentuates the alcohol in wine
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Moderately sweet wines pair well with salty foods
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Tips In Pairing
WHAT IF THE FOOD IS:
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SYNERGY: neither a wine nor food should
overpower the other
Acidic: A dish with citrus or vinegar should be
paired with a acidic wine.
– Duck with oranges needs a more acidic red
wine than Duck with olives
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Salty: dishes with saltiness, such as soy sauce
or seaweed will make wines with tannins more
tannic and bitter.
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Sweet: If the food is sweeter than wine then the
wine will taste thin and tart.
– Ice cream is almost impossible to pair.
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Highly Seasoned or Spicy: These foods can
fatigue and numb the palate and the wine can
get lost.
– Wines with low tannins and low alcohol
levels are best
– Sweet wines contrast well
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Base Ingredients are the main portion of the dish (the Protein)
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Bridge Ingredients are those extras on a dish that add to the flavor
such as mushrooms, berries, beans and herbs such as ginger,
tarragon, cinnamon, cloves
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Cooking Method
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Grilling, Roasting, Sautéing and braising are preferred
methods to pair with wine
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poaching, Steaming or smoking limit the wine choices
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Easy Matches: Risotto and Chicken
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Difficult Matches: Asparagus, Artichokes, Strong Cheeses
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Chiles numb palate
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Eggs Mask wine flavors too much Unami
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Vinegar and Pickled foods can rob tastes and make wines
more astringent
• However balsamic and pickled ginger work well
MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN
“the marriages between two exceptional beings are as
rare in gastronomy as they are in life.” Marc Meneau
‘Larousse des Vins et Vignobles de France’
Oysters and Chablis
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Rich and Fatty Foods: Foods with cream
sauces, fatty steaks or rich fowl
– full bodied wines such as Chardonnay,
Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot or Syrah are
recommended
Roast Lamb and Bordeaux
Roquefort and Sauternes
Sole and Burgundy
Caviar and Champagne
Stilton and Vintage Port
Goat Cheese and Sancerre
BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel
Stewed or Game Casseroles and Barolo
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Cooking Methods
Wine Choices
Notes
Poaching or Steaming
Light white wine: Chenin Blanc or
Pinot Grigio. Light fruity red:
Beaujolaise or Grenache rose
Use lighter weight wine, with non
tannin, non acidic and less intense
flavors
Frying
Chardonnay, Riesling or Pinot Noir
Best is a wine with some acidity to
contrast with the oils
Grilling
Whites Chardonnay, Full bodied
White Rhone. Reds Pinot, Zin, Merlot,
Cab. W/ Beef Barolo or Syrah from
Rhone
Adds flavor; works well with fruity
oaky reds; Grilled beef needs tannic
wines
BBQ
Roses; Zinfandel, Merlots or New
world Tempranillos
BBQ Sauce adds sweetness; less
tannic reds
Marinades
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,
Chablis or Fruity Grenaches or
Tempranillos
Marinades usually have strong flavors
and require wines with bold flavors
Roasting
Oaky Chardonnays, Rhone blends or
Gerwurtztraminers. Mourvedre,
Syrah, Grenache, Nebbiolos
Roasting can be complex. Herbs and
spices will determine white or red.
Rosemary and Thyme = reds
Reduction Sauces
Chardonnays and Rieslings
Cabernets and Syrahs
It has powerful flavor and needs
intense wine; Drink w/ wine sauce is
made with
Braising and Stews
Pinot Noir, Cabernets, Merlots
Use the wine used in the stock
Red Wine Sauce
Sangiovese, Cabernets, Pinot Noir
Use the wine sauce is made of
Stews w/ beer or stout
Merlot, Beaujolaise, Red Burgundies
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Use low tannin reds so not to
overpower the beer flavor
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FOOD TYPES
Sparkling
Wine
Sweet Wine
Sweet Food
No Effect, with
chocolate can
make wine
taste bitter
(Desserts,
Chocolate
Sweet Sauces)
Sour Foods
(Citrus, Vinegar,
Pickles &
Worchester)
Salty Foods
(Feta, Soy
Sauce &
Seaweed)
Umami Foods
(Beef, MSG &
Shitake
Mushrooms)
Dry White
Light Fruity
Red
Full Bodied
Tannic Wine
The wine will
Makes wine
taste dry if
drier and more
food is sweeter acetic
than wine
Increases
Acidity
Wine becomes
more bitter and
tannic
Increases
Sweetness
Makes wine
bitter
If has more
acid than wine
then wine will
taste sweeter
No effect
Reduces
tannins
Wine becomes
sweeter
Wine will taste
sour
Makes wine
sweeter
No effect
Reduces
Tannins
Can become
metallic
Wine gets lost
Can make
wine taste
metallic
Can make
wines more
tannic and
bitter
A wine with
equal to more
unami is good;
if it has less
could taste
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tannic
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SWEET
WHITE
ACIDIC
WHITE
SALT
FRUITY
RED
ACIDIC
RED
SPICE
LEMON
PROTEIN
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APPLE/SUGAR
CHOCOLATE
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