Fundamentals of food and wine pairing
It can be tricky to figure out what wine goes with what dish - and a wrong match can leave you with an underwhelming jumble of conflicting tastes. Here are a few simple guidelines to help you get your food and wine pairings right every time.
1. Balance is key
Your wine and the dish you serve it with should have a similar level of weight (or body) to avoid them overpowering each other. Lighter foods, such as salads and grilled vegetables, work best with lighter wines. Heavier, richer dishes call for something full-bodied in your glass.
2. Choose the right alcohol level
The amount of alcohol in wine can directly impact taste. For example, pairing spicy food with a high-alcohol wine doesn’t work – trust us, a bold California Zinfandel with a spicy chicken madras will set your mouth on fire! Save higher-alcohol wines for hearty stews, steaks and braised meats.
7. Don't forget the special sauce
Sauces should guide your wine decisions. Opt for a Sauvignon Blanc with delicate citrus sauces or a Chardonnay with a creamy mushroom sauce. A robust red like Shiraz pairs well with warming sauces like peppercorn.
8. Consider your cooking methods
This can affect your choice of wine. Grilling and barbecuing add smokiness to food, so opt for wines with smoky or cured flavours. With poached or steamed dishes, aim for a bright, crisp and not-too-complex wine.
9. "What grows together, goes together”
This is a common saying in the wine world, and it’s a simple, clever rule for food and wine pairing – from Barolo and ossobuco to fresh goat’s cheese and Sauvignon Blanc. So when in doubt, have a look at matching regional food and wines together for an authentic pairing experience.
Champagne and oysters
The crispness of traditional sparkling wines, such as Champagne or Cava, is a match made in heaven with fresh oysters. Fancy a twist? Carefully grill the oysters and pair them with a sparkling rosé.
Wine recommendation: Charles de Cazanove, fine fizz from a 200-year old family Champagne house.
Sparkling wine and fish and chips
Who’d have thought? Sparkling wine and battered fish! While sparkling wine feels like a luxury, there is some science to this unexpected wine and food pairing. The acidity and bubbles in the Champagne cut through the fat in the fish and chips. And if you’ve squeezed lemon juice on your fish or sploshed some vinegar on your chips, then the acidity from those will also complement the fizz perfectly.
Wine recommendation: Harrow & Hope English Sparkling Brut - stunning English fizz from Henry and Kaye Laithwaite’s superb Marlow estate – named UK Winery of the Year in 2019.
