Pairing Principles
Good wine and food matching can change your eating habits and infuse pleasure to the mundane daily meals. There is no set rule that will help you to decide which wine could be best paired with a certain dish as taste is entirely individual. What I like may not be to your liking but there are certain principles which you should follow if you want to pair the right wine with the right food.
If you are used to combining wine and food then try wine and food matching to find a balance that will enhance the flavors of both the wine and the food. If the combination is not right then first of all the various traits of wine like its acidity or sweetness could become either more pronounced or could get completely masked by certain foods. A strong wine could deprive you of enjoying the delicate taste of a light and subtle dish or very spicy food could spoil the flavors of the wine. Sometimes faulty combinations create unwanted flavors like metals or medicines and destroy the very essence of a good meal.
Discussed below are the various types of wine that can be paired with different dishes and also the combinations that should be avoided.
White wines
Light white wines like Sancerre should be paired with light and uncomplicated food like Goat Cheese and shellfish and fishes like bass and trout. This wine does not go with sweets. A slightly heavier wine like a dry Riesling would go well with chicken, shrimp, lobster and smoked trout but again not with anything sweet. Another white wine the Pinot Grigio can be matched with turkey, shrimp and veal with cream sauces. This wine is not for spicy food and food with tomatoes.
Food matching the German wine Gewurztraminer includes Swiss cheese, all Chinese dishes, red meat like pork, spicy foie gras and food laced with lots of ginger. Light simple foods do not make great combinations with this wine. Chardonnay is a heavy white wine which complements dishes like grilled chicken, salmon or veal in white creamy sauce but is absolutely forbidden with very spicy food.
Red wines
Red wines are generally heavier than white wines and so it is easier to select food matching red wines. Barberra is a red wine that can accompany Italian food like Pasta, Pizza, Lasagna or lemon chicken. Pinot Noir is excellent with Tuna, Salmon, duck, lamb and beef but the preparations should not be very spicy Merlot is a medium to full bodied red wine that goes well with chicken, barbeques and grilled meat but not with anything sweet.
Barbeques also complement Shiraz which can be paired with stews, sausages and peppery red meat dishes. Fish should not be eaten with this wine. The very popular Cabernet Sauvignon is a heavy red wine that can be a part of a meal with lamb, duck, steaks and roasts. Dark chocolate with Cabernet Sauvignon makes an interesting pair. Fish and tomatoes cannot be paired with this wine.
This was just some of the numerous wine and food matching possibilities with which you could make a beginning in your culinary pursuits.
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