How to Choose the Correct Wine to go with Your Meal
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We have all been in a situation of picking out wine at one time or another. We’re sitting in a nice restaurant, overwhelmed at the wine list trying to figure out which wine should go with our meal. But you may not be that familiar with particular wines that are on the list or even worse; you have little knowledge of anything to do with wine!
Well it could be even worse because you may have a special someone with you as this is happening (oh you have been there?). Sounds like you need to read on; this article is going to give some tips, to save you from those confusing wine decisions, the next time you are in a position to need to order wine.
If you’re the experimental type, we recommend joining a wine of the month club so you can experimenting with wine pairings from the comfort of your own home.
A lot of us are familiar with the old saw “red wine with red meats or red sauces, white with white meats, seafood and white sauces”. While there is some truth to this, there is a lot more to know about pairing wine with food.
Cote Du Rhone is an example of a red that goes well with seafood, the Mourvedre, Grenache, and Syrah grapes offer a pleasant level of smoky, mineral flavor which brings out the best in several fish dishes as good as the Sauvignon Blanc. Wines that are made with the Gamay grapes can be a good fit with not only seafood but also duck and some turkey dishes.
Conversely, there are whites which are excellent with tomato-laden dishes. One example is again Sauvignon Blanc (OK, you may not want to drink it with your spaghetti marinara, but it is excellent IN marinara sauce! Something to remember when cooking at home). Speaking of this wine, it is an easy pairing for many foods – think lemon and cream here. Anything which would go well with lemon (poultry, salads, seafood) works well with this wine. It also provides a good contrast to heavier, creamy sauces.
The first rule to remember as far as pairing wines with certain foods is take the flavors of the food into consideration. Say you are going to have barbecue (barbecue and wine? Are you serious?) You should serve red wine here, and one that has a good body and/or acidity not to be overshadowed by the vibrant flavor of the sauce. One wine that is too soft for this is the Cabernet but it is served sometimes. Wines that would be better served with barbecue would be either Italian Barbera, which has high acidity, or you could serve the Valpolicella, which certainly has good enough body to hold up to barbecue sauce. Another great choice for this kind of feast would be one of the red Zinfandel, that has black cherry and pepper flavors and are great when served with meats that are grilled.
What about the white wines? We will use grill foods again since they are big right now in the restaurants (and the fact that spring is near). Use the Semillon or the Pinot Grigio for the grilled salads, fruits (especially melons), and vegetables. These wines can also be served with a wide range of cheeses from the mild Havarti and Gouda to the stronger blue varieties.
There is a lot more information to know about the pairing of wine with your food, but the info covered here should get you started as far as being able to do some experimenting on your own and seeing which you like. It is definitely delicious research to do and you will not mind tasting the different pairings. One easy way to start experimenting, join a wine club. Enjoy!
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