Wine: Six steps to the perfect pairing from new book Wine + Food

Matching food and wine is much easier than you think, say Fiona McDonald and Vickie de Beer in the brand-new book Wine + Food

1 Think about body and weight Remember: light with light; heavy with heavy. An airy soufflé requires something complementary, so a lighter-styled red such as Pinot Noir would work. A hearty stew, on the other hand, requires a more richly flavoured and structured wine such as a Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or red blend.

2 Consider the cooking method

It’s never solely about the core ingredient, it’s also about the seasoning and sauces. Chicken will require a different partner depending on whether it’s simply roasted and stuffed with herbs, served as a roulade with rice with an accompanying cream sauce, or being pummeled by chilli and lime in a Thai curry. Pairings for these range from an unwooded Chardonnay to an oaked Chenin Blanc and a Riesling.

3 Complement or contrast

There are two schools of thought to food-and-wine pairing: the first is to complement and the second is to contrast. Complementary flavours mean the food and wine match each other, such as steak and red wine, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. But contrasting flavours also serve a purpose. When you’re eating a rich, creamy dish, for example, you need a wine with acidity to cleanse your palate. If you pour an equally creamy wine, it will simply be too rich.

4 Choose a versatile wine

Unless you’re at a dinner where each course is paired with a different wine, you’ll generally expect a bottle to work with at least the starter and main course. The wine you choose should therefore be flexible, which is why wines with higher acidity, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, fit the bill perfectly. White or red blends also work well.

5 It’s all about balance

As a rule, fruity dishes work well with fruity wines, while salt and sweet pair naturally. To illustrate the latter, think about the flavours of melon and prosciutto, for example, or salted caramel, which also explains why the British love a sharp blue cheese with Port. When ordering dessert, remember that what you are eating should never be sweeter than the dessert wine in your glass. Fortunately, South Africa makes some fantastic sweet wines. Fruity desserts are a good pairing for these, because they have the acidity needed to counterbalance the sweetness of the wine – think plum tart or apple crumble with a noble late harvest.

Avoid at (almost) all costs Artichokes have a reputation for being a flavour killer. This is because they contain cynarine, which binds to sweet receptors in your mouth and makes wine taste funky, sweet or even metallic. But it’s not a totally lost cause. If the artichokes are fresh, chargrilled and served with a lemon butter, or even a creamy garlic mayonnaise, a wine with high acidity such as local Sauvignon Blanc or Méthode Cap Classique could work. Also beware the lemon and acidity of vinegar in salad dressings – to counteract it, you’ll need a wine with a bit of structure, fruit and possibly wood.

A hearty stew requires a structured wine, such as a Shiraz”