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FOOD & WINE PAIRING Continue on to PAIRING WINE VARIETALS
Intimidating, isn't it? All those wine books and magazines and wine experts out there telling you exactly which particular wine goes with which particular dish, as if one false move could completely destroy an entire meal.
Don't believe it. In reality, there is only one rule about matching food and wine that deserves to be carved in stone: THERE ARE NO RULES. So relax. Experiment. Enjoy yourself. After all, isn't that what sitting down to a good meal with wine is all about?
Of course, a little knowledge can be a fascinating thing. The first time you try a spicy, fruity Gewurztraminer with smoked salmon, for example, or a rich, berry-like Merlot with rack of lamb and rosemary - all it takes is one terrific match, and you're hooked. You begin to understand how different foods and flavours can bring out the best in a wine and vice versa.
Flavour. Intensity. Texture.
These are the three key elements which combine to create the character of every wine you buy; consider them equally when creating your own inspired food and wine pairings.
Flavour
The taste of the wine. Successful food and wine pairings rely on either a similarity or, less commonly, a contrast of flavours.
Examples: Similarity of flavours: a Pinot Noir bursting with cherry and toasty oak flavours paired with breast of duck in a sun-dried cherry and toasted pinenut reduction.
Contrast of flavours: that same Pinot Noir and breast of duck with a star anise, honey, soy and garlic rub.
Intensity
How concentrated in flavour the wine is. The stronger the flavour of the wine, the stronger the flavour of the food. In this case, the ideal match is always one of similarity, never contrast, so that neither food, nor wine, is overwhelmed.
Examples: A low-intensity match: a mild, delicately flavoured