Wine and Food

Greetings All,

At last week's blind tasting here at the store, while between flights someone inquired as to whether the cheeses and crackers we were sampling could be affecting our perceptions of the wines. The answer clearly was "yes". Now considering how most all of the wines we enjoy are intended to be paired with foods, how often have we guessed wrong on our wine pairings for specific dinners? And if we "nail it" with the optimal wine choice, have we necessarily "failed it" with a lesser choice? Sounds like a question for therapy.

On a lighter note, here are some ground rules. White wine goes with fish, lighter chicken fare, picnic fare, shellfish, vegetables and salads, and perhaps mild goat cheese. Try a dry rose or a lighter red like Beaujolais or Pinot Noir for these foods if white is not your thing. Reds are really at their best when paired with red meats, oven roasted poultry, and cheese. If you want a crossover white for these things, try a particularly rich Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, or Viognier.

In general, european wines are more food-friendly than new world wines due to their dryness and higher acidity. However as my friend has pointed out to me, so much of our American cuisine has become lighter and lower in fat making the richness of new world wines often a more attractive choice than old europe.

Here are three personal rules of thumb: Italian wine with pasta; beer (dry rose?) with barbecue; and with chocolate, um, I don't know.

Thanks for reading,

Don