HOW TO PAIR FOOD AND WINE: RULES FOR RULE-BREAKERS
I love when people have a very specific menu planned and they want to know what the “correct” wine is to pair with their braised lamb shoulder or chimichurri steak or curried dall or asparagus risotto or brick oven pizza. I love that there exists the idea that algorithmically, there is a “perfect” almost soul-mate like pairing for every particular food, and if only that code could be understood and utilized, the secrets of the universe would unveil themselves and both food and wine would join in a cosmic bond of unimaginable gustatory pleasure. I also love that this notion, the belief in the orthodoxy of wine pairing, and the cobbling together of bits of information passed down from eldritch old masters has seen people, frenzied, run into my store and beg for guidance. Because I can then calmly assure them that, despite their beliefs in universal truths regarding fish and white wine...there are no rules.
Which is to say, there is no “perfect” wine pairing. And yes, there are certain basic guidelines which either chemically or organically make sense when selecting the correct wine for a meal. A lot of these “rules” are flexible and meant to be adapted to particular palates, budgets, seasons, settings, and particularities of each bottle and winemaker. So while you don’t have to “know the rules” in order to achieve a pleasing pairing, some basic assistance will help you avoid pitfalls, and make more informed decisions that free you to play around with unexpected but delightful varietals, regions, and couplings. Knowledge is power, and truth is freedom, and most wine is mostly good with most food.
Let’s start with some basics. When thinking about food and wine, consider a few tenets:
WHAT GROWS TOGETHER, GOES TOGETHER
Focusing on regionality can be a helpful foundation for building a successful pairing menu. Places which produce ripe, hot foods also tend to produce big, full-bodied, supple wines with tremendous bouquets of fruit and sultry, smooth tannins. Think about bright red tomato sauces of Italy, and how they pair with volcanic-soil tinged red wines of the region, bright with acidity that happens to work well with tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, garlic, and alliums. Meanwhile, in places like Bordeaux, where the wines are more structured and laced with notes of violet and forest floor, the food of the region similarly trades bright and high-toned flavors for more earthy, savory richness. Think of saucy roast duck, crispy golden potatoes and seasonally foraged morels. Coastal wines, like whites from Muscadet in the Atlantic-adjacent region of the Loire in France, or Albarinos from Rias Biaxas in Spain, tend to pair excellently with local seafood and dishes. When in doubt, look toward what the locals do- they’ve been living with the wines of their region and have generational wisdom on what-goes-with-what.
BEAT THE HEAT WITH SWEET
If you love food with a lot of big, bold flavors that tend toward the chili-heat, spiced, aromatic and exotic side, consider wines with a similar intensity of concentrated fragrance and fruit-forward flavor. Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Gamays all pair wonderfully with Thai food, and I love Vietnamese cuisine with a snappy Verdelho. Never pair a bright, citrusy, super-dry white ( i.e. sauvignon blanc) or tannic reds (nebbiolo) with fiery foods, because the wines will exacerbate the burn. Moreover, the flavors and sensations of spicy and hugely-flavorful foods (thai basil, hoisin sauce, etc) will sap the fruit and flavor from delicate, dry, wines. Your otherwise pleasant Chablis will perhaps just taste like lemon water if paired with Pad Kee Mao.. Consider it an opportunity to try wines you may have found “too sweet” or fruity before. Southeast Asian, Carribean, South American… if the food bursts with spice, the wine you pair it with will seem less sweet. And you’ll appreciate every extra bit of aromatics and softness as it blends seamlessly with your takeout.
LESS SALT, MORE FAT WITH TANNINS
“Tannins” or compounds found in the skin and stems and pips of grapes, give wine its “structure” Tannins create that subtle, mouth-drying, fuzzy-gum, grippy sensation that we associate mostly with red wines, which see the most skin contact. Makes sense, right? Now certain wines exhibit tannins in a way that can feel a little, out of balance. Many reds are just a LIIIITTTLLEE bit too tannic despite all the right pieces being in place. Often, this is the result of a wine being opened a little before its time, or just the nature of the grape itself. Nebbiolo (the grape used to make Barolo and Barbaresco) is often a little “closed off” due to a “tight” tannin profile. SO, to counteract this and get at the heart of a wine and how it tastes, or to just enjoy any wine with a good amount of tannin, pair with a nice, fatty, rich food. This “coats” the palate and brings balance to the bones of the wine, so that both are more enjoyable. AVOID highly salted foods- tannins tend to make salty foods seem saltier, and salt brings out the “heat” (alcohol) in reds, while making them also more astringent. A bit of salt is always welcome however. So, there’s a reason your cheese and charcuterie board is so good with sangiovese. It’s science.
MEET YOUR MATCH WITH ACID
A moment of brevity. High acid foods (bright salads, mustards, sharp sauces and soups) need wines with AT LEAST as high-acid a wine to pair with them. A fruity, dry white may seem bright enough until paired with oysters swimming in mignonette, and suddenly you realize you’re drinking a flabby, insipid bottle. So bring out the sauv blanc or muscadet with your lemony poached salmon, and notice how each complements each other much better.
STAY HYDRATED
Wine tastes… bad when you haven’t had enough water or food that day. Don’t pair on an empty stomach or when you’re dehydrated. Remember if you’re creating salty or mouth-drying dishes, keep plenty of refreshments of the non-wine type around. A fresh and revived mouth makes everything taste the way it SHOULD.
DRINK WHAT YOU LIKE
This, is maybe the cardinal rule. If you’ve heard that northern rhone syrah is perfect with steak au poivre but you really DETEST syrah and peppery reds, don’t do it. Sometimes a new wine is best introduced with the right food, and will change your perspective and palate, but if you know you don’t like it, then don’t drink it. And if you LOVE a wine, then not a ton is going to take away from that. Learn what you enjoy, and drink what works for you.
And again, though there’s no perfect cosmic soul mate match for each food item, there are ways to think about what you’re cooking and what wines will shine when paired with them. Food and wine are MEANT to go together, the mixing of salts, acids, fats, and heat (Thanks Samin Nosrat) play perfectly with the compounds found in wines, and ideally, enhance both. Be adventurous, be playful, bend the rules, and ask your local somm for their tips. Chances are they’ve tried more weird pairings than you’d ever imagine.
Post- Script: Emily’s Strongly-Held Opinion Corner
Mushrooms and asparagus are notoriously difficult to pair with wine. When in doubt, RIESLING is always right. RIESLING GOES WITH EVERYTHING AND IS DELICIOUS.
Champagne also goes with everything. Especially potato chips and cold pizza. Seriously.
Chill MOST of your reds. Let it temper on the counter when you’re having your first glass. It’ll pair better with more foods when the alcohol doesn’t overwhelm because you’re trying to serve it at room (70 degree) temp.
Red wine and chocolate don’t go together. Shocker, I know. Well...unless it’s like that 90% dark, super serious, almost-no-sugar, stuff. In fact, DESSERT is something that’s really tricky to pair with wine. Sugary foods make even a “sweet” wine seem bone-dry. You gotta break out the big guns to make candy and sweet foods work with most wine. So, have moscato with dessert. Or a fruit-dense lambrusco. Or-screw it- amaro!