1. White wines- lighter and
fruiter, contains few tannins
• Chadornnay
• Sauvignon blanc
• Pinot grigio
• Riesling
• moscato
2. red wines- more complex,
heavier with spicy and herby
characteristic, tannic
• Malbec
• Cabernet sauvignon
• Pinot noir
• Merlot
• Maria clara
• Novelino
• zinfndel
3. Sparkling - carbonated wine
that can be made from any
white or red grape/ have
bubbles
• Rose’
• champagne
• Franciacorta
• Prosecco
4. Chracteristic of wines
• Acidity- sauvignon blanc,reisling ( white
wine)
• Alcohol- all types of wines
• Tannic-cabernet, Nebbiolo, syrah, merlot,
sangiovesse
• Sweetness- Moscato, sauternes,
zinfandel,riesling
5. Food and Wine Pairing
COMPARE
• Find a balance; use the dominant flavors of a dish to match the
wine
• Weight of a wine should match the weight of a dish
• If a dish uses a specific wine in the sauce use the same wine
in the pairing
• Foods with sweetness or acidity is paired w/ a wine of equal or
higher sweetness or acidity
– E.G. spaghetti & Barbera; Chicken in cream sauce &
Chardonnay; Dulce de Leche & Sauternes
• Focus on bridging ingredients of a dish such as berries,
mushrooms, citrus etc… and use a wine that pairs with those
same ingredients
CONTRAST
• Salmon with butter sauce with higher acidic Pinot Noir
• Sour or acidic dishes are paired with a sweeter wine
• Foods with richness are paired w/ acidic wines to cut through.
• Intensity in flavors can provide a good contrast. E.g. An intense Alsace Riesling
contrasted with a rich fatty roasted goose work very well
COMPLETE
•Food and wine enhance each other.
Such as salty prosciutto with melon
•Use wine as a condiment for the dish
being eaten.
•Fish or seafood with acidic wine if you
like lemon and butter sauce
•Lobster with a buttery chardonnay if you
like your lobster with butter
•Salty food with sweet wine
•Salty food with Acidic wine
•Spicy food with sweet wine
6. Important Wine Components
Acidity
• Where does it come from?
– Grapes = Tartaric, Malic and Citric Acids
– Fermentation = Succinic, Lactic and Acetic Acids
– Acidity comes from under ripeness; as sugars increase acidity decreases. The key is to get to a point
where acidity and sugars are in balance
• Acidity gives wine it’s shine or brilliance
• Influences aromas
• Good acidity makes a wine food friendly
• Affects of Acidity
– Has the opposite affect of sweetness (milk is a warm sweet feel; tea w/ lemon is fresh clean feel)
– Penetrates richness of ingredients & sauce (butter/Cream) to refresh palate
– Mirrors tart items (Vinegar, lemon, tomato & chutney)
– Mitigates oiliness, pizza, sautéed, deep fried
– Brings out flavor in food
• Changes in Acidity Levels raises concerns
– Modern winemaking and commercialism of wine has started to produce wines of lower acidity & big
fruit. Wines are not food friendly & are more suitable to being drunk on their own.
– The healthy culture of wine being a normal mealtime component is more & more eroded
– Leading to more consumption of wine on own. Can be said that it is more suitable to a culture
concerned with alcohol consumption than with the dining experience.
– Critics and Press are big culprits. Robert Parker is partial to fruit bombs and non-acidity
– The DANGER: soon we won’t be able to tell the difference between a wine from Spain, Italy, France
or California.
– Modern winemaking is based on trends…unfortunately the trends don’t last forever, and not always
the best in quality.
7. Important Wine Components
Sweetness
• Wines are classified into different categories of sweetness:
– DRY: no detectable sweetness
– OFF DRY: White Zinfandel
– MEDIUM DRY: German Kabinett
– MEDIUM SWEET: Vouvray
– SWEET: Trockenbeerenauslese & Sauternes
• Sweetness comes from residual sugar, left after fermentation has been stopped and from
acidity levels
– Low acid wines can seem sweeter than they really are
– High acid wines mask the sugar levels
• Fruity Character gives impression of sweetness, but it is fruit sweetness not sugar
sweetness; as a result of ripe grapes giving illusion of sweetness
• Affects of Sweetness
– Takes the edge off hot foods
– Matches well with slightly sweet condiments such as chutneys
– Good contrast to salty flavors such as Asian foods
– Very sweet wines work well with salty cheeses, Roquefort
8. Important Wine Components
Bitterness
• Bitterness adds balance, character and appealing flavors to wine
• Not Present in White Wines
• Is a result of high tannin levels especially green tannins associated with under-ripe
grapes
– Can come from aggressive pressing of grapes, fermentation choices, types of oak
& aging
• Affects of Bitterness
– Bitterness can make sweet foods bitter
– Pair with like flavored foods: grilled, charred, blackened
– Pair with bitter foods: broccoli, arugula, eggplant & bell peppers
Saltiness
• Saltiness cuts and accentuates sweetness
• Wine doesn’t have salt but has affects on Salty foods
• Affect of Salty Foods
– Acidity in wine cuts saltiness in food. Champagne & whites work with salty dishes,
seafood: better than less tart reds
– Salt will accentuate the tannins in a wine
– Salt accentuates the alcohol in wine
– Moderately sweet wines pair well with salty foods
9. Tips In Pairing
WHAT IF THE FOOD IS:
• Acidic: A dish with citrus or vinegar should be
paired with a acidic wine.
