Buyin' Oeno: What's For Dinner?
For some, finding that perfect wine and food pairing can be an overwhelming and intimidating task. Sure, you can always fall back on that “trusty” rule of white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, but is that really the best that you can come up with? How about replacing those two thoughts with two new ones that are just as easy to remember? Next time you are trying to pick a wine for dinner think these two words- complement and contrast. The concept is simple. You can complement the flavors of the dish with a wine of similar style or you can contrast the dish with something that will off-set the flavors. For example, if you were serving a Spicy Beef Burrito you could complement the dish by pairing it with a spicy wine like Zinfandel or you could contrast the spiciness with an off-dry Riesling. We like options! This is the easiest way to pair wine, although there are other things you can consider to really find that perfect match. We’ve compiled a list of four different components to consider when pairing wine and food that will help you become the envy of all your friends.
The Texture of the Food
Like wine, food has many different textures and mouth feel. Ideally, you want to pair food textures with wine textures. For example if you had a mixed green salad with a citrus vinaigrette you would want to pair something that is going to be light and dry as well. Perhaps a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But if you were having Prime Rib you would want to match the rich texture of that with a rich, full-bodied wine. Simple so far, right?
Intensity of Flavors
The key to not having the food over power the wine or vice versa is to match power with power. If you have a softer more delicate food, you would want to pair it with a softer wine. If you have a big, boldly flavored item, you would need to match the intensity with a wine of similar characteristics. Now this still falls under the complement/contrast rule because you are simply matching intensity of the wine to the food and not specific flavors. If you choose a wine that is too light for an item, it will be “washed” out and end up tasting like nothing more than overpriced water.
Photo by LaTur.
Cooking Method
Cooking methods can dictate the texture and flavor of food. Items that are prepared in more subtle ways such as poaching and steaming, require a much lighter wine than those that have been grilled or roasted. Grilling, roasting, braising, poaching, steaming, and baking all yield different results. Therefore the cooking method highly effects the style of wine you should consider.
Pairing with Other Components
Of course we always think of the main ingredient when attempting to pair a wine. However, the dominant flavor is what really needs consideration. If a wine is used in preparing a sauce, then you should generally pair a similar wine. This is called "bridging." If there is no sauce, other things to look at could be a particular rub or marinade, a predominant herb or even the side dishes. Always think about what the main flavor profile is then go back to complementing or contrasting that flavor.
Now with any rules there are always exceptions. But these guidelines are a good secure place to start. Keeping some (or all) of these things in mind when planning your next meal will help you achieve happiness on your palate.
Wines to Try:
We’ve selected a few of the most food friendly, versatile wines for you to try this week.
Andrew Murray Estate-bottled Syrah from Santa Ynez, California $20 - Syrahs tend to have it all--a little fruit, a little spice, and smooth tannins. This estate-bottled Syrah from Andrew Murray depicts all that in an elegant style. This is perfect for your grilled, braised, roasted and smoked items.
Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling from Mosel, Germany $12 - A great pairing for not only your spicy foods but also the richly textured ones as this Riesling puts out tons of apricot and peach notes with a lush mouth feel. This wine still maintains a nice acidity that helps balance out the fruitiness.
Guy Saget Vouvray from Loire Valley, France $12- This is a good in between wine. It is not as light and dry as your Sauvignon Blancs but not as full and sweet as many Rieslings. Medium bodied, with stone fruit and anise characteristics this wine can hold its own against spice but is also a fantastic match with your more simple seafood dishes.
Esmonin “Les Gènevrieres” Bourgogne Rouge from Burgundy, France $15 - Pinot Noirs are your lighter versatile option to Syrah. They are less heavy on the black cherry and peppery spice and more pronounced on the ripe cherry and earthy side. Pinots go well with everything from fuller fish items, to vegetarian dishes, and are also great with cheese.
Wine to Do:
Attend one of the many wine dinners that our local restaurants have to offer to get a better understanding of how wine and food effect each other. Jose Andres’ restaurants as well as the Chef Geoff’s often host great wine dinners. Many of them can be viewed at www.localwineevents.com