Food and Wine Pairing Tips

A lover of wine and a lover of food, but maybe not so sure of how to pair them both? Our guide gives you the basics you need to know for food and wine pairing.

One thing to remember is that while there’s no exact science behind pairings, these are some simple tips to follow to get you thinking about what pairings might work to bring out the best flavours of the dish and characteristics of the wine.

Not only are these guidelines great to know for dining at restaurant, but perfect to know when you’re looking to create your own pairings at home or with guests. We go to a lot of effort to ensure we’ve got the perfect dinner recipe, why not go the extra mile and make sure you’ve got a perfect drop to be shared at the table?

To start with, the basics of food and wine pairings really circulate around two key pairing fundamentals: creating a congruent pairing or a complimentary pairing. To break this down a little more:

Congruent pairings:

Enhancing and balancing the flavours of the dish that share similar compounds, such as veal and mushrooms. The flavour profiles of the two create an amplified earthiness flavour.

Contrasting pairings:

Create a balanced flavour by pairing contrasting flavours. This might include fried chicken paired with Champagne, it might sound like an unusual pairing but it’s a match made in heaven.

Match the food and wine weight

What this really refers to is finding a match of lighter style of food to a lighter bodied wine, and on the reverse, match heavier styles of food with heavier bodied wines, and so forth. For example, a light grilled fish dish would pair well with a lighter bodied white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. On the other side, a beef dish would pair well with the likes of a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Consider acidity in wine

Acidity is a great characteristic in wine when it comes to food and wine pairing. Firstly, it is excellent for pairing with fatty or creamy dishes as it helps to round out the flavours and the acidity cuts through the flavours and cleanses your palate. Wines will vary in their acidity based on a number of factors including the grape variety, the climate and growing conditions and the impacts of the wine making processes. High acidic white wines will include the likes of Albariño, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.

Match the intensity and dominant flavours of the dish

We’ve talked about considering the weight of the food and wine when it comes to pairing, but an add on to this is to consider the intensity of the food and flavours. You might want to think about this in terms of the flavours and the most dominant flavours in the dish. You’ll want to pair a wine to the flavour with the most intensity as this will be the most dominant on the palate. For instance, you might have a pasta dish but with a tomato-based sauce which is very acidic. You’ll want to take this into account as it will be likely you’ll be matching a wine to the flavours of tomato, given it is the dominant flavour of the dish.

Spicy food needs sweetness

Steer away from high alcohol wines when you are pairing it with spicy food. The alcohol in wine will exacerbate the heat of the dish which will cause a dominance in alcohol taste and not much else in the wine! Stick to sweeter, lighter in alcohol styles of wine. You might want to try a Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner or an off-dry Riesling or rosé.

Avoid salt with tannin

Salt can clash with tannin and make it feel more bitey and grippy on the palate, so if you do have a salty meal look out for wines that are lower in tannin but also have good acidity to carry the dish through.

Lastly – what grows together, goes together

Consider the region or country of your food and wine when it comes to pairing. Agriculture and vineyards share the same land, or terroir, which drives a lot of the flavour and creates a complementary synergy. There’s a reason Italian wines pair so perfectly with Italian dishes!

While there’s no exact science behind the perfect food and wine pairing, these are some flavour guidelines to point you in the right direction when you are looking to pick a wine for a meal. These help us get a little more creative but can also be quite subjective, so drink what you love and enjoy and savour every sip in your glass!

Follow on our Instagram page @curated_drops for more food and wine pairings you can try. Let us know what pairings you try and why you love them!

Always remember to drink in moderation and responsibly.

Cheers