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Combining wine with food is
a matter of taste more than rules. There are however some don’ts
which you really need to avoid as they tend to embrace most
people ‘s tastes. Here are a few below:
Avoid matching dry Champagne
with desserts
Food
and wine combinations are a lot about finding the right balance
between both. Since dry Champagne is all about acidity and lightness,
it doesn’t work at all with puddings and sweets which
are all about richness and sweetness. Dry Champagne with pudding
feels so bitter and acidic!
If you
wanted to have a sparkling wine with your favourite pie, use
a demi-sec (medium-sweet) Champagne, which will balance the
wine in favour of the dish. Alternative medium-sweet sparkler
would be an Italian off-dry Prosecco or Asti for instance as
demi-sec Champagne are not that widespread anymore.
Avoid
using red wines, and especially tannic red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon,
Syrah, Malbec, Mourvedre, Tannat, Sangiovese, Aglianico…)
with vinaigrettes and sauces with high acidities (lemon juice
for instance).
Red wines contain tannins.
Some do more than others and the tannic concentration really
depends on grape varieties, climate/soils and winemaking. The
effect of a wine with high tannins if drunk with no food will
produce a feeling of roughness and dryness in the mouth. Now
acidity reinforces tannins on the palate making the whole combination
even more astringent…
Generally fat (butter, cream,
fat in meats..etc) tends to soften tannins in red wines. If
you use a structured red wine (with high tannins), use similarly
structured food such as tight meat (beef, lamb) with sauces
which will match the structure of the wine and soften the tannins.
Avoid
strong-flavoured food with soft-flavoured wines
Why not using your old very
fine red wine you have been cellaring for 10 or 20 years with
a Munster or Epoisse cheese? Because the flavours of such food
would completely squash the flavours of your favourite and pricey
wine…
Same applies to garlic which
tends to "mute" most wines, but also some spices as
well. These ingredients/food are difficult to match and require
specific wines which will need to be very aromatic and hold
the pairings such as the Riesling or Gewurztraminer grape varieties
in the case of spices.
Looking
to organise an event with Food and Wine combination as the central
theme? Contact us now for details and pricing.
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