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In Search of the Perfect Pairing
Simple Tips for a Magical Match
Whether you're hosting for the holidays, trying to wow the new boss, or welcoming long-lost friends to town, nothing brings people together like a spectacular dinner party. Now, maybe you've already got the perfect marinade for the short-ribs, the freshest and most delicate blend of salad greens from the farmers market, and a dazzling array of sumptuous cheeses – but if you really want to hit this one out of the park, you're going to need just the right wine (or wines) for the job. In fact, even a simple meal of fresh, lovingly prepared ingredients takes on a magical shine when paired with the perfect bottle.
This leaves us with a puzzler, though: what is the right wine for the job? Variety is nice, but with a seemingly infinite selection of wines from all over the globe to choose from, the well-stocked aisle can overwhelm even the savviest of sippers. So, in the interest of getting you home to your guests with style, ease, and the bottle they'll be talking about for months, I'd like to offer a few simple wine pairing tips.
If you search the web, of course, you'll find hundreds, if not thousands, of pairing recommendations. Some will work like a charm. Others are kitchen catastrophes waiting to happen. Most of us don't have anywhere near enough time or energy to test them all. But there's good news: all great food and wine pairings work for one of two basic reasons. Either the wine brings contrast to the dish in question, or it resembles the food in some way. Now these two strategies may seem contradictory at first glance. But give them a try, I think you'll find yourself pleased with the results.
Opposites Attract
There's a reason Rieslings tame spicy curries, and why Sauvignon Blanc makes beautiful music with rich cheeses. That reason, in a word, is contrast. The Riesling's sweetness neutralizes the heat of curry, leaving a pleasant, lingering warmth on your tongue instead of a three alarm fire. And while the Riesling might have been too sweet on its own, the intensity of spice balances it out. Soft-ripened cheeses on the other hand, so creamy in flavor and texture, will quickly coat your palate, leaving your taste buds drowning in richness. Before long, you'll be sleeping through the show. Bring in the bright citrus notes of a Sauvignon blanc, though, and voila! The acidity of the wine strips away the lingering cream, awakening your palate and preparing it for the next sensation.
Birds of a Feather
Not all problems can be solved with contrast. For a different style of pairing, try matching similar flavors and textures. The sweetness of crème brûlée, for example, won't contrast well with a dry wine (a wine which contains no sugar). The combination is downright painful, in fact. The dessert's sweetness becomes bombastic and insipid in the company of a tart wine. The tart wine, in turn, seems unbearably sour against the brûlée, rendering its softer fruit notes and subtle floral hints undetectable. Pair the crème brûlée with a dessert wine, though – a Sauternes, for example, or a sweet Riesling – and you'll find yourself in heaven. Once sugar levels match, the stone fruit and honey accents of the wine will step into the foreground, along with all the toasty butterscotch and caramel flavors of the crème brûlée.
In short, you can pair a wine with any food using one of these two methods. The important thing is to know which flavors to match, and which ones to contrast. The more pairings you try, the more confident your instincts will become. In the meantime, here's a chart of complementary flavors and textures to get you started.
| Contrast | ||
| fat/richness | in food | (ribeye, lamb chops, rich cheeses) |
| with dryness (tannins) | in red wine | (Cab, Syrah, Chianti, Amarone) |
| or tartness (acid) | in white wine | (unoaked Chardonnay, dry Riesling) |
| heat/spice | in food | (spicy curries, pepper-steaks, chili) |
| with ripe fruit notes | in red wine | (hot climate Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec) |
| or sweetness | in white wine | (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chenin blanc) |
| Match | ||
| acidity | in food | (tomato sauces, vinaigrettes,) |
| with unripe fruit notes | in red wine | (cool climate Pinot noir, Sangiovese) |
| green apple/citrus | in white wine | (Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio) |
| sweetness | in food | (crème brûlée, dates, dark chocolate) |
| with ripe fruit notes | in red wine* | (California Pinot, Zin, Shiraz, Malbec) |
| or sweetness | in white wine | (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauterne) |
| *pairing dry red wine with actual desserts is extremely difficult and rarely successful, although dark chocolate is a notable exception. | ||
One final note: all other pairing knowledge aside, there's one bedrock responsibility of any good host: know your audience. No matter how perfect the synergy of your Barbaresco and Piedmontese beef, if one of your guests is of the opinion that all red wines taste like vinegar and sand, you're unlikely to delight, despite all of your generous efforts. The most important factor here, as elsewhere, is to play to the tastes of the crowd. Follow these guidelines, and you'll never be short on dinner guests.
Many happy pairings!
