A perfect pairing: mussel soup

Raul Diaz puts two wines with a family recipe in our new food and wine feature

In the first of a regular food and wine matching feature, Chilean-born wine expert Raul Diaz chooses two wine styles to perfectly match his family’s quick and easy mussel soup recipe. He plumps for a toasty dry white from the New World, and an off-dry number from France

In the 15 years that I have worked in wine, I have visited more than 100 countries around the globe. Along the way, I recorded the aromas, colours and amazing flavours of each of the local cuisines that I encountered, alongside some mind-blowing wines. In my new book Wines & Recipes I share these experiences.

The inspiration for this book was my desire to turn the spotlight onto lesser-known grapes and wine styles (as well as some more familiar favourites), paired with delicious recipes. This is not intended as a textbook or manual: it’s a practical guide with information presented in a fun and straightforward manner, placing more emphasis on wine than on food.

Although we all grow up eating food, we don’t all grow up learning about wine. My aim is to share my knowledge of different wine styles, and how best to pair them successfully with food. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

My personal approach to food and wine pairing is very simple. My main goal is to enjoy a delicious wine with a tasty recipe. I always start with the wine, and then choose a dish that will match the fruit aromas and flavours that you can find in the wine, and that has a similar body.