The Anatomy Of A Successful Wine Pairing
You might not think about it when you’re enjoying a fantastic food and wine pairing, but finding those “matches made in heaven” are equal parts art and science.
Today, we’re gonna break down exactly what makes for great food and wine pairing, along with some things you can expect should you wish to experience one for yourself (if you haven’t already, of course!)
The Seven Flavor Profiles
To first understand what makes great food and wine pairing, we need to take a look at the different flavors that we can taste. While there are many subtle blends and variations, there are 7 commonly discernible “tastes” our palettes can distinguish:
Sweet: A pleasant, sugary taste such as most candy
Sour: An acidic taste such as lemon or vinegar
Bitter: A sharp, pungent taste such as coffee
Salty: A sharp, piquant taste such as salted potato chips or pretzels
Umami: A meaty, earthy flavor taste such as mushrooms
Cool: A refreshing taste such as spearmint
Spicy: A hot, fragrant taste such as chili peppers or salsa
These flavors, in varying balances, form the basis of all foods that we consume and mean a great deal in determining whether or not the food pairs well with the wine.
What Influences The Taste Of Wine?
Mmm…tasty tannins!
Looking on the other side of the coin, while the same taste sensations are still present in wine (just as they are in any food or drink), there are three primary things that determine the taste of wine:
Tannin content: A byproduct of the skin of the grapes during the production of the wine, tannins taste bitter on the front/inside of your mouth and along the side of your tongue. They can make your tongue dry out and leave a lingering bitter/dry feeling in your mouth after you swallow the wine.
Amount of sugar: The amount of sugar in a wine is, naturally, a factor in how sweet the wine tastes to the drinker. Many things factor into the sweetness of wine including the amount of sugar in the wine along with the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins the wine contains.
The wine’s acidity: Acidity refers to how tart wine tastes. Acidity is controlled by many factors, including the ripeness of the grapes, the climate they’re grown in (cooler climates equal higher acidity), and the presence (or lack of) tartaric acid, which winemakers can add to the grape juice before fermentation to increase a wine’s natural acidity.
How To Blend Food & Wine:
Any pairing is good match if you like it!
When it comes to finding the food/wine nirvana of pairing paradise, there are three things we generally look for:
1. Do they match in “weight”?
One of the most important things that determine whether or not wine and a type of food will mesh together well is the “weight” of each. Weight, in this case, refers to the strength of the flavor and the depth of the food (how dense it is in starches or carbohydrates).
A rich roast beef, for example, will not work well with a lighter wine such as a Pinot Grigio and will be better suited for a dense wine such as a full-bodied Bordeaux. In general, you want to look for wines and foods that match each other in intensity.
Such a sweet pairing!
2. Do they share complementary flavor profiles?
Another great tip for pairing wines is to look for complementary flavors, such as pairing a sweet dessert wine like a Reisling with sweet foods such as vanilla-raspberry ice cream. These non-competing flavors work because they elevate each other. The Reisling brings out the fruitiness of the raspberry and complements the soft, slow-churned vanilla ice cream. Talk about a treat!
3. Do they have contrasting flavor profiles?
You know the saying that “opposites attract”? The right blends of savory and sweet can knock it out of the park when it comes to wine pairings too. The contrasting flavors are designed to give your tastebuds an intense sensory experience and can be great to mix up an otherwise “complimentary” meal. A great example of this is pairing a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a light food dish such as caviar. When done right, the flavors’ differences “offset” each other and create a sensational experience you won’t soon forget!
How To Find Your “Perfect Pair”:
When it comes to pairing wines, there is no magical pairing or perfect list. While there are commonly accepted pairings, the beautiful fact is that we all experience flavors a little differently, which speaks to the “art” of pairing.
We encourage you to experiment with different flavors and don’t be afraid to discover new combinations using the “science” of pairing as a starting point.
You never know what fantastic flavors you may find!
