Wine — Proper Pairing of Wine and Food

www.workingpersonswinewebsite.comEven though the old rule of reds with beef, whites with fish and poultry still has merit, the title of proper pairing is misleading and there is no such thing. It is still a matter of personal taste andwill always be that way for most of us. Just ensure you choose the best wine you can afford as astarting point and if you have a favoritie, go with it.Beef no longer commands that you serve a red but most people will do so, as the reds have amore powerful flavour and aroma and will complement the meat. For instance, a pepper steak or "steak au poivre" from a New York strip, would "pair" wonderfully with a Grenache. I personallyprefer a Shiraz which will also enhance a spicy beef stew. For a delicate beef dish, let's try aMerlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. By a delicate beef dish, we refer to a steak tartar, for example.Quite simply put, stay in touch with the relative strengths and flavors of both wine and meat;powerful wines with powerful dishes, and lighter wines for the lighter meal. Simple.Color and aroma influence taste and there is truth in the tradition that white wines complementthe lighter meal such as fish and poulltry. If you add spieces and sauces this also creates adifference as to which wine you will wish to serve, such as a spicy Pinot Blanc with a fowl spicedwith paptrika. Do not forget, though, that a good burgundy can work with this dinner as well.Duck could be paired successfully with a more acidic wine, such as the Sangiovese types of wines, whereas grilled chicken dishes would go well with a Riesling or a Chardonnay with a hintof oak.As you consider pairing of great foods and wines, remember that meat and poultry are not theonly foods that pair well with wine. Cheeses and fruits will also require some opportunities tocreate flavor balances. Some countries prefer a fine Port with fruit while many strong, flavorful,robust cheeses pair well with a Gewürztraminer. Soups de creme can combine with aChardonnay and also a Sauvignon Blanc if one desires. For the truly brave, combine thosecheeses made of goat's milk or sheep's milk, with a fine Pinot Noir.Some people may not prefer the pairing of red with meat and white wines with poultry, as theymay just not care for a red wine for example. In this case, simply use the following as sort of aguide to what is what in wines and you should be fine: moving from lighter to full-bodied in eachcategory you will fine white Zinfandel, Reisling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer andChardonnay. And among reds, from lighter to fuller: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon andShiraz or Syrah, if you please.I found this glossary of wine terms so am repeating it here for all of us to use when required:

Wine — Glossary: Words For The Perplexed

Acetic: vinegar-like taste or smell from exposure to air. Vinegar is acetic acid.Acidity: wines contain acids, which vary in concentration.Appellation: French system regulating authenticity; applies to region where the grapes weregrown.Astringent: high tannin content produces dry, puckering effect.Balance: relative degree of fruity quality, acidity, tannins, alcohol and other characteristics.Bouquet: complex of aromas, usually from aging.

Cooked: prunish flavor, usually from excessive heat.Cooper: a maker of casks or barrels.Corked: a kind of spoilage, smelling of cork, usually from cracked or seeping cork allowingintroduction of air or fungi.Dry: opposite of sweet.Fruity: aroma or flavor of apples, grapes, currants, pears, etc.Green: wine made from unripe grapes, producing tart flavor.Honeyed: smell or taste reminiscent of honey, characteristic of wines affected by 'noble rot'(Botrytis cinerea).Length: a lingering aftertaste.Madeirized: oxidized with a brownish color and stale odor. After the island of Madeira where wineis intentionally produced in open air vats.Noble: a classification of grapes that produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and RieslingNose: aroma. 'Off-nose' refers to odors indicating defect.Nutty: nutlike aroma, such as found in sherry or aged whites.Oakey: aroma from aging in oaken casks.Oxidized: spoiled from over-exposure to air.Sommelier: a specialist in selecting and serving wine.Sparkling: wine containing carbonation, such as champagne.Sulphur: an anti-oxidant introduced in some wines in small amounts. Fermentation creates minuteamountsnaturally.Sweet: having residual sugar from fermentation, from grape sugar incompletely converted toalcohol.Vintner: a winemaker.Viticulture: the art and science of growing wine grapes.Vitis vinifera: plant species encompassing most traditional European wine grapes.Woody: having the aroma or taste of aging barrels.Yeasty: smelling similar to bread. Yeasts are introduced to carry out fermentation and can beincompletely removed.And, last but not least, the following information which I find quite handy to know (or at least refer to now and then):