Making Sense of Food and Wine Pairing

You may have heard the old rule of thumb: red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat, but have you ever wondered why?  Is this pairing just pleasing to the eye or is there thought behind it?  Believe it or not, there is actually some rhythm and reason to food and wine pairing and with a basic understanding, you can really enhance your dining experience! 

Like with Like

Like so many things in life, when it comes to food and wine pairing, similarities work well together.  Big, tough, red meat goes with big, tough, red wine.  This is because foods high in protein, such as red meat and hard cheeses, pair perfectly with full-bodied red wines due to a chemical reaction that occurs between tannin and protein. 

Tannin is a substance found in the skin of the grape that adds body and weight to red wines.  Therefore the highest levels of tannin are found in the most full-bodied reds.  There is very, very little to no tannin in white wines.  High amounts of tannin in a wine may leave your teeth and tongue with a sense of dryness, like a cotton ball in your mouth. 

However, proteins soften the tannins and give the wine a smooth and silky texture, allowing the consumer to enjoy the flavors and nuances rather than being put off by astringent dryness.  This happens because the protein and tannin form a chemical bond and cancel each other out thereby enhancing both the wine and meat or cheese.  

Here’s a taste test to try.  Get a big, full-bodied red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec or Shiraz.  From France, a Bordeaux will work or a Chianti, Supertuscan or Amarone from Italy.   Take a sip.  You may find this too tannic (remember this means your mouth will feel dry and astringent).  Wait a couple seconds and have a piece of cheddar cheese.  Cheddar is a hard cheese with high levels of protein so it is a perfect pair for big red wines.  Take another sip of the wine.  Hopefully, you will find the wine more soft, subtle and far more enjoyable!

The “Like with Like” principal also holds true for flavor characteristics.  If you have a salad with citrus flavors, pair it with a lemony Sauvignon Blanc.  Creamy, buttery Alfredo pasta works great with full-bodied, oaky Chardonnay.  Barbeque shines when followed by smoky Shiraz.  With a few exceptions (which I will touch on later) this is a full-proof pairing tactic!

Opposites Attract

Paula Abdul was on to something when she wrote her hit song “Opposite’s Attract”!  There are a couple classic pairings that follow this principal.  For example, high acid wines and cream based cheeses work very well together.  A piece of Brie and a high-acid sparkling wine, such as Prosecco (a sparkling wine made in Italy) will really enhance each other’s flavors.  The acid and carbonation of the Prosecco helps cut through the fatty acid of the Brie and keeps you going back for more (maybe that’s a bad thing!).  If you were to put a cream based cheese with a big, bodied red wine, you’d find yourself desperately searching for the taste of the cheese and a glass of water, so this is an instance when “Like with Like” does not apply.   In general, white wines have more acidity than red so you are always best with a white when it comes to a creamy cheese or dish. 

What Grows Together Goes Together

There are reasons, beyond geography, why wines of certain regions are produced in certain ways.  For example, Italian wines are known to have particularly high levels of acidity.  This is because they have been paired with tomatoes (which are high in acid) for centuries.   So don’t be afraid to take tips from locals when traveling or to try the suggested pair at a French restaurant, because while it may seem contrived, they have years of experience in partnering local produce with local wines.  If you are on your own, I always find it more satisfying to stay in the same country for food and wine to get the full effect. 

Drink What You Like!

Lastly, the most important, and obvious, rule of food and wine pairing is to stick to what you like!  If you don’t like red wine, then don’t drink it regardless of what you are eating. Don’t get bogged down by the rules and etiquette of wine, and just enjoy!  These tips are intended as guidelines to lead you within your comfort zone, or perhaps push you just beyond it, but you know better than anyone what you like.  So start with that and hopefully these suggestions will help you from there!