Fine Dining: How to Pair Wine Like a Sommelier

It’s no secret that sommeliers are concerned with creating the ideal wine pairings. As important as it is to learn about producers and vintages and conduct blind tastings, their main objective is to make your dining experience at their restaurants memorable.

One of the best ways for a fine dining establishment to make themselves memorable is to create a wine and food match that is so incredible that it will stick in their clients’ memory forever, and every sommelier aspires to that.

The good news is that even if you don’t eat out much and prefer enjoying a homemade meal while casino gaming with your Ozwin casino bonus codes, you can still make excellent, delectable wine pairings at home once you understand a few basic techniques. Keep reading to see how you can do this.

Rules of thumb

Before delving into these tips, every wine lover should understand these rules of thumb;

• Tannic wines can become less harsh and dry when paired with salty foods. Additionally, salt lessens the impression of acidity, resulting in a smoother, richer mouthfeel.
• Acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus, and vinegar can enhance the fruit notes in wine and give it a richer, sweeter feel. However, avoid matching wines with very low acidity with high-acidity foods since it could cause the wine to become flat.
• Most wines taste drier, more bitter, and acidic when consumed with sweet foods. Always keep your wine sweeter than the desert.
• Savory (Umami) meals mix well with a variety of wines, but watch out when matching wines with high tannin or oak content since Umami will accentuate the harshness of the tannin and intensify the flavors of wood.
• You should ensure your wine has a decent level of acidity to clear the palate for the next mouthful if you’re having rich or fatty foods.
• Spicy or hot foods will enhance a wine’s perceived alcohol content, dryness, and bitterness while reducing its fruity qualities. A fruity, lower-alcohol wine with a hint of sweetness is the ideal match for these types of food.
• Try to pair a full-bodied wine with food that isn’t too intense because too much flavor in one dish can overpower it.

How to Pair Wine Like a Pro

1. Cluster your wine into groups

Clustering wines into three fundamental groups can help you get started with wine pairing:

• Red wine possesses a more bitter flavor profile.
• The acidity in rose, white, and sparkling wines is higher.
• White, red, and sparkling wines are not nearly as sweet as sweet wine.

2. Think outside your plate

The most crucial thing to remember when picking a wine is that it should complement the preparation of your meal, not just the protein. While it’s generally safe to assume that fish and white wine go well together, not all white wines will complement every type of fish dish. So, also consider the sauces you use and the cooking technique (poached, grilled, roasted, fried, stewed, or barbecued).

Think about what makes a dish like roasted chicken with lime butter sauce taste good when putting it over a puree of potatoes and cauliflower. Ignore your preconceived notions about what works well with chicken and focus instead on the flavors of the creamy cauliflower or the zesty lime.

Don’t forget to assess each ingredient in your recipe before grabbing a substandard substitute.

3. Complement or contrast

There are two ways to phrase a pairing recommendation: complement or contrast. Similar flavors go well together to complement the dish. Choose a lighter-style wine to go with food that has a mild flavor.

Once intensity has been determined, pair wine with foods that have comparable flavors and textures. For instance, try matching a medium-bodied Chardonnay with characteristics of tropical fruit to a pork chop served with pineapple salsa, or a “buttery” Chardonnay to drawn butter and lobster.

Foods that contrast are the opposite, and it’s true that opposites do attract. Rich cream sauce dishes pair well with a crisp, tangy white wine like Sauvignon Blanc. The tannic texture of Cabernet Sauvignon cuts through the fatty steak brilliantly, which is why it goes so well with it.

4. Pair wines with produce that grows in the same region

Some wines gained popularity in particular places centuries ago because they blended so well with the produce and products grown in that area. Classic regional pairings were nearly always a safe bet, as the grapes were grown in the same soil as the surrounding plants.

Always take the dish’s terroir into account when matching it. Consider its feeling of location.  Having pasta bolognese with a tangy tomato sauce? Go for a Chianti Classico from the Tuscany region. By using the “grows together, goes together” approach, you may make dinner into a gourmet feast.

Take away

Contrary to what you may have been taught, red wine doesn’t always pair well with meat. Similarly, white wine isn’t always best served with poultry or fish. Another misconception is the notion that the wine’s color and the food’s color match.

In a similar vein, pricey wines aren’t the only ones that may complement gourmet meals, nor are sweet wines just meant for dessert. Finally, although wine and cheese usually pair well, that’s not always the case.