Basic Guidelines for Matching Wine and Food

Since food and wine are so enjoyable together, it should be a fairly simple matter to match them. Most combinations are perfectly good and a few are excellent, but a mismatch can take the fun out of both the food and the wine. However, with a little effort and thought, you can pair wine and food so that they make each other taste better.

Here are some guidelines that will help:

Weight

It's always a good idea to match the weight (or body) of the wine to the intensity of the food. Powerfully flavoured dishes require wines of equal strength. Hefty food, such as herb-crusted leg of lamb or garlicky ratatouille suits a heavy, alcoholic wine - usually red. Delicate dishes such as simply prepared white fish need light, gentle wine - usually white.

Acidity

The acidity of the food should balance that of the wine. High-acid flavours, such as tomato or lemon, need matching acidity in the wine, and go well with Riesling or a Sangiovese-based red. Rich cream or butter sauces are well matched with an acidic, 'cutting' wine, but also need something with plenty of flavour, such as Australian Semillon.

Sweetness

The main thing to remember here is not to drink dry wine with sweet food - the wine will taste unpleasantly thin and acidic. When choosing a wine to drink with desserts and puddings, find a wine that is as sweet as or sweeter than the food.

Some savoury foods, such as onions, carrots and parsnips, taste slightly sweet, and if they are prominent in the dish a really ripe-fruited wine will work well.

Sauces and Seasonings

It is often more important to match the wine to a rich sauce or spicy seasonings than to the main ingredient.

Regional Affinity

It is often true that regional cooking goes best with the local wine. Try French wine with Provencal food or a light Italian red with pizza.

Matching to the Ooccasion

Remember that informal gatherings call for informal wine. Save the classy bottles for smart dinner parties or pompous relatives.

Complexity

Serve a simple wine with complex food; Pinot Blanc and Merlot are great choices for fusion style cooking.

Serve a complex wine with simple food; the best way to showcase a mature, complex wine is to pair it with a simple, yet delicious, dish. For example, a premium Cabernet Sauvignon with plain grilled steak, or a great white Burgundy with plain grilled fish.