Food and Wine Pairing Made Simple
Deciding what wine to pair with a homecooked meal is an issue of the past. Here are a few shortcuts to follow when it is time to wine and dine at home.
Golden Rule
As the Australian wine connoisseurs from Wine with Meg + Mel said “Pair like with like”, there is no simpler way to put it. Pair lighter foods with lighter, more delicate wines. A great example is fish with a fine white wine. Similarly, pair heavy, hearty meals with full-bodied wines, a classic combination being a juicy barbequed steak with a smokey shiraz.
Goal
Before selecting a wine, ask yourself what is the purpose of the wine? Do you want the wine to complement the dish? This is called complementary pairing. Or do you want the wine to enhance the dish? This is called congruent pairing.
If your goal is for the wine to complement your dish, opt for wines that have opposing flavours to your dish so that they balance each other out.
If your goal is for the wine to enhance the dish, opt for wines that share similar flavours to the dish, a classic combination being a sweet Moscato better known as Muscat Blanc for all the wine connoisseur with a fruit trifle. The subtle sweetness from the fruit will not overpower the sweetness of the wine but match it perfectly.
Food and wine pairing is subjective and depends on personal preference but these simple shortcuts will make finding a wine that suits you and every meal an enjoyable experience and not a distasteful one.
-Brianna Dimitrievski
