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Your Guide to Pairing Wine and Food
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Your Guide to Pairing Wine and Food
Pairing food with wine can be learned with practice. When you
start to pay attention to food with different wine combinations,
you'll develop a new understanding. Remember to have fun with
your new knowledge of wine food matching. Wine lovers throughout
history have made wonderful quotes about food with wine tasting
when they spoke of the delight of food, wine and good conversation.
Enjoy! Here are a few points to consider as you pair wine and
food:
- Weight
- Pair wines and foods of equal weight
- The body of wine is what we refer to as weight, meaning how
it feels in your mouth
- Here's how to compare food and wine by weight:
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Body of Wine
Light
Medium
Full
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Type of Milk
Skim
2%
Whole / Half and Half |
- Intensity
Intensity of flavor provides the main exception to the matching
of weight rule: Fatty, rich foods can be partnered with light
bodied wines, the principal being to provide a sharp contrast;
crisp, light wine cutting through the food
- Cooking Methods
Though it is not as important as the flavors of the food and
wine, the cooking method used to cook is very significant in
the outcome of a pairing. Here's a listing of cooking methods
listed in ascending order of flavor:
- Steaming, poaching and boiling - impart minimal flavors
- Sauteing - imparts slightly more flavor
- Smoking - adds a strong, smoky flavor that caramelizes or
browns the food
- Roasting, braising and baking - enhances flavors in a gentle
manner
- Grilling - adds an intense, smoky flavor that caramelizes
or browns the food
- Deep frying - coats mouth
- Sauces
A very important factor in food preparation because it almost
always influences the choice of wine. Here's a look at styles
of sauces and their influence on wine:
- Vinaigrette based sauces - Look to wines with acidity to
match the sauces acidity
- Wine reduction sauces - gives the sauce the basic characteristics
of the wine. Choose a wine that is similar to the one in the
sauce.
- Cream and cheese sauces - they coat the mouth leaving a rich,
sweet texture. Choose a crisp, acidic wine that will cleanse
and refresh the palate
- Salsas and chutneys - choose a wine that matches the strongest
flavor in the sauce
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