No party is ever complete without the right wine accompanying it, and no food ever tastes as good as it does when it is paired with just the right wine. For wine has two major roles to play: it enhances the flavor of the food it’s been paired with and complements its taste perfectly.
And if you’ve been having trouble with that lately, we’re here to help.
Understanding the Elements
Knowing which foods will suit which wine is a question of understanding how the elements in them work. All wines contain alcohol, some fruit element, sugar, tannin, and acid. Foods, too, have acids and sugars, but they have a lot more: they have salt, fat, and a whole lot of different flavors. The right food and wine pairing is achieved when you balance out the elements in wine and food.
Once you understand the elements, it’s time to create balance. You have to understand how strong and acidic the wine is, and then match it to the relevant food. It’s okay if the wine still emerges as the dominant one, although only slightly. Merlot, for example, is too heavy for something as delicate as fish. Pinot Grigio, on the other hand, will work perfectly with fish. Merlot, similarly, would be great with richer, meatier meals.
The Regions
If you’re wondering just how you’d get around to understanding the flavor profile of a wine, you have to go back to where it was produced. Knowledge of where the wine came from helps knowing more about its flavor profile.
A Few Things to Know
Now that you’re moving on with wine pairing tasting, here are a few things that will help you develop a further refined palate:
Salty and sour foods make wine less acidic and more fruity
Strongly flavored dishes such as roasted, baked, and grilled items go best with medium to heavy wines
Acidic wines work best with salty meals
Food with high fat content such as cheese is great with red wine which is high in tannins, because it mitigates the feeling of a dry mouth
Strongly flavored foods go with strong wines whereas lightly flavored foods go with light wines
Poached, sautéed, and steamed food works with lighter wines
Need More Stimulation?
Try going on a wine tasting tour in California’s finest vineyards with the help of Artisan Excursion Wine Tours in Solvang CA. You can make a reservation online, via call, or get in touch with Artisan Excursion for more information. They offer wine tasting in Solvang, dinners, sight-seeing and a number of special events such as concerts.