Featured Post: How to match wine with food: seven tips for successful pairing
Have you always wanted to experiment with pairing wine with food but find the whole idea confusing? Not sure which type of wine will enhance your meal and give it that rich tasting flavour to die for?
Gone are the days when paring wine with your meals was as easy as ABC, when the rules of coupling white wine with white meat only and red wine with red meat still applied. Our palates have expanded with different cultures bringing their food and recipes to the UK, and there are different ways to go about finding the perfect beverage to enjoy with your meal. When food and wine are properly combined, each enhances the other, and when it comes to taste and experience, knowing a few basic rules is essential if you are to move from amateur drinker to professional wine pairing expert.
white wine and seafood
There are a few of these, like remembering that it’s always best to pair wine that’s high in acidity with acidic food as it will help to bring out the citrus notes of your food. This is why many people opt for acidic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chianti when serving dishes such as pasta with tomato sauce or ingredients with high level of acid such as lemon or vinegar. Another is to remember that tannins, the astringent components in red wine, is great for pairing with fatty food because the fat will soften the tannins and bring a smoother feel. This is why a lot of people thinking of having steak or pork, have it with a glass of cold Cabernet.
Those are just a couple of things to consider, but as any foodie knows, there’s a lot more to wine pairing than just the basics. There’s definitely too much to cover in one article but we thought we’d bring together a few tips just to get you started…
1. When having dessert always opt for wines that are sweeter than the actual dish. It will completely transform the taste of both elements by bringing out the sweet flavours.
2. Wines that are dry and sparkling such as Champagne are perfect with anything salty.
3. For tangy tasting foods such as tart dressings and sauces, go for wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Verdejo.
4. Having a meal full of fresh herbs? Then pick Grüner Veltliner or Albarino.
5. Seafood dishes have more flavour when paired with delicate white wines such as Pinot Grigio or Chablis.
6. For sweet or spicy dishes, choose wines such as Rieslings, and Vouvrays which will soften the heat of spicy food.
7. Rosé Champagne is great to have with dinner/main course meals because of the depth of flavour and richness.
pork chops are great with white or red wine
Worried that your cooking or wine tasting skills are a bit rusty? Don’t worry; there are loads of cooking classes in London or the UK for you to choose from. There are also loads of wine tasting courses in London for everyone from the wine tasting hobbyist to those serious about becoming a wine expert.