One query I often get is what is the best wine to go with a certain food. Another common question is: What is the most food friendly wine. Well I guess what people want to know is: How can I get the best of both worlds (food and wine) if I don’t really have the luxury to pick and match as I choose. Fair question. I, too, would like my own personal chef and sommelier but alas … First things first – in general, most wines go well with a wide range of food. Wine is usually acidic, fruity and aromatic and getting off-flavours is usually rare and is probably due to only one or two items on your plate. In any case, the chances of getting off-flavours are probably equal or lower than some interesting (read:good) flavour combinations that can arise when you mix and match wines and food. So the point is, relax. If the Bordeaux somehow goes with your grilled squid or if the Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with kangaroo, then enjoy!
Nonetheless, here are three helpful tips on wine and food pairing that will enhance the dining experience:
a) Remember: complement and contrast. This is where your “red wine to red meat and white wine to fish” anecdote comes from, and it certainly holds true in terms of complementary wine and food. For contrast, we are mainly looking at acidic v. fat and sweet v. salty. So think of Riesling with a cream-based dish and Sauternes with foie gras.
b) If at a restaurant and you absolutely do not know what wine to order, order Pinot Noir if you’d like red or Riesling if you’d like a white. These are aromatic, fruity and acidic wines that generally agree with most foods
c) Three big enemies of wine are sweetness, spiciness (i.e. chilli burn) and acidity. Overly sweet food reduces the fruitiness and tartness of wine. Make sure that the wine is sweeter than the food (likely a dessert). Overly spicy food enhances alcohol burn which does nothing to aid the appreciation of flavour combinations. Always pair curries with a low alcohol and aromatic wine like Sauvignon Blanc. And over-acidity reduces the tartness, aroma and body of wine. Go easy on vinegars and lemons.
