Wine and Food Pairings

Do you become confused when trying to figure out wine and food pairings? Well, you aren’t alone. Most people tend to get really frustrated when it comes to this type of selection, though it doesn’t have to be hard.

All of your life you have probably heard that you are supposed to match fish with white wine and meat with red, though this isn’t necessarily true. The one rule associated with wine and food pairings is to use the alcohol to emphasize the flavour of the food. If you think of the grapes as salt, you can then begin to see how to add that light touch of “seasoning” to your dish. Now, let’s talk about things that go together perfectly.

Essentially, you want to pair light foods with light wines. So, fish, salads, oysters, and anything else along these lines should always be matched with a drink that is light (it doesn’t necessarily have to be white). The same rule goes for those heavier foods, though things can get a bit tricky when it comes to foods that have a spicy bite to them. Those foods that contain a lot of spice are best when they are combined with something that is just as intense. When it comes to dessert, choose sweeter liquids to match the sweetness inside of that dessert.

If you keep in mind the things that seem to go together, you will do just fine. Then again, some people like to experiment with wine and food pairings by combining spicy with sweet and light with bold – but you don’t have to go this route. No matter what the occasion may be, if you pair things that are similar, you will discover the secret to the perfect meal in no time. See how easy that was? Rather than go through numerous gourmet items and the varieties that may go with them, simply remember the rule written above.

Right now, you may find that you have to jot down the aforementioned tips, but as soon as you begin to use this technique you’ll find that you are a matching whiz in no time. The next time that you have to select a bottle, think of the overall tastes – do they match? If so, you are in good shape.

As you can see, there is nothing complex about wine and food pairings. Light goes with light, bold with bold, spicy with spicy, and sweet with sweet... nothing could be easier!