frenchfriends

White wine with fish, or is it chicken? Red wine goes best with steak, or is it pork? What do I serve with ribs? How does lamb fall into this category? ARGH! Why is food and wine pairing so complicated? HELP!
Have you ever been tasked with creating an important dinner party, and did not know what to serve with what? Have you ever felt like pulling your hair out while standing at your local wine dealer’s knowing that this dinner has to be perfect, but not having the background to select the perfect wine? Well, join the ranks of those who have come before you, then take a deep breath and read on to help you understand complimentary food and wine pairings.

The Basics:

To begin to understand food and wine pairings, look no further than your own sense of taste and smell. Of course, your tongue picks up the overall tastes: it tells you what is sweet, bitter, salty or acidic. However, it is the compliment of your nose that will help you to determine whether you like the wine or not. Some wines are more fruity and others more earthy, and all of them can be loved or hated by you dependent solely upon your sense of taste and smell. The reason this is important, is because there can be a stark and unpleasant contrast when combining uncomplimentary flavors and smells.

Food and Wine Pairings:

One general rule of thumb in food and wine pairings is that red goes with red. This means that steak, ribs and even pork are best complimented by a red or heavier wine like port, cabernet or a pinot noir. Even though the pinot noir is lighter in color, it is a heavier wine and can compliment a dish like steak or pork quite well. While many would serve beer with ribs, you can dress up that table by serving a similarly heavier wine or with a chilled white zinfandel.

When, however, you are serving lighter meats, a lighter wine is usually the best compliment for your guests’ palates. So, when the plan is oysters, poultry, or cream sauces on pasta, then reach for the lighter wines: try chardonnay with oysters, chenin blanc with poultry and those lighter pastas with sauvignon blanc. There are other combinations you can try, but these offer a good place to start.

Picking the perfect food and wine pairing for that dinner party should not be the hair-pulling event of the century. Just remember that it is a palate thing that is dependent upon your sense of smell and taste for success. When you get more confident with your choices, feel free to experiment, because there are no food and wine pairing police. Until then, confidently use the tried and true combinations given here, relax and enjoy preparing that party.