wine and food

Wine & Food pairing.

PAIRING GUIDE
WHITE WINE & FOOD
RED WINE & FOOD

Pairing guide.

 
123456

HOW IT WORKS.


Food and Wine Pairing is the practice of creating harmonious pairings either by comparing or contrasting. There are a thousand choices that can work with a wine. Learn with us and follow the below rules while pairing the wine with food and the food with wine:

  • Rule #1: Combine regional foods with regional wines,
  • Rule #2: Balance main features,
  • Rule #3: Balance taste components.



RULE #1: COMBINE REGIONAL FOODS WITH WINES.


It is said “if it grows together, it goes together“. Soil, topography, and climate all have an effect on food and wine separately. The same nutrients and minerals go into everything that’s grown in a region, both food and grapes, and it’s all exposed to the same weather and topographical patterns.

These impact the profile of the wine and often result in flavours that match the local cuisine. If you’re looking to drink wine alongside them, a grape varietal that grows from the same ground will harmoniously enhance whatever you are eating.

RULE #2: BALANCE MAIN FEATURES.


There are 4 features to be considered:

  • Weight – match lighter foods with lighter-bodied wines, and heavier foods with fuller-bodied wines,
  • Flavours Intensity – match the intensity of the wine with the intensity of the food,
  • Texture and Temperature of a dish with cooking technique e.g. a raw carrot seeking freshness in a wine and a carrot soup seeking a wine with residual sugar,
  • Fruitiness – pair fruity dishes with fruity wines and earthy dishes with savoury wines.

RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


You only need to focus on 6 tastes: salt, acid, sweet, bitter, fat and spice. Don’t pair bitter (tannins), spicy and acid together, and the rest works.

Compared to food, wine contains only acidity (mainly whites), sweetness and bitterness (tannins – mainly reds):

  • Acidity waters your mouth,
  • Tannins cause astringency with alcohol making your mouth dry.

RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


FOOD WITH WINE – pair to compare (often reds) or pair to contrast (often whites):

  • Desserts with sweet wines and savoury dishes with sweet elements with wines having a hint of sweetness,
  • Sour foods with acidic and dry wines,
  • Bitter food with low or no tannin, fruity and full-flavoured wines,
  • Salty foods with acidic wines, bubbly beverages or sweet wines.


RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


WINE WITH FOOD – pair to compare or pair to contrast:

  • Sweet wines with sweet (or just a sweet touch), spicy and salty dishes,
  • Acidic wines with sour, or fatty, oily, and rich, or salty dishes,
  • Tannic wines with juicy and oily dishes,
  • Oaky wines with grilled (bitter) or buttery and creamy dishes.



White wine & Food.

CRISP & CITRUSY

Combine with anything you would squeeze a lemon on!

  • Sour food: green salads with vinaigrette
  • Greasy food: grilled fish, barbecued vegetables, roast chicken
  • Salty food: smoked salmon, oysters, raw seafood

FRESH & FRUITY

Combine with light dishes with herbaceous notes:

  • Salty food: salads with herby flavours such as asparagus or green peppers, shellfish, poultry dishes, cheese
  • Fatty food: crab salad with mayonnaise, paella, light pork dishes

AROMATIC & FLORAL

Combine with salty dishes with some heat or foods with sweet tendency:

  • Salty food: fried chicken and potatoes, Thai curries, hot wings, Gruyere cheese
  • Sweet food: barbecue, caramelised onions, coconut rice bowl

RICH & CREAMY

Combine with substantial, creamy and roasted dishes:

  • Creamy food: cheesy pastas and risottos, creamy soups
  • Roasted food: lobster, richer fish like salmon, herb-roasted chicken, roasted green vegetables

Red wine & Food.

LIGHT & JUICY

Combine with lighter dishes and earthy flavours:

  • Sour food: vinaigrette and sour sauces
  • Greasy food: sausages and charcuterie, pâté, poultry, richer fish like salmon, fried vegetables
  • Salty food: mushrooms, truffles, salads with herbs

CLASSIC & FOODIE

Combine with classic, spicy and not too heavy dishes:

  • Sour food: balsamic vinegar, pasta with tomato sauce
  • Fatty food: darker braised meats such as beef and lamb, wild game
  • Salty food: mushrooms, spices


RIPE & FRUITY

Combine with dishes that are rich in their own right:

  • Rich food: burgers, steak, spicy chorizo, sausages and anything from the BBQ, baked pasta such as lasagne, stinky and aged cheeseboard



RICH & SPICY

Combine with slightly fattier foods and sweet tendency:

  • Fatty food: a leg of lamb with rosemary, rump steak or roast pork
  • Sweet food: roasted winter vegetables, such as onion, garlic, carrot or potato, desserts with coffee, bitter chocolate or maple syrup

Other wine styles & Food.

BUBBLY

Combine dry sparkling wines with salty dishes and sweet ones with sweet foods:

  • Salty food: sushi, prosciutto, fried chicken, crisps
  • Sweet food: raspberries or strawberries, cheesecake, lemon biscuits

If you are not going to serve appetizers, choose a more mature and creamy sparkling wine.

RICH & SWEET

Combine with sweet but also salty and spicy dishes:

  • Sweet food: desserts, tropical fruit, duck with baked apples
  • Salty food: game
  • Spicy food: delicate & nutty cheeses, stinky cheeses




ROSE

Combine with light summer dishes with herbaceous notes:

  • Summer food: watermelon & feta, olives, salads, light pasta and rice dishes
  • Fatty food: tuna sandwich with mayonnaise, grilled fish such as dorade, paella, seafood










Wine & Food pairing.

