Hey guys!

So based on my last post, I had a few requests from people to talk more about how to taste wine. I think when you're starting out with wine tasting it always helps to pair it with food. I remember in the beginning of my wine journey, tasting was so intimidating to me (and, well, it still is), but all it takes is practice. Literally, doing it over and over and over and over and over.

Source: *leopardsleap.co.za

Luckily I love it so this wasn't as tedious as I'm making it sound. One thing I found was that if I paired wine with food, the nuances and flavours were more evident and easier to single out. It was also a great way to personally find out why certain wines don't go with certain foods.

So let's start with the basics:

💎 Pairings can be either complementary (contrasting flavours) or mirrored (similar flavours)
Example: complementary = blue cheese and port
Example: congruent = a creamy pasta dish with a full-bodied, creamy Chardonnay
💎 You're better off to match the wine with the most dominant flavour in the dish, ex. the sauce that accompanies the meat.
💎 Match the intensity level of both the wine and food.
💎 When pairing with acidic food, the wine must be higher in acidity than the dish.
💎 Sweet foods need to be matched with a wine that is as sweet as or sweeter.
💎 Try to avoid pairing tannic red wines with white fish (the fish will usually have a metallic flavour if you do)
💎 Salty food works with both high acid wine (ie: Prosecco) and with sweet wines (ie: Port)
💎 Fatty foods love high tannin red wines.

There are always going to be more rules to go by and rules to break, but this list is a good guideline to get you started! What I've learned more than anything while being in this industry and is that there is almost always 'an exception the rule'.

Seriously, remember that.

Next, let's talk about classic pairings and why they work:

🍷 Blue Cheese and Port.
Why? As I mentioned in the list above, salty complements sweet. The stinky saltiness of the blue is complemented perfectly by the power of flavour from the port wine.

🍷 Duck and Pinot Noir.
Why? Duck isn't as heavy as a steak and is typically juicier, so you want a juicy, lighter bodied red. The earthy notes in the Pinot also mirror the gaminess of the duck .

🍷 Sauternes and Foie Gras.
Why? Foie Gras is rich and smooth and needs the acidity of the Sauternes to help cut through that. Plus the intensity of flavours match, as well as pairing salty and sweet.

🍷 Zinfandel and BBQ.
Why? The full-bodied spicy Zin works with the smokey and spicy BBQ flavours.

🍷 Champagne and Oysters.
Why? The fresh saltiness of the oyster is balanced by the high-acid minerality of the Champagne.

🍷 Sauvignon Blanc and Goat's Cheese.
Why? The crisp acidity of the Sauv Blanc cuts through the richness of the goat's milk.

Source: winefolly.com (Wine Folly is a GREAT reference for anything wine!)

These pairings are just a place for you to start. Pick up one of these wines on your way home from work and try pairing it with it's suggested partner. I promise you, at some point in your food & wine pairing journey you will have your AHA! moment and it'll be complete bliss. Your friends might think you've gone into some sort of meditation state at the table, but that's their issue not yours. ENJOY IT!

Don't hesitate to ask me about any of the pairings or rules when it comes to pairing! Not sure what to pair with your roast chicken tonight? Ask me! I want to hear from you guys!

PS - my recommendations for roast chicken are Pinot Noir, Syrah, or a rich Chardonnay.

Thanks for reading 🍷

Jen