A Basic Guide to Pairing Food and Wine

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A Basic Guide to Pairing Food and Wine
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• You dont have to be a wine connoisseur or even a
  true foodie, to appreciate the concept of pairing
  wine with food, and once youve mastered a few of
  the basics behind successful pairings, your
  dining experience will become a whole lot more
  enjoyable.
• The main and most basic principle of pairings is
  that certain elements in both wine and food, such
  as texture and taste, interact with each other
  below are a few tips to help you find the right
  combination

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• Think about the main characteristics of your
  chosen meal
• . Does it have a mild flavor, or is it highly
  seasoned and flavorful?
• . Is the food rich or slightly more acidic?
• . Is it quite lean or very fatty?

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• Once youve considered the above, youll need to
  think about choosing a wine that will balance the
  flavors
• . Try to match up mild foods with wines that are
  mild in taste, and likewise with flavorful foods
  try to match them with big, flavorful wines. A
  pepper steak is a dish with big flavors, so it
  will need to be paired with a bold red such as
  Zinfandel, which also has spicy undertones. A
  creamy, rich chicken dish would need to match up
  with a rich wine like Chardonnay.

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• Then, you will want to consider pairing your food
  with a wine that will cleanse your palate
• . A steak meal is generally quite fatty and rich,
  and so a red wine with good tannins in it, will
  help to cleanse your palate and refresh your
  mouth
• . A very fatty and rich meal like fried chicken,
  will pair best with a crisp and acidic wine, such
  as a Sauvignon Blanc
• . Tannins can come from grape skins or even the
  barrels that the wine may have been aged in, and
  they have an astringent flavor that helps to
  remove the fats from your tongue that have built
  up when consuming rich food. Removing the fats
  then makes your palate feel refreshed and
  cleansed, leaving you ready to tackle your next
  course.

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• Think next about matching acids with acids
• . Dishes like Shrimp and lemon or a simple pasta
  and tomato sauce, will have a fairly high acid
  content and so need to be paired with wines that
  can match this
• . Take note that dishes with a rich and creamy
  sauce will not pair well with acidic wines, like
  Sauvignon Blanc, the two will almost have a
  curdling effect

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• Consider the type of food youre going to eat
• . If the dish youre going to eat is strongly
  spiced, such as may be the case if youre eating
  Asian food, you may want to avoid drinking wine
  with it as the flavors may not work well together
  and spoil the flavor of the wine. If you really
  want to drink wine with a spicy meal, then
  something like an off dry Riesling might be the
  best choice, as it is also a little sweet and
  spicy.

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• In general, youll find that foods from a
  particular country will be best paired with a
  wine from that country, too. This isnt a hard,
  fast rule, but may help to simplify the process
  for those who are new to the concept of food
  pairings.

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• Northshore Brasserie is one of the best
  restaurants in Knoxville, TN serving homemade
  French Belgian cuisine in a relaxed yet elegant
  atmosphere. We serve a variety of beer, wine and
  hearty food. Visit our Knoxville restaurant, we
  help you choose the wine that complements your
  food.