NOVICE
Series Five
PAIR ACID WITH ACID
PAIRING BASICS 101
What foods are acidic? Think citrus fruits like lemon, lime and grapefruit, as well as tomatoes. For dishes with a dominant acidic component, like tomato sauce or a lemon vinaigrette, pair with wines that also have good acidity like Sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Pinot Noir.
PAIR FLAVOR WITH FLAVOR
Look for dominant flavor qualities in your dish to help guide you to a wine that shares similar flavor characteristics in common. For example, for a chicken dish with mushrooms, consider pairing with a wine that has similar earthy qualities, like a Pinot Noir. Serving a peppered steak? Consider pairing with a peppery Zinfandel or Syrah.
PAIR HEAT WITH SWEET
Think spicy Thai, Jamaican jerk, Indian curry. An exception to the flavor-matching rule, big red spicy wines with higher alcohol will dial up the heat. Instead, pair with a wine that is slightly sweet and lower alcohol, like a Riesling. You will be amazed at the way the spicy fare cuts through the sweet, resulting in a surprising, yet refreshing food & wine combo.
PAIR RED MEAT WITH RED WINE
Red meat and red wine will always belong together. Red wine has tannins and tannins like to tango with fatty cuts of beef like T-bones and rib-eyes. The fattier the cut, the bolder and more tannic the red wine choice (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon). And on the other end of the spectrum, leaner cuts of beef pair well with softer, leaner reds wine like Merlot.