With the bank holidays and summer months to look forward to, where can we turn to for good advice on matching wine to food, tasting tips or wine types and regional differences?
We've prepared a guide that should dispel any uncertainty. Read on to find out how you can make Summer and Winter seasons to remember for all the right reasons.
Also,
take a look at some suggested food and wine matches >
A Simple Wine Guide
The colour of wine is not determined by the juice of the grape. Grape juice is largely clear. What most affects the colour of the wine you drink is the presence of the grape skin during fermentation. For example, white wine is made from almost any colour of grape because the skin is separated from the juice during fermentation. Matching wine to food follows essentially the same rule, regardless of whether you favour red or white wine.
Let's get one thing clear from the start, your experience with wine is subjective. But bear in mind that grape varieties, how the wine is made, how full bodied it is, what foods it goes with are objective assessments based on experience.
In short, you'll like what you like. However, the purpose of this guide is to push the boundaries a little further to enable you to experience more of this truly global phenomenon.
Reds
Red wine works best with hearty autumnal or winter dishes. Meat, herb and savoury flavours accompany red wine perfectly. That said, the type of red you choose to accompany the main course you've painstakingly prepared can make or break how the food will be received. For example, serving a light red wine like a
Loire Saumur with a full flavoured game stew won't win you friends; the rich food flavours will demolish the wine, which in turn will taste thin and sharp by comparison. Better to match a full flavoured wine like
Rioja or a variety like Syrah/Shiraz with a full flavoured dish.
Whites
White wine comes alive with flavour when pared with lighter dishes. Carbonara, grilled fish, chicken or even a dessert like Trifle or Bread and Butter pudding will positively sing when matched with a white wine. As with red wine, the rule is to match wine which will complement what you are eating. For example, oriental dishes work well with the smoky yet dry sweetness of
Gewurztraminer. Meanwhile a dry, sharp
Sancerre makes a perfect partner to Shellfish, Salmon or even Goats Cheese.
Wine Tasting - Types, Regions and Food Pairing
In summary, the classic rule for pairing wines to food is this - contrast or complement. If you choose a wine that contrasts with a particular food, say a fresh acidic white with an oily fish, it will work by cutting through the fish oil. That said, choosing a sweet wine to partner a pudding is a classic example of the complementary approach, using similar traits to work together.
Sweet and Sour
Sweet, sour and fruity flavours are common to Italian wines. This style works well when accompanied with certain foods such as duck.
Sangiovese,
Barbera, Dolcetto and even
Chianti are typical examples of this type. Californian vineyards also grow these varieties but rarely produce the degree of bite that the Italians achieve.
Soft or Strawberry
Strawberry or raspberry flavours with noticeable tannin when compared with fruity wines are found in Pinot Noir or Spanish (red) Rioja.
Pinot Noir is a finicky grape so the quality varies wildly. Try a
French red Burgundy as these are perhaps the silkiest examples of the genre. Aging also helps to achieve mellow and complex aromas.
Firm and Blackcurranty
Full flavoured richness with the taste of blackcurrant and a firm tannins characterises
Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging makes a difference to its mellowness and the range and depth of flavours. A good quality Cabernet Sauvignon should exhibit aromas resembling pencil shavings or cigar boxes. Because of the high tannin content, they are sometimes blended with Merlot grapes for softness. Even though price and quality varies, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape creates a fairly consistent tasting wine.
Dry or Neutral
The term 'dry' denotes the opposite or absence of sweetness. Italians tend to stay away from aromatic, strong flavoured white wines.
Pinot Grigio,
Pinot Blanco,
Verdicchio, Soave, and even unoaked Italian Chardonnay have a neutral to dry characteristic. The French favour
Muscadet, or
Melon de Bourgogne, which like its Itlian counterparts complements shellfish.
Tangy and Zesty
Wines of this style are typically described as sharp or green. The higher level of acidity in these wines is only partially balanced by sweetness.
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is the pinnacle of this style.
Rieslings, when young, can exhibit this quality. The Loire Valley in France produces zesty
Chenin Blanc in Vouvray and Savennieres with a mouthwatering intensity that you'll either love or hate.
Perfume and Aroma
Aroma plays a huge picture in tasting wine.
Gewurztraminer exhibits an exotic floral, fruit and spice aroma. The Germans create the most aromatic and intense versions whilst the Italians tone theirs down somewhat. The relative lack of subtletymakes this an excellent accompaniment to strong tasting, spicy food.
Viognier is another example of an aromatic white, exhibiting apricot and floral aromas that work well with less overtly spicy oriental dishes or mango/fruit salsas atop grilled fish or chicken.
Sweet and Rich
Germany and the Sauternes district of Bordeaux provide perfect examples of rich sweet wines to partner dessert. They are produced by leaving grapes on the vine for longer than usual until a fungus called botrytis, or noble rot, dehydrates the grapes and intensifies the sweetness of the fruit to produce a rich, honey-like flavour. These wines can be very expensive. Less expensive wine gets its sweetness by letting the grapes freeze. When pressing the frozen grapes, the ice separates from the sweet, syrupy juice, leaving a concentrated sweet wine. This wine is called Eis/Ice Wine. In either case they are best balanced by Fruit Tarts rather than a straightforward Trifle which would rather swamp them.
