The five rules for perfect pairing
“wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, and everyday more civilized.” Andre Simon.
It’s been described as the ultimate gastronomic experience – pairing exquisite food with equally exquisite wine. While there’s no doubt that wine and food paring is simply sublime, the key is getting it right!
Wine can be matched with food by weight, intensity of flavour, texture, sweetness or acidity.
The weight of a wine is most often determined by its alcohol content, with full-bodied wines usually clocking in around 12.5% alcohol or higher, and light-bodied wines hovering around 11% or less.
The character of a dish and the way in which it is cooked point to the weight of food. Meats and pastas, as well as dishes involving heavy sauces, reductions, grilling and smoking, are considered ‘heavier’ than fish, vegetables and dishes that are steamed, boiled, poached or raw.
The heartier and richer the dish, the heavier the wine. Try pairing rich meat and venison dishes with full-bodied reds like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. For light vegetable dishes and fish, dry whites like Sauvignon Blanc or even sparkling wine. An exception to the weight rule is that of food’s flavour intensity. Some rich, fatty foods like foie gras and light but bold-flavoured foods like Thai or Japanese dishes, pair better with crisp wines with a hint of sweetness but not too much body. This includes Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, which cut through the fat and flavours, complementing them rather than competing with them.
Texture is the tactile sensation that wine produces on your palate. Red wines are high in tannin, which leaves a chalky sensation on your teeth. This works well with chewy textures, like steak and other red meats. Tannins don’t work at all with fish, salty dishes and egg. Rather pair eggbased dishes with Chardonnay or other mediumbodied whites like Chenin Blanc, and dairy-based dishes, including cheese, with a sweet wine backed by good weight, such as fortified sweet wines like Port, Muscadel or Jerepigo.
Sweetness in food should be matched by sweetness in wine. For example, rich desserts should be paired with rich, sweet wines. Late harvest wines work well with medium-intensity desserts like crème brûlée, while lighter sweet wines like Riesling, Perlé and off-dry sparkling wines match beautifully with fruit-based desserts such as puddings and compotes.
Similarly, acidity in food should be matched by acidity in wine to avoid the wine tasting flat and lifeless. Acidity in food derives from several sources, including citrus juices, fruit, vinegar and wine-based sauces. Dishes high in acidity include fish prepared with citrus; some vegetable and fruit dishes; shellfish prepared with lemon; and ethnic foods such as Thai, which uses a good deal of lime.
White wines grown in cooler climates tend to be higher in acidity than most reds and also than whites grown in warmer regions, such as Paarl, Wellington or Robertson. Acidity also derives from the grape variety’s natural flavour profile; Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chenin Blanc are examples of naturally high-acid white grape varieties.
Some red grape varieties are also high in acidity, but pairing them with food is more of a challenge due to their tannins. Acidic reds include Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
To learn more about food and wine pairing, visit Winederland at the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show presented by The Star, taking place from 25 to 27 May 2017 at Montecasino.