Food and Wine Pairing: Breaking the Rules is Fun
Written By: Anonymous on Wed, Aug 23rd 2006
Pairing food and wines is as simple as finding something you love to drink and drinking it with something you love to eat. Possibly some old-fashioned purists may cringe, but most professionals in the modern wine world know that loving what you taste is all that matters in the end.
There are perfect marriages of food and wine. Most definitely there are pairings that are so exquisite, it’s almost obscene; for example, sauternes and bleu cheeses, prime rib and a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon, salty buttered popcorn and Champagne. But like any amazing moments in our lives; we compare them to the everyday joys. If not for the ordinary pleasures, how could we appreciate the extraordinary? So never be afraid to experiment. A big fun Australian Shiraz is delicious with pepperoni pizza.
I know some of you are saying â€ËÅ"come on, there has got to be some rules.’ I say, certainly not, but there are simple guidelines for optimum enjoyment. It is not so much about what you are eating, but more about how you are preparing it. Pork is a perfect example of this. Pork served Asian style, with some spices and peppers and a touch of pineapple would certainly do well with a semi-sweet Riesling. However if you replace the Asian twist with mushrooms and gravy, it screams for Pinot Noir. The common sense behind these pairings is that the fruity sweetness of Rieslings goes beautifully with spice and heat. This is the reason why many Thai desserts are very sweet, because so many Thai entrees are pumped up with hot and spicy seasonings. As for Pinot Noir and mushrooms, ask anyone who has tantalized their taste buds with this awesome combo, the underlying earthiness of the Pinot Noir matching that of the mushrooms is nirvana.
So when experimenting with pairings, you can attempt to contrast or match flavors. This is up to you.
I love wine so much that I will not allow my food to overpower my wine; which brings us to my second guideline for pairings, matching the weight of your food to the weight of your wine. Heavy foods need big wines; delicate foods, delicate wines. Bold, weighty reds and some heavier white wines like some domestic or New World Chardonnays (California) can stand up to rich sauces and intense flavors. Your lighter, more delicate reds such as Pinot Noirs and lighter white wines, such as Sauvignon Blancs and some Old World Burgundies (France) pair well with fresher sauces, citrus flavors, salmon, flaky fish, and shellfish. If you stick with these guidelines, you are bound to have fun with food and wines, and if you dare break the rules, you will have even more of an adventure.
Cheers!
