Basic Rules for Food and Wine Pairing

At times, pairing wine with food can become overwhelming, especially for those who are just beginning their journey into the incredible world of wine and food. Whether you are a seasoned professional or it’s the first time you are planning a dinner party, these basic rules for food and wine pairing will help you find the best pairing.

• Fatty and Salty Combination Dishes – You want to balance the salty flavor and fatty texture with high tannin wines. These wines have a bitterness to them that compliment salty and fatty dishes perfectly.
• Salty Dishes – When in doubt, choose Champagne and sparkling wines for salty foods. The sparkling wines and Champagne have a slight sweetness to them that makes them the perfect pair to any dish that is salty. Plus many people enjoy a bubbly wine and you are sure to please your guests with this selection.
• Sweet Dishes and Desserts – The main rule about sweet dishes is to always pair it with a wine that is slightly sweeter than the dish or dessert.
• Spicy Dishes – Spicy foods are a favorite for many worldwide. That delicious flavor with intense heat makes many people’s taste buds go wild. When eating or serving spicy food to your guests, pair it with a wine that has residual sugar. The sugar creates balance between the heat of the food and the wine, resulting in the wine actually cooling down the spice and complimenting the flavors perfectly.
• Grilled and Smoked Dishes – Almost everyone loves a barbeque. Those delicious grilled burgers and steaks pair best with wines that have been aged in oak barrels, also referred to as oaked wines. These oaked wines bring out the flavor of the grilled meats and the oaky notes in the wine, making it a match made in heaven.

These helpful rules will guide you to the perfect pairing every time. Always remember sweet dishes need a wine that is sweeter, grilled dishes need oaked wines, salty dishes need balance and spicy dishes need to be cooled down just a bit. Enjoy and be creative by trying different vintages of wine every time!