Pairing Tips

I ran across some food and wine paring tips and I thought I would share them. Use these as guidelines but as always, drink what you like best! Different people like different things and there is no right or wrong pairing, as long as you like it.

• Think of wine as “The Sauce you drink”. It should complement the food.


• When pairing food and wine, the goal is synergy and balance. One should not overpower the other.


• Balance flavor intensity. Pair lighter-bodied wines with lighter food and fuller-bodied wines with heartier, more flavorful dishes. Example: A sauvignon blanc will go nicely with fresh goat cheese and a shiraz with be great with a nice steak.


• Pair the wine with the sauce, seasoning or dominant flavor of the dish. Example: Zinfandel will complement a chili-cheeseburger, spice to spice.


• When serving multiple wines during a meal, consider this: Light before heavy-bodied, dry before sweet, and low alcohol before high. Dessert wine should be sweeter than its complementing dessert. The exception would be chocolate.


• When bringing wine to a party, do not attempt to match it to the meal. Do match the quality of the wine to the meal. (My rule of thumb is to usually bring a lighter bodied wine instead of a heavy-bodied since the lighter wines tend to be more flexible in pairing than heavy ones.)


• Think about opposites! Opposing flavors make for an interesting taste and helps to cleanse the palate. Example: A cool, crisp and fruity Riesling pairs nicely with hot, spicy Thai food.


• Cheese can be successfully paired with either white or red wine. Generally: dry white wines with goat cheeses; sweeter wines with pungent and intensely flavored cheeses; light, fruity red wines with milder cheeses.

Again, these are just general guidelines not hard rules. If you don’t like whites, try a light pinot noir with your cheese. If you prefer a heavier wine but don’t like syrah or zinfandel try a cabernet sauvignon with your steak. If you aren’t sure what to pair with a food, try a merlot. They are the most food friendly wines out there. They go good with most everything, no matter what Miles (from the movie Sideways) has to say!

For more of an in-depth guide check out this cool site: http://www.winewebcentral.com/winepairing/

Cheers!