Together At Last
Finding the perfect food and wine pairings
By Mireille Sauvé for TASTE Magazine – June 2007

Now here’s an interesting tidbit: The average pH level in a glass of wine closely resembles that of the natural acid in the human stomach. What does this mean? It means that scientists agree: Food and wine are best enjoyed together!

This is great news for those of us who have discovered that food and wine actually both taste better when they are enjoyed together, as now we have confirmation that they are actually better for us when consumed together as well. And for those who have not yet discovered the sensual synergy of a great food and wine pairing, stay tuned… your palate is about to be revived.

Top Tips for Food and Wine Pairing:

Match countries of origin
Regional specialties can be the easiest things to match, as they come with the helpful hint of the culture that surrounds them. For instance, Spaghetti Bolognese is a natural pairing with simple Italian reds like Valpolicella or Chianti. .

Use wine flavours to enhance your favourite food flavours
Flavours in a wine will serve to magnify like flavours in a food, so bear this in mind when pairing the two. If you are cooking a dish that uses tropical fruits as a garnish, consider drinking wines with similar characteristics, like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or a South African Chenin Blanc perhaps.

Use contrasting textures to balance a pairing
We’ve been putting oil with vinegar for thousands of years because the two balance each other out, and the same rule holds true with wine and food. When pairing with a dish that is particularly oily, look to a wine with good acidity to counteract the oil on the palate. Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are all examples of white wines that are higher in acidity.

Fruity wines work well to cool off spicy dishes
When enjoying spicy fares typical of many Asian dishes, look to fruity white wines like those of Germany or Alsace as they cool off the palate, extinguishing the heat and preparing you for the next fiery mouthful.

Balance the strength of flavours in the wines and foods
Be sure not to overpower the flavour of the food with your wine, and vise versa. So if you’re cooking a strongly flavoured red meat dish, pair it with an equally potent red wine. Alternatively, if you are drinking a delicately flavoured white wine then you will want to prepare an equally subtle meal to accompany it, ensuring that you will be able to taste both elements of the combination, not just the food or the wine.

Cook with the wine
If you’re going to be drinking a favourite wine, it’s a good idea to try to incorporate it into your cooking as well – there is no better way to ensure that two flavours come together than to pour them out of the very same bottle.

Drink what you like
The most important thing to bear in mind when selecting wine for any occasion is personal preference, so even though a Sauvignon Blanc may be the ‘perfect match’ with your halibut, if you simply can’t stand white wine then opt for red. You can however tailor your food to match the wine that you like, for instance select a lighter-bodied red for this meal and grill the halibut, adding a stronger flavour that will likely stand up to your wine.

It can be a challenge to decide what to drink with your food or what to eat with your wine but few mysteries are as much fun to unravel. So get your wineglass and your skillet out and start experimenting! You may just discover the ultimate gastronomic harmony for every meal.

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