Pairing Food and Wine

A great deal of bunkum has been bandied around about pairing food and wine, to the extent that the simple guidelines, i.e. red wine/red meat, white wine/white meat and fish, have been completely overturned

Now, the replacement mantra "Drink what you want, with what you want" is certainly an improvement. Of course, it makes sense to pair your favorite wine, be it red or white, with your favorite dish. The modern palate knows what it wants and knows what it likes; nothing at all wrong with that.

But, when all is said and done, there remains a lingering doubt that, on this occasion, "Joe Public" may have taken it too far. Where, pray, do we go from here, with not even a hint of expert direction?

After all, a number of eminent food and wine experts have gone to the trouble of identifying various foods that simply don't match with certain wines. They have done the initial sift for us and probably saved unwitting diners a few costly mistakes.

A new approach is called for, with broader, more flexible guidelines that can be overruled if diners have their own, superior view on the matter.

So, how about a fresh approach - how about pairing grape varieties with different cuisines? Here are just a few (tentative!) suggestions:

Chinese: wine for a banquet or a take out

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon

French

French: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc

Indian

Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Japanese

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling

Mediterranean

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Mexican

Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot

North African

Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling

Spanish Tapas

Rioja, Sherry and fortified wines

Thai

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Semillon/Chardonnay


Finally, don't say I didn't warn you that:-

  • Dry red wines don't pair particularly well with sweet foods

  • Some foods are almost impossible to match with anything - period. Difficult food items include asparagus, spinach, artichokes and mackerel.