PAIRING GUIDE
WHITE WINE & FOOD
RED WINE & FOOD

Pairing guide.

food
 
123456

HOW IT WORKS.


Food and Wine Pairing is the practice of creating harmonious pairings either by comparing or contrasting. There are a thousand choices that can work with a wine. Learn with us and follow the below rules while pairing the wine with food and the food with wine:

  • Rule #1: Combine regional foods with regional wines,
  • Rule #2: Balance main features,
  • Rule #3: Balance taste components.


RULE #1: COMBINE REGIONAL FOODS WITH WINES.


It is said “if it grows together, it goes together“. Soil, topography, and climate all have an effect on food and wine separately. The same nutrients and minerals go into everything that’s grown in a region, both food and grapes, and it’s all exposed to the same weather and topographical patterns.

These impact the profile of the wine and often result in flavours that match the local cuisine. If you’re looking to drink wine alongside them, a grape varietal that grows from the same ground will harmoniously enhance whatever you are eating.

RULE #2: BALANCE MAIN FEATURES.


There are 4 features to be considered:

  • Weight – match lighter foods with lighter-bodied wines, and heavier foods with fuller-bodied wines,
  • Flavours Intensity – match the intensity of the wine with the intensity of the food,
  • Texture and Temperature of a dish with cooking technique e.g. a raw carrot seeking freshness in a wine and a carrot soup seeking a wine with residual sugar,
  • Fruitiness – pair fruity dishes with fruity wines and earthy dishes with savoury wines.

RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


You only need to focus on 6 tastes: salt, acid, sweet, bitter, fat and spice. Don’t pair bitter (tannins), spicy and acid together, and the rest works.

Compared to food, wine contains only acidity (mainly whites), sweetness and bitterness (tannins – mainly reds):

  • Acidity waters your mouth,
  • Tannins cause astringency with alcohol making your mouth dry.


RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


FOOD WITH WINE – pair to compare (often reds) or pair to contrast (often whites):

  • Desserts with sweet wines and savoury dishes with sweet elements with wines having a hint of sweetness,
  • Sour foods with acidic and dry wines,
  • Bitter food with low or no tannin, fruity and full-flavoured wines,
  • Salty foods with acidic wines, bubbly beverages or sweet wines.


RULE #3: BALANCE TASTE COMPONENTS.


WINE WITH FOOD – pair to compare or pair to contrast:

  • Sweet wines with sweet (or just a sweet touch), spicy and salty dishes,
  • Acidic wines with sour, or fatty, oily, and rich, or salty dishes,
  • Tannic wines with juicy and oily dishes,
  • Oaky wines with grilled (bitter) or buttery and creamy dishes.



White wine & Food.

CRISP & CITRUSY

Combine with anything you would squeeze a lemon on!

  • Sour food: green salads with vinaigrette
  • Greasy food: grilled fish, barbecued vegetables, roast chicken
  • Salty food: smoked salmon, oysters, raw seafood

FRESH & FRUITY

Combine with light dishes with herbaceous notes:

  • Salty food: salads with herby flavours such as asparagus or green peppers, shellfish, poultry dishes, cheese
  • Fatty food: crab salad with mayonnaise, paella, light pork dishes

AROMATIC & FLORAL

Combine with salty dishes with some heat or foods with sweet tendency:

  • Salty food: fried chicken and potatoes, Thai curries, hot wings, Gruyere cheese
  • Sweet food: barbecue, caramelised onions, coconut rice bowl

RICH & CREAMY

Combine with substantial, creamy and roasted dishes:

  • Creamy food: cheesy pastas and risottos, creamy soups
  • Roasted food: lobster, richer fish like salmon, herb-roasted chicken, roasted green vegetables

Red wine & Food.

LIGHT & JUICY

Combine with lighter dishes and earthy flavours:

  • Sour food: vinaigrette and sour sauces
  • Greasy food: sausages and charcuterie, pâté, poultry, richer fish like salmon, fried vegetables
  • Salty food: mushrooms, truffles, salads with herbs

CLASSIC & FOODIE

Combine with classic, spicy and not too heavy dishes:

  • Sour food: balsamic vinegar, pasta with tomato sauce
  • Fatty food: darker braised meats such as beef and lamb, wild game
  • Salty food: mushrooms, spices

RIPE & FRUITY

Combine with dishes that are rich in their own right:

  • Rich food: burgers, steak, spicy chorizo, sausages and anything from the BBQ, baked pasta such as lasagne, stinky and aged cheeseboard

RICH & SPICY

Combine with slightly fattier foods and sweet tendency:

  • Fatty food: a leg of lamb with rosemary, rump steak or roast pork
  • Sweet food: roasted winter vegetables, such as onion, garlic, carrot or potato, desserts with coffee, bitter chocolate or maple syrup

Other styles & Food.

BUBBLY

Combine dry sparkling wines with salty dishes and sweet ones with sweet foods:

  • Salty food: sushi, prosciutto, fried chicken, crisps
  • Sweet food: raspberries or strawberries, cheesecake, lemon biscuits

If you are not going to serve appetizers, choose a more mature and creamy sparkling wine.

RICH & SWEET

Combine with sweet but also salty and spicy dishes:

  • Sweet food: desserts, tropical fruit, duck with baked apples
  • Salty food: game
  • Spicy food: delicate & nutty cheeses, stinky cheeses

ROSE

Combine with light summer dishes with herbaceous notes:

  • Summer food: watermelon & feta, olives, salads, light pasta and rice dishes
  • Fatty food: tuna sandwich with mayonnaise, grilled fish such as dorade, paella, seafood