Wine pairing is the art of matching wine with foods or choosing a meal for the wine. It aims to mix tastes that complete each other to grow the enjoyment of both. The intensity of the wine should match that of the food.
A common rule says: match the weight of the wine with the strength of the meal.
How to Match Wine with Food
A classic idea about wine pairing is to match white wines with white meats and red wines with red meats. That works well thanks to the acidity of dry whites. Bold red wines answer to meats with strong tastes, like red meat.
Lighter wines, for instance fresh whites or tender rosés well go with appetizers, salads and seafood meals. Chicken and fish both are very lean, so they pair well with whites.
The best pairings mind acidity, sweetness, tannins and body. Chardonnay goes well with roasted chicken, while Pinot Noir goes with salmon. Match the richness of the food with the body of the wine, for instance steak with Cabernet Sauvignon.
High acid foods want high acid wines, like tomatoes or lemon with Sauvignon Blanc. Sweet foods require sweet wines, where the levels of sweetness balance each other.
Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with a juicy steak. The tannnis in the wine soften the meat and improve its texture. Sear the steak in butter with a bit of rosemary to help this pairing.
A semi-sweet Riesling balances spicy Indian curry by means of opposite qualities. Grüner Veltliner perfectly answers to difficult vegetables like asparagus and artichoke. Silvaner also pairs well with asparagus.
Pinot has enough acidity for fish and chicken, but many also have tannins and body for steak. Sangiovese and Nebbiolo commonly pair with pasta and thick sauces because of their acidity and dryness. Sauvignon Blanc wines have a fresh, vegetal taste, that perfectly answers to salads, light pasta dishes and veggie pies.
Sparkling wines like Champagne, cava or prosecco work well because of high acidity and bubbles, that cut threw the richness of eggs and refresh the palate. Too heavily oaked white wine can overpower raw fish, and many reds, especially tannic ones, give a metallic taste with seafood.
Meatloaf is almost a perfect blank canvas. Almost any wine finds a pair in carefully prepared loaf of meat, spices and fillers. A Rioja Crianza red fits well with its medium body and high acidity, that matches sweet and spicy notes.
Serve around two to three ounces for delicate or light-flavored dishes. Sweet wines and dessert wines commonly come insmaller portions.