Wine and meal
pairing is completely a matter of individual taste. Although the
traditional rule of thumb that the more robust and full-flavoured a red
wine is the heartier the foods it complements generally holds with most
people, when it comes to detailed meal pairings it’s noteworthy that
wine writers tend to disagree with each other often. This shouldn’t be
surprising, as no two people have exactly the same sense of taste. Each
wine lover should therefore discover for herself or himself what
pairings they themselves enjoy, but for beginners a few guidelines would
probably be helpful to point them in the right direction.
Traditional Local Meal Pairings
One thing to take into consideration, especially with so-called Old
World wines, is their place of origin, as over the centuries winemaking
traditions and culinary traditions evolved together, as most people
consumed both locally grown food and locally made wine. Italian red
wines, for example, go wonderfully with such Italian dishes as sharp
cheeses and spicy sausages, salami, and cured meats – not to mention
pasta in a sauce laden with anchovies, peppers, and garlic. The red
wines of such regions as Provence, the Rhone Valley, Greece, and
Bordeaux, furthermore, make excellent meal pairing with those regions’
lamb dishes.
Pairing As An Art Form
Today’s art of meal pairing has only been around for a relatively short
time, but provides wine lovers with the opportunity to experiment with
cross-cultural wine-and-food combinations. The main idea is to find
combinations of such elements as flavour, texture, aroma, and visual
appeal in both the wine and the food that optimise the pleasure of the
overall sensual experience at the table. It’s also fun to find agreeable
wines to enjoy with foods not usually thought of in terms of wine
accompaniments, such as hamburgers, which pair marvellously with such
red wines as barbera, cabernet sauvignon, gamay beaujolais, syrah, and
zinfandel – and for a culinary experience to savour try pairing a spicy
Thai crispy-duck stir-fry with chianti.
Breaking The Rules For Fun And Pleasure
Although many wine writers stand by the traditional rule of never
drinking red wine with fish or seafood, some now suggest that people try
such combinations as pinot noir with scallops, salmon dishes, and tuna
and swordfish steaks. Similarly, try breaking the rule of pairing white
wine with soft cheeses by pairing gorgonzola with merlot or brie with a
rich, fruity port at the end of the meal. Remember, the most important
thing is to choose a wine you enjoy. If you dislike the wine that the
rules decree for a meal pairing, it’s not for you, and if you like one
that the rules say you shouldn’t, forget the rules. The point is to
enjoy the experience.