At some point or another we have all been here, trying to choose wine. We’re sitting in the restaurant, looking at the list of wines wondering which is the right one for our food. Sometimes you can really run into trouble either because you are not familiar the wines that are being offered at the certain restaurant or even worse; you may not be educated on any wines at all!
Well it could be even worse because you may have a special someone with you as this is happening (oh you have been there?). Sounds like you need to read on; this article is going to give some tips, to save you from those confusing wine decisions, the next time you are in a position to need to order wine.
If you’re the experimental type, we recommend joining a wine of the month club so you can experimenting with wine pairings from the comfort of your own home.
Many know the old thing of having the red wine with meats such as beef or sauces that are red, or have white wine with fish, white meats and sauces. There is a bit of truth in this statement, but that is not all to know when it comes to choosing the wine to go with foods.
Some reds are excellent with seafood, such as Cote Du Rhone, whose Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes provide a smoky, pleasantly mineral taste which compliments many fish dishes as well as any Sauvignon Blanc. Wines produced from the Gamay grape are also a good pairing with seafood and even turkey and duck dishes.
On the other hand there are some white wines that are fine with tomato based sauce dishes. One good example of this is the Sauvignon Blanc (if you don’t want to drink it with your spaghetti marinara type sauce, it is great in the sauce! Think of this next you fix sauce at home). While we are talking about this particular wine, it goes with many foods, just remember cream and lemon here. This wine works with anything with a cream sauce. It also compliments things with lemon such as salads, poultry, and seafood.
One of the rules of pairing wines with foods is to consider the flavors in the food itself. Suppose that you’ll be having barbecue (wine with barbecue? Really?). You want a red here, one which has both enough acidity and/or enough body to not be drowned out by the strong flavors of the sauce. A cabernet is just a little too soft for this, although it is certainly done. A better choice, however would be something more assertive such as an Italian Barbera (with its relatively high acidity) or a Valpolicella (which has the body to stand up to any BBQ). Another good and popular choice for this meal would be a red Zinfandel, which has pepper and black cherry flavors which are excellent paired with grilled meats.
What about the white wines? We will use grill foods again since they are big right now in the restaurants (and the fact that spring is near). Use the Semillon or the Pinot Grigio for the grilled salads, fruits (especially melons), and vegetables. These wines can also be served with a wide range of cheeses from the mild Havarti and Gouda to the stronger blue varieties.
There’s a lot more to know about pairing wines with food, but this article should help you get started exploring on your own – remember, if you like a particular pairing, then it’s a good one. And with a research project this delicious, you won’t mind testing out different things. An easy way to start testing out new wines – two words – wine clubs! Bon appétit!
Tags: food and wine, picking wine with a meal, red wine, white wine, wine, wine pairing