Food & Wine Pairing
This is the commonly accepted "law" for matching wine with food. Based on centuries of experience and tradition, it embodies a lot of common sense: the subtle flavour of plainly grilled fish would be over-powered by a strong red wine, whereas it might be difficult to appreciate the finer points of a delicate white wine against the flavours of a rich beef stew. The reason we worry so much about choosing a wine to go with a particular meal is that without a doubt, the right food/wine combination can provide a synergistic enjoyment of both, greater than the enjoyment of each separately. There are few wines that don't taste better when imbibed with food, and even the most delicious dish can be enhanced by just the right wine.
The problem is that the simple "white-with-fish, red-with-meat" law doesn't take account of many other factors, such as different styles of cooking, flavorful sauces and accompaniments, the texture of the dish, and the wine or the influence of herbs and spices from ethnic cuisine. More importantly, of course, it doesn't take into account personal tastes and preferences.
The only sensible "rule" is to decide for yourself what suits your tastes- it might not be conventional, but your own, personal taste is far more important than convention. As we gain experience and learn more about wine, we think of it not just in terms of flavour, but also in other terms such as weight, power, aroma and length. One of the keys to choosing a wine to suit a particular dish is to take a moment to consider these qualities in relation to the food and then try to find a style of wine with qualities to match or to contrast.
For example, imagine a fillet of poached salmon with a rich, buttery sauce. The flesh of salmon is firmer, heavier and richer than some other fish and the sauce is rich and creamy. We could choose a full-bodied, big, buttery, oaked chardonnay to match the weight and character of the dish or we could choose a tart, fresh sauvignon blanc to contrast and cut through the heavy sauce. This all comes down to personal preferences, but either combination would probably work well. Alternatively, although it's hard to imagine the flavours of this dish being helped by the tannins of a firm red wine, would the light body and fresh, fruity flavours of a young, delicate Beaujolais prove quite acceptable?
Guidelines - conventional combinations
| Fish | (plain grilled or fried) dry or medium whites which shouldn't overwhelm the fish and should help to cleanse the palate between mouthfuls. |
|---|---|
| Shellfish | crisp, dry white like Chablis, dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne. |
| Poultry | Pinot Noir and mature Cabernet Sauvignon are delicious with roast chicken or turkey. If choosing a white, try something medium-bodied and tasty like a vouvray, chardonnay or medium-dry German wine. The richness of duck needs a rich wine (red or white) with full flavour. |
| Game & red meat | the classic combination is with full, mature, red wines of high quality - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a new-world equivalent. |
| Lamb | a fairly firm, robust red with some acidity, like Chianti, Rioja or Zinfandel. |
| Chinese food | tea, or spicy whites such as Gewurztraminer or off-dry Riesling. |
| Indian or other spicy food | water, beer, or very cold, semi-sweet whites. |
| Cheese | there are many good cheese and wine matches - mature cheddar and mature red wine, port with stilton, goats' cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, sweet wine with creamy cheeses are all classic pairings. Avoid reds that are very tannic and whites that are heavily oaked. |
| Dessert | the best sweet white wines are perfect partners for most desserts. |
Watch out for sauces and dressings that can make nonsense of these guidelines. If wine has been used to cook the dish, it is often an excellent solution to drink the same, or similar wine along with it.
Another tip is to drink a wine from the same region as the food: red Burgundy with boeuf bourguignon or Italian red with pasta dishes, are examples of very sympathetic local food/wine combinations.
Some foods are regarded as "problem" foods for wine matching: eggs, tomatoes, vinegar, salad dressings and lemon are some examples that spring to mind, but again it's all down to personal taste.
If forced to choose just one wine to match with a variety of different dishes, a rosé might fit the bill nicely. Otherwise, a medium-bodied, medium dry white is probably the safest choice.