How To Easily Master Wine and Food Pairings Like a Sommelier
Courtesy of Chelsea Pridham
Food pairings are a sommelier's favorite tool. Giving a customer a recommendation for a wine based on their meal is the most visible way somms make their living to a consumer. However, it can also be a consumer’s nightmare, trying to figure out what goes with what and which wine to buy for their upcoming events.
But, contrary to all of the books, blogs, courses and podcasts out there about food pairings, there are only a few things the average consumer needs to know to make a successful wine pairing. Here are the key ingredients and ways to pair wines, quickly and easily.
Courtesy of Brooke Lark
Those same books, blogs and courses will talk about several flavors in both food and wine that you need to think about. For food it’s usually fat, acid, bitterness, sweetness and umami, or that meaty flavor you get from a hamburger or steak. For wine it’s usually acid, sweetness, bitterness, tannin and body.
To simplify things, let’s just focus on four things for both food and wine: weight, fat, sweetness and acid. These profiles have the greatest impact on a food and wine pairing (at least in my opinion).
Food that is heavy, like steak or pasta, needs a wine that has a medium to full body to match the weight of the food. Similarly, sweeter foods need a wine with enough sweetness to match the sugar in the food. Fat and acid complement to each other; acidic wines cut through the fat, serving as a palate cleanser for a meal.
Courtesy of Storiès
There are two ways to think about food pairings that can make it much easier to do without knowing too much about flavor profiles or wine structure. Complementary pairings, like steak and Cabernet Sauvignon, or pasta and Barolo, work because food and wine share characteristics that make them feel harmonious. In this case, the umami of the steak and the weight of the pasta go great with the astringent tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon the full body of Barolo.
However, contrasting pairings, like salmon and rosé or fried chicken and champagne, work because the food’s flavor (in this case, fat) is offset by the wine, cleansing the palate and giving a refreshing sensation. In these examples, the acid in the rosé and champagne cut through the fat of the salmon, and the fat and salt in the fried chicken, leaving your palate refreshed and ready for the next bite.
Courtesy of Chelsea Pridham
Courtesy of Lefteris Kallergis
The pairings above, fried chickens and champagne, salmon and rosé, steak and Cab, are known as “classic pairings”. These pairings are good tools to use because they show some of the simple ways food can be paired. Yes, sauces, seasonings and side dishes can change a pairing. However, it’s much easier to start with the main ingredient in the dish and find a wine that fits it well.
At the end of the day, don’t forget to enjoy the wine. No matter what a sommelier or wine writer suggests, if the food is delicious and the wine enjoyable, it will be the perfect pairing. Every palate is different.
However, for wine enthusiasts looking to improve their knowledge, these quick considerations can help anyone hosting friends or setting up a tasting. Cheers!
