Hello World! Welcome Friends! When we talk about pairing, we refer to the pleasant combination between dishes and wines. The objective is to highlight and emphasize the organoleptic qualities of both products, in a harmonious, assembled way. Their combination should not cover, nor overshadow their characteristics, but highlight the best in each of them so you can enjoy them to the max.
If you think that love for food and wine will end sooner or later, you are wrong! There are eternal couples in this space that will never divorce because they fit so perfectly! To celebrate this, we propose a practical pairing guide you can print and always carry in your pocket as a memory aid. Keep reading if you want to learn more about wine and food combinations, or if you are about to host a dinner party with friends and want to make a good impression by organizing funny games such as a wine guessing game, wine bingo, or guess the price game!
Pairing by Agreement
This occurs when the wine and the dish are similar or have the same characteristics. It is called understanding by similarity. Classic, textbook examples are: roast strip steak and Malbec, pink salmon and Pinot Noir, seafood salad and oak-free Chardonnay, pork tenderloin and Merlot. We also include in this list lentil stew and Bonarda (barrel-aged), and stuffed pasta with red sauce and Cabernet Franc.
Pairing by Contrast
In this case, the characteristics of the wine and the food are totally opposite. Here, they complement each other by differentiation. The emblematic cases are blue cheese and sweet wine, Asian food and Torrontes, and spicy dishes and light white wines.
Wines and Red Meats
Fatty meats: These go wonderfully with red wines that offer intense flavor profiles, aged in oak barrels. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Bonarda, Petit Verdot, and Tannat are great options.
Lean meats: These prefer reds with light barrel aging and varieties with medium or scarce tannins. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Tempranillo (Argentina), and Sangiovese may be good choices.
Oily fish: This goes very well with whites with long barrel aging, such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Semillon, or light reds, like Pinot Noir, and Merlot.
Lean fish: This goes very well with light, fresh, fruity white wines, e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontés, Tocai Friulano.
Wines and White Meats
Chicken and pork make an excellent tandem with light red wines or with slight barrel aging (Pinot Noir, again, a wild card). Young Malbecs or modern Cabernet Sauvignon can go very well. They also pair nicely with Merlot or a young Cabernet Franc. Among the whites, the ideal varieties are Chardonnay (small oak aging), Viognier, or Semillon.
Rosé Wines
What about rosé wine? It stands out for its versatility! Despite having been underrated by local palates, demand is beginning to grow, starting with wines made in the Provence style (very delicate, almost imperceptible coloration).
Rosé labels are pleasant choices for pairing with:
- Chicken and pork
- Certain red meats (entrails, topside, rump steak, loin)
- Shrimp salads, seafood, shellfish
- Lean and fatty fish.
Wine and Spicy
Why does spicy not go with spicy? Because they generate the opposite effect, with negative tints! Unwanted metallic or distorted, unpleasant flavors appear. Spiciness plus spiciness equals fire for the palate.
Therefore, it is important to lower this spicy sensation with a white wine – agile, fresh, light, without much volume. Examples of varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Tocai, or Viognier without barrel aging.
Wine and Sweetness
Ideally, sweetness should go with sweetness. Cakes, desserts, fruits, and other sweet edibles combine perfectly with Demi-Sec or sweet sparkling wines, late harvests, or natural sweets. Imagine, dear wine lover, how a strip of roast would look with a sweet wine. It wouldn’t match at all!
Wines and Salinity
In general, any food with a high saline component is complex to pair. In this case, we need wines with mineral notes. Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc are a very good option to complement these foods.
Wines and Cheeses
This classic pairing, which arouses so many passions among curious gourmets, is influenced by the raw material from which the cheeses were made (cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, blends) and the production method (lactic coagulation, uncooked pressed paste, washed rind, internal and maturation molding). Write down and remember forever the words of the British writer Hugh Johnson: “The harder the cheese, the more tannins it bears. The creamier it is, the more acidity it needs.”
Wines and fresh cheeses: Almost none of these cheeses can be eaten alone, as their flavor is very neutral and mild (bland). With mozzarella as a standard, they should be present with other foods with mild flavors so as not to be overshadowed. Recommendation: very young and fresh white wines with herbaceous and floral notes complement very well, as well as Brut or Demi-Sec sparkling wines.
Wines and medium-aged cheeses: The classic examples are Gouda and Emmental. In this instance, we will need dry white wines with good volume, fermented in barrels, and all those with a great glycemic load (Chardonnay or Semillon).
Cured and mature cheeses: Historical examples are Manchego, Parmesan, and Provolone. We will need young red wines for a full-bodied experience.
Wines and moldy cheeses: Brie and Camembert are the elixirs of this peculiar style. We can accompany them with structured white wines with a certain acidity and very aromatic or light and fresh young red wines (Pinot Noir).
Wines and blue cheeses: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Cabrales are ideal to accompany late harvests, naturally sweet, or fortified wines.
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