Wine and food pairing can be a very personal marriage, but the most important thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy by trying your selections over and over again. When you hit that perfect match your taste buds will know and the experience will be wonderful. It is very interesting how the flavor of a wine can change as the flavors of the food change.

Wine & Food Matching Principles

  1. Match your wine to the strongest flavor on the plate.
  2. Balance the weight of the wine to the weight of the food. A full flavored meal needs a full-bodied wine; a lighter dish requires a lighter wine.
  3. Fatty, greasy or rich dishes need a dry wine with good acidity to clean the palate.
  4. Salty dishes need a slightly sweet wine with full fruit flavors, moderate acidity, lower alcohol and no tannins.
  5. Hot, spicy dishes require refreshing acidity, lower alcohol and fruity wines with a touch of sweetness.
  6. Cream sauces and butter require wines of good fruit and matching creamy style or contrasting acidity to cleanse the palate.
  7. The wine should be sweeter than the food.
  8. Rare meats need young tannic reds and well-done meats need older or fruity reds with little to no tannins.
  9. Foods high in acidity are complemented by wines high in acidity.