Food and wine pairing is a technique, most commonly understood by food and wine connoisseurs. While matching your food with your wine is a very individual choice, there are some steps you can take to better understand which wines will compliment which foods. Certain food groups have been known to suit with certain categories of wines, whilst any connoisseur will tell you that finding the exact perfect match with your meal and your wine creates a heavenly sensation for your pallet. So how can you become an expert in food and wine pairing, starting your journey to find the perfect pair?
Historical Pairing
When our days consisted of simple red and white wines, most people knew that red win complimented beef, whilst white wine enhanced the flavours of fish and chicken. With an increasing product selection of wines and an ever growing number of flavour infusions with foods, it’s virtually impossible to agree upon which wines best suit which foods.
Understanding your Wines
To begin understanding how to pair wine and food, it is first important that you understand the basic differences between red and white wine. The differences in flavours and textures of wines are greatly varied, making it near impossible to exactly match foods to wines. Balancing wines is the perfect way to get the closest match possible, when attempting to pair. Instead of trying to match exact tastes, try to find a combination that involves the flavours, the aroma and the weight of your wine. Finding a wine that is similarly suited to your meal will help you to enhance the flavours of both the wine and the food.
How to Pair
As aforementioned, pairing wines and foods is a very difficult and individual choice. Many connoisseurs recommend pairing your choice of wine with the sauce or prominent flavours of your meal, rather than the actual food itself. Due to the similar textures found in sauces and wines, it is commonly easier to pair the two, than to that of solid foods. When pairing your wine and food, always consider the density and strength of the wine, in comparison to that of the food. A full bodied and heavy wine, for instance, should not be paired with a light meal and, on the other end of the spectrum, a light white wine should not be paired with a heavy meal, such as a succulent steak.
The professional and dedicated team at Dedes Restaurant in Sydney are adept in recommending food and wine choices. When choosing to dine at this world class venue, you’ll have the choice of selecting wines from a great cellar selection. So why not begin your taste testing today and see if you’re the next great connoisseur!