Information Sheet LO 3.

1-1
Offer advice on suitable combinations of foods and beverage where appropriate

Introduction

Many customers will require help or advice when choosing beverages to accompany their selected
dishes.

It is part of the standard service by any outlet for staff to help customers choose a beverage to suit both
their preferences and match appropriately with what they are eating.
This section offers advice in this regard.

When could you offer this advice?

Advice about drinks to accompany food can be offered in response to

enquiries, or offered as part of service provision without being asked.

Typical occasions providing an opportunity or need to advise customers in

this regard include:

 Serving a customer at the bar who is thinking about having a meal

 Serving the customer at a table who has ordered, or is about to
order, their food
 Greeting and seating the customer – by advising them of any Specials
which may be available
 In public areas – where customers approach you and ask a question
about the dining facilities available
 Taking a reservation or enquiry over the telephone – where
customers make enquiries about what is on the menu and drink lists
 Responding to requests for room service to guest rooms
 When helping customers in a bottle shop/take-away liquor situation – by helping customers to
choose a beverage to accompany a meal being prepared at home.

Ask some questions first

There is a need to ask questions before advising customers about food and beverage selections (see
next section) and there is a need to ask questions before making recommendation or suggestions for
drinks to accompany food.

Basic questions which may need to be asked include:

 Do they want an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink to accompany their food?

 Do they want a beverage they can share with others, or is the request for assistance just for
them as an individual?
  If they want wine, do they prefer red or white wine? Do they prefer a still wine or a sparkling
wine?
 What have they selected in the way of food? It is important to identify this in order for you to
suggest an appropriate food and drink combination
 Do they want to try something local? Many tourists/visitors are eager to try a local/national
product specific to your country or region
 Are they looking for a new experience or do they want something they know they like?
 All suggestions you make must reflect the identified needs, wants and preferences of the
guest/s.

One thing you must NEVER do

It is never acceptable to respond to the question “What do you recommend to go with the fish?” with “I
don’t know, I don’t drink”, or simply “I don’t know”.

Even though you may not drink (alcohol), and despite the fact you might not have personally tasted all
the beverages on the drink list it is your job to provide an intelligent response or suggestion to the
patron.

A word of warning

You must understand your advice regarding suitable food and wine
combinations will never always be acceptable to all people you provide
assistance to.

People are individuals and they may not like the suggestions you make.

This is to be expected so never get upset with yourself or annoyed at the

customers if they ignore your advice or express disbelief about what you
have recommended.

Accept their decision with good grace and, where applicable, make another suggestion.
Possible food and wine combinations

The most common request for advice regarding matching a

beverage with food relates to wine.

Some basic suggestions for Western style foods are

presented below but remember:

 These are only generic suggestions

 There is a great variation in wines of the same
type from different countries and from different
vintages
 There can be a significant variation between the tastes of the same menu item between
different kitchens/venues.

Food Wine

Seafood Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling

Game Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Semillon

Red meat Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec

Poultry Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho

Salads Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Riesling

Antipasto Chardonnay, Rosé

Pasta Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz

Cheese platters Cabernet Merlot

Desserts Dessert wines

For more information on generic and Western matchings of food and wine visit:

 http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Default.aspx?tabid=827

 http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Wine_Basics/Wine_Basics_Template/0,1199,17,0
0.html.
‘Complement’ or ‘Contrast’

You must become sufficiently familiar with the wines

on the drink list in your workplace to make intelligent
recommendations to compliment the food available
in the menu/s.

The best way to gain this knowledge/appreciation is

to taste the wine to gain first-hand experience.

One way of choosing wines to match food and

provide a suitable food and beverage combination is
the ‘Complement or Contrast’ approach as follows.

‘Complementing’ food and wine

When complementing food with wine, try to select wines which will harmonise well with the dishes and
their ingredients – general guidelines are:
 Whites with fish, chicken, veal and pork
 Reds with dark meat
 Reds with cheese
 Delicate wines with delicate food
 Full-bodied wines with full-bodied food
 Sweet wines with sweet food
 Champagne or sparkling wine can generally go with anything and with any course as there are
many, many styles of this type of wine.

‘Contrasting’ food and wine

‘Contrasting’ relates to selecting a wine which stands distinctly on its own when compared to the food
being eaten and is viewed as a separate taste experience.

This approach seeks to distinctly differentiate the wine from the food, as opposed to creating a
reciprocal/harmonious match with the food being eaten.

It is, however, best to apply the concept a style of wine goes well with a style of food and then fine-tune
your selection from that point, taste-testing dishes and wines, and taking professional advice from wine
experts.