Wine and Food Matching
There are no hard and fast rules for wine and food pairing. However, there are some basic guidelines you may follow to enhance your dining experience.
Wine and Food Matching Principles:
- Match your wine to the strongest flavour on the plate.
- Balance the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. A full flavoured meal needs a full-bodied wine; a lighter dish requires a lighter wine.
- Fatty, greasy or rich dishes need a dry wine with good acidity to clean the palate.
- Salty dishes need a slightly sweet wine with full fruit flavours, moderate acidity, lower alcohol and no tannins.
- Hot, spicy dishes require refreshing acidity, lower alcohol and fruity wines with a touch of sweetness.
- Cream sauces and butter require wines of good fruit and matching creamy style or contrasting acidity to cleanse the palate.
- Rare meats need young tannic reds and well-done meats need older or fruity reds with little to no tannins.
- Foods high in acidity are complemented by wines high in acidity.
- The dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert.