Understanding how to pair wine with a particular meal can feel like a daunting task for most people. A good wine expert will tell you there are no "hard and fast" rules, but more simply, suggested guidelines to build on. As you become more comfortable with wine and food, you will learn the old adage of ‘white with white, red with red’ may not always prove to be the best pairing. Many people ask how to learn the basics of wine pairing and Food & Wine Magazine did an excellent job of simplifying it in a 2007 article, "7 Rules for Perfect Pairing."
1. Serve a dry rosé with hors d’oeuvres
The combination of a lighter, more acidic white wine and the fruitiness of a red wine can be found in a good rosé, which makes it an excellent starting point for most appetizers.
2. Serve an unoaked white with anything you can squeeze a lemon or lime on
Typically, Chardonnay is an oaked white wine (meaning it was aged in oak barrels versus stainless steel fermentation tanks). Wine aged in stainless steel tanks typically are more acidic and have a vibrant citrus flavor. The acidity and citrus in those wines, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, can enhance flavors in a meal by providing that lemon or lime juice flavor you might expect from something like a grilled salmon.
3. Try low-alcohol wines with spicy foods
In my experience, this is where people tend to make the biggest mistakes. Serving high alcohol or rich tannic red wines with spicy foods can completely ruin the experience of a good meal (and a great bottle of wine). F&W Magazine explains that alcohol accentuates the oils that make spicy food hot. So, if you are serving something spicy, like Thai food, look for lower alcohol wines with a touch of sweetness. The bit of sweetness found in wines, like an off-dry Rieseling, will do wonders in countering the spicy flavors of the meal as well.
4. Match rich red meats with tannic reds
Here is where your favorite Cabernet Sauvignon belongs. The tannic qualities in reds are what gives the wine its structure and the ability to stand up to the rich red meats. F&W suggests a Cab or Syrah when serving foods like braised duck legs or pan-seared sausages.
5. With lighter meats, pair the wine with the sauce
This is probably the most important one (for me, at least). I’ve found that the sauce is where you really throw the old "rules" out the window and take a careful look at what you are serving. Take three different methods of preparing the same dish and find three completely different recommendations for wine pairings. The example F&W uses is pork chops cooked in a delicate white wine sauce versus a zesty red wine sauce. The sauce on the pork chops would be the determining factor as to what wine would pair best with the meal, not the pork itself.
6. Choose earthy wines with earthy foods
The earthiness in reds such as a good Pinot Noir or a Nebbiolo are best served with foods that have earthy qualities, such as wild mushrooms or bison steaks. The earthiness in these wines is really accentuated when served with foods that possess similiar qualities.
7. For desserts, go with a lighter wine
While I readily admit to enjoying the last of a particular Cabernet Sauvignon with some chocolate, it is best to have lighter wines with dessert. Dessert wines are very sweet, so be careful as to not overwhelm the dessert. A good rule of thumb is to serve a wine that is a touch lighter and less sweet than the dessert. Moscatos and Madeiras are two popular dessert wine choices that pair well with most desserts.
Wine pairing is not always an exact science and you will find that practical experience is key. Sometimes, I have found it beneficial to start with a wine that I like and then find a recipe that works well with that wine. It helps me understand how the particular characteristics of that wine work with the food I am serving. And when in doubt, I always turn to various wine pairing tools to help ensure I am not way off base, as there is nothing worse than wasting a good bottle of vino!
Isle, Ray. "7 Rules for Perfect Pairing." Food and Wine Magazine October, 2007
