Matching Food With Wine

Wine should be matched with a dish's dominant flavor, which, in many cases, is the sauce. For instance, a simple grilled halibut matches best with Sauvignon Blanc; halibut topped with a rich cream sauce matches best with Chardonnay.

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Remember that when in doubt, the old general wine and food pairing rule is still reliable; white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat.

Match hearty fare with a hearty wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Match fresh fruit with either sparkling wine or a sweet, dessert-style wine. Be sure the wine is sweeter than the fruit, or the wine will taste bitter.

Match hot and spicy fare with Riesling or a very fruity red.

Match salads with lemon or vinegar in the dressing with a high acid wine such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Match pizza, hamburgers, meat loaf or other "comfort foods" with Zinfandel, Syrah or Merlot.

Match lamb dishes with Syrah or Shiraz.

The most important food and wine pairing "rule" of all: Drink the wine you like with the food you like; there are no "wrong" answers if you enjoy the match.

A formal dinner calls for special wines: Cabernet Sauvignon or other full-bodied reds, oak-aged Chardonnay, or "Reserve"-style bottlings of either hue. Of course, the most "special" wines of all again are the ones that you like.

A picnic calls for lighter-style, lower-alcohol, refreshing wines such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or roses - wines that can be chilled down as a counterbalance to the presumably warm outside temperature.

A celebration such as a birthday or anniversary calls for a "festive" wine such as Champagne or sparkling wine. Even better: the celebrant's favorite wine, regardless of type, if you know what it is.

Ideal wines for a barbecue are those that are both fruity and spicy, to complement the "char" of the grill. Opt for Zinfandel, Petite Sirah or Rhone reds.

On cold nights, wines higher in alcohol help warm the soul. Try a full-bodied red or a fortified wine such as Port.

For brunch, make selections similar to those you'd choose for a picnic. If egg dishes are involved, go with sparkling wine.

As a general rule, when serving multiple bottles of wine, pour less costly bottles before expensive ones. (Price is the least accurate barometer of quality, but it's a place to start.)

Serve drier wines before sweeter wines.

When a guest brings a bottle to dinner, let them decide whether it should be served that night or saved for another day.

If a guest brings a bottle that doesn't match the cuisine, open it before dinner and serve it as an aperitif (a pre-meal drink).

When pouring a glass of wine, end the pour with a twist of the wrist as you pull back the bottle. This will help prevent spillage. (Party tip: Ice down sparkling or white wine in a clear glass bowl, and add a few rose blooms to dress it up. Tie a napkin around the bottle's neck to catch drips.)

Fill a wine glass no more than one-third full. This accommodates swirling the wine without spilling.

Wine is best enjoyed when served at the proper temperature: 40-45 degrees for sparkling, 40-50 degrees for whites, 50-55 degrees for lighter reds, and 60-65 degrees for full-bodied reds.

Most red wines are ready to drink right when they're poured. Exceptions include very old or very young wines, which may need some time to "release" their aromas. To speed the process, vigorously swirl the wine in the glass.

If you forgot to put that bottle of white wine in the refrigerator an hour before dinner, it's perfectly okay to stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes; no harm will be done to the wine.

Wine glasses should be held by the stem in order to maintain a consistent temperature for the wine. Holding the glass by the bowl can warm the wine inside. Note: if a wine is served too cold, wrapping both hands around the bowl can help get it to the proper temperature.

At a cocktail party, you may find champagne being served with caviar. But when the caviar is salty and the wine is delicate, it's not exactly a match made in heaven. One of the best matches all for Champagne: an "extra dry" (which means slightly sweet) bottling accompanied by sushi seasoned with ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Champagne also matches nicely with many other foods, which is why it's the adult beverage of choice for brunch.

Try to be adventurous and select new food and wine combinations! If you always pair Cabernet with grilled steak, try an Italian Primitivo. You'll find the smoky, spicy and jammy flavors of this red wine pair exceptionally well with the smoky flavor of grilled beef.

Let me recommend two books. The first one is a beginners illustrated guide book about wine tasting. If you really want to go in depth to learn about wine, "The Wine Bible" is a great reference book . . .

Matching food with wine is both an art and a science. It is one of those areas you should never stop learning about. Every year, new vintages of wine appear. New food recipes come along all the time. You must try to keep up with it all. It's a nasty job, but somebody's got to do it.

Wine Glossary
Grape Variety List
Wine And Food Pairing List

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