Most people tend not to think very much about what they're drinking with what they're eating. The mantra of "Life is short, drink what you like!" is very popular among humans who dumb down good eating. The truth is, that pairing is very important. Yes life is short but wouldn't you want to have every meal well appointed instead of constantly clashing and masking flavour. There is a lot of evidence that proves certain foods are either positively or negatively affected by what's being drunk with them.
One good example is sushi. Although raw, the fish is very delicately flavoured. It's served cold and other than with wasabi and soy sauce, is often unseasoned. By drinking a full bodied wine, this light flavour will be heavily masked by big tannin and acidity. But because the fish is oily and smells of the sea, a palate cleanser is helpful because it renews your taste buds for the next mouthful. A well matched drink keeps things interesting. Raw, slimy fish is delicious for a lot of people but the same taste and texture gets a bit dull.
The Answer: You want to try and kill two birds with one stone. There are a lot of answers. Everyone likes something different. Summery beers and soft white wines all work brilliantly. Match the weight of the sushi with the weight of the drink. Light flavour means light drink. Japanese beers, light and sparkling white wines all work because they cut the oil and are refreshing.
Another prime example of the importance of matching weight is spicy food. You've just spent a few bones on a lovely wine from Bordeaux that the shop assistant recommend. The wife is also making her famous Thai prawn curry tonight. Great! No, hang on...not so great. Take a few seconds to think about what both the wine and food are going to do to your mouth. Bordeaux wines are typically very full bodied, rich in tannin and often taste of dark fruits. The curry will be creamy, spicy, vegetal and bit fishy. You're giving your palate too much variety. The cream of the coconut and the tannin of the wine will be constantly fighting for real estate on your tongue. The plum notes in the wine will amplify the fishiness of the prawn and the spice will burn your tongue. You simply won't be able to pick out flavours. And after all of that, the amount of money you spent on the wine would have been for nothing because you couldn't notice it's subtleties for the chilly burning a whole in your tongue.
The Answer: A refreshing Thai beer will cut the burn and reduce the cream. It's simplicity will not interfere with unique flavours of the curry. Want wine instead.? Sweet or off/dry wines work nicely too. The acidity cuts through the cream and the sweetness tones down the heat. If you don't like sweeter wines, don't worry. The creaminess of the coconut will tone the sugar.
IMPORTANT YO! - There is no right or wrong pairing! Everyone is different. If you like to make your food spicier or richer or brighter with certain wines, do it! BUT it's very helpful to know how the food and wine are bouncing off one another. It's all about balance, the way that balance shifts is up to yo.
Well matched wines and food are like well matched couples. The two parties amplify the good and tone down the bad in one another. I'm not going to go through every possible match but here are our tips for pairing.
PAIRING ADVICE
1. Think about what the drink and food are doing to your tongue. Is there too much cream in the food? Too little acidity in the wine? What flavours are heaviest in both the food and wine?
2. Match the weight of the drink with the weight of the dish
3. It is helpful to think of the country the dish is from. Drinks from the same country typically tend to match perfectly because the two developed through the years together. Eg. Italian wine with Pasta
4. Think about seasons. A winter stew is going to go well with a winter wine. Whites in summer - Reds in Winter
5. Start with the biggest most predominant flavour in the dish and pair that.
6. There are tried and tested or classic combos but they are not the be all and end all.
8. Ordering wine when everyone is eating something different? Bright whites and Pinot Noir are your go-to wines because they play well with all kinds of flavour.
9. Generally: Old world for food - New world for drinking
10. Have fun with it, try new combos all the time! Don't buy the same old Pinot every single time because it's safe.
One good example is sushi. Although raw, the fish is very delicately flavoured. It's served cold and other than with wasabi and soy sauce, is often unseasoned. By drinking a full bodied wine, this light flavour will be heavily masked by big tannin and acidity. But because the fish is oily and smells of the sea, a palate cleanser is helpful because it renews your taste buds for the next mouthful. A well matched drink keeps things interesting. Raw, slimy fish is delicious for a lot of people but the same taste and texture gets a bit dull.
The Answer: You want to try and kill two birds with one stone. There are a lot of answers. Everyone likes something different. Summery beers and soft white wines all work brilliantly. Match the weight of the sushi with the weight of the drink. Light flavour means light drink. Japanese beers, light and sparkling white wines all work because they cut the oil and are refreshing.
Another prime example of the importance of matching weight is spicy food. You've just spent a few bones on a lovely wine from Bordeaux that the shop assistant recommend. The wife is also making her famous Thai prawn curry tonight. Great! No, hang on...not so great. Take a few seconds to think about what both the wine and food are going to do to your mouth. Bordeaux wines are typically very full bodied, rich in tannin and often taste of dark fruits. The curry will be creamy, spicy, vegetal and bit fishy. You're giving your palate too much variety. The cream of the coconut and the tannin of the wine will be constantly fighting for real estate on your tongue. The plum notes in the wine will amplify the fishiness of the prawn and the spice will burn your tongue. You simply won't be able to pick out flavours. And after all of that, the amount of money you spent on the wine would have been for nothing because you couldn't notice it's subtleties for the chilly burning a whole in your tongue.
The Answer: A refreshing Thai beer will cut the burn and reduce the cream. It's simplicity will not interfere with unique flavours of the curry. Want wine instead.? Sweet or off/dry wines work nicely too. The acidity cuts through the cream and the sweetness tones down the heat. If you don't like sweeter wines, don't worry. The creaminess of the coconut will tone the sugar.
IMPORTANT YO! - There is no right or wrong pairing! Everyone is different. If you like to make your food spicier or richer or brighter with certain wines, do it! BUT it's very helpful to know how the food and wine are bouncing off one another. It's all about balance, the way that balance shifts is up to yo.
Well matched wines and food are like well matched couples. The two parties amplify the good and tone down the bad in one another. I'm not going to go through every possible match but here are our tips for pairing.
PAIRING ADVICE
1. Think about what the drink and food are doing to your tongue. Is there too much cream in the food? Too little acidity in the wine? What flavours are heaviest in both the food and wine?
2. Match the weight of the drink with the weight of the dish
3. It is helpful to think of the country the dish is from. Drinks from the same country typically tend to match perfectly because the two developed through the years together. Eg. Italian wine with Pasta
4. Think about seasons. A winter stew is going to go well with a winter wine. Whites in summer - Reds in Winter
5. Start with the biggest most predominant flavour in the dish and pair that.
6. There are tried and tested or classic combos but they are not the be all and end all.
8. Ordering wine when everyone is eating something different? Bright whites and Pinot Noir are your go-to wines because they play well with all kinds of flavour.
9. Generally: Old world for food - New world for drinking
10. Have fun with it, try new combos all the time! Don't buy the same old Pinot every single time because it's safe.