– Duck with oranges needs a more acidic red
wine than Duck with olives
• Salty: dishes with saltiness, such as soy sauce
or seaweed will make wines with tannins more
tannic and bitter.
• Sweet: If the food is sweeter than wine then the
wine will taste thin and tart.
– Ice cream is almost impossible to pair.
• Highly Seasoned or Spicy: These foods can
fatigue and numb the palate and the wine can
get lost.
– Wines with low tannins and low alcohol
levels are best
– Sweet wines contrast well
• Rich and Fatty Foods: Foods with cream
sauces, fatty steaks or rich fowl
– full bodied wines such as Chardonnay,
Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot or Syrah are
recommended
SYNERGY: neither a wine nor food should
overpower the other
• Base Ingredients are the main portion of the dish (the Protein)
• Bridge Ingredients are those extras on a dish that add to the flavor
such as mushrooms, berries, beans and herbs such as ginger,
tarragon, cinnamon, cloves
• Cooking Method
– Grilling, Roasting, Sautéing and braising are preferred
methods to pair with wine
– poaching, Steaming or smoking limit the wine choices
• Easy Matches: Risotto and Chicken
• Difficult Matches: Asparagus, Artichokes, Strong Cheeses
– Chiles numb palate
– Eggs Mask wine flavors too much Unami
– Vinegar and Pickled foods can rob tastes and make wines
more astringent
• However balsamic and pickled ginger work well
MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN
“the marriages between two exceptional beings are as
rare in gastronomy as they are in life.” Marc Meneau
‘Larousse des Vins et Vignobles de France’
Oysters and Chablis Roast Lamb and Bordeaux
Roquefort and Sauternes Stilton and Vintage Port
Sole and Burgundy Goat Cheese and Sancerre
Caviar and Champagne BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel
Stewed or Game Casseroles and Barolo
10. Cooking Methods Wine Choices Notes
Poaching or Steaming Light white wine: Chenin Blanc or
Pinot Grigio. Light fruity red:
Beaujolaise or Grenache rose
Use lighter weight wine, with non
tannin, non acidic and less intense
flavors
Frying Chardonnay, Riesling or Pinot Noir Best is a wine with some acidity to
contrast with the oils
Grilling Whites Chardonnay, Full bodied
White Rhone. Reds Pinot, Zin, Merlot,
Cab. W/ Beef Barolo or Syrah from
Rhone
Adds flavor; works well with fruity
oaky reds; Grilled beef needs tannic
wines
BBQ Roses; Zinfandel, Merlots or New
world Tempranillos
BBQ Sauce adds sweetness; less
tannic reds
Marinades New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,
Chablis or Fruity Grenaches or
Tempranillos
Marinades usually have strong flavors
and require wines with bold flavors
Roasting Oaky Chardonnays, Rhone blends or
Gerwurtztraminers. Mourvedre,
Syrah, Grenache, Nebbiolos
Roasting can be complex. Herbs and
spices will determine white or red.
Rosemary and Thyme = reds
Reduction Sauces Chardonnays and Rieslings
Cabernets and Syrahs
If has powerful flavor need intense
wine; Drink w/ wine sauce is made
with
Braising and Stews Pinot Noir, Cabernets, Merlots Use the wine used in the stock
Red Wine Sauce Sangiovese, Cabernets, Pinot Noir Use the wine sauce is made of
Stews w/ beer or stout Merlot, Beaujolaise, Red Burgundies Use low tannin reds so not to
overpower the beer flavor
11. FOOD TYPES Sparkling
Wine
Sweet Wine Dry White Light Fruity
Red
Full Bodied
Tannic Wine
Sweet Food
(Desserts,
Chocolate
Sweet Sauces)
No Effect, with
chocolate can
make wine
taste bitter
The wine will
taste dry if
food is
sweeter than
wine
Makes wine
drier and more
acetic
Increases
Acidity
Wine becomes
more bitter
and tannic
Sour Foods
(Citrus, Vinegar,
Pickles &
Worchester)
Increases
Sweetness
Makes wine
bitter
If has more
acid than wine
then wine will
taste sweeter
No effect Reduces
tannins
Salty Foods
(Feta, Soy
Sauce &
Seaweed)
Wine becomes
sweeter
Wine will taste
sour
Makes wine
sweeter
No effect Reduces
Tannins
Umami Foods
(Beef, MSG &
Shitake
Mushrooms)
Can become
metallic
Wine gets lost Can make
wine taste
metallic
Can make
wines more
tannic and
bitter
A wine with
equal to more
unami is good;
if it has less
could taste
tannic