EASY TIPS FOR PAIRING FOOD WITH WINE

WINE WITH FOOD: Balance is the key: food and wine need to complement, never over power, each other. Where possible, team regional food with its local wines. Allow personal preference to be your main guide.

DRESSED SALADS: If there is lemon or vinegar in the dressing, wine should be acidic to balance it. Light, dry whites are more acidic than reds, suit salads with: SAUVUGNON BLANC is an excellent choice.

FISH DISHES: The sauce fish is cooked in or served with makes all the difference: creamy sauces need high acidity and effervescence, so choose dry whites – although fish cooked in red wine will taste good with red wine. Oak aged Chardonnay is a good match for smoked fish.

HEARTY FARE DISHES (MEATS): If you observe the GOLDEN RULE on balance, a heavy meal must be teamed with an equally weighty red: a full-bodied, tannic wine such as CABERNET SAUVIGNON is ideal. Easy to remember a big bold wine calls for big bold food: Prime Rib, Osso Bucco, and Lamb etc.

MADE WITH EGGS: The effervescence of a sparkling wine is the perfect foil to the soft texture of egg dishes: Quiches, while at the same time not drowning out eggs’ somewhat subtle flavor.

RICH AND CREAMY SAUCES: Medium to full –bodied whites best match the creaminess of rich sauces. The buttery flavor of CHARDONNAY particularly compliments buttery sauces. Avoid very fruity wines.

HOT AND SPICY: sweetness proves a good contrast to spices: try a RIESLING or GEWURTZTRAMINER.

CHEESES: Flavorful hard cheeses and strong cheeses need full rich wines: MERLOT or CABERNET SAUVIGNON. Avoid heavy reds with soft cheeses, these are best paired with light or dry whites: SAUVIGNON BLANC, SEMILLION, and CHARDONNAYS’ on the light crisper side.

DESSERTS/CHOCOLATE: Sweets usually taste unpleasant with very dry wine. Dessert wines are the obvious choice: MOSCATO, RIESLING. However, savor thru your rich chocolates with a great: MERLOT OR CABERNET SAUVIGNON.

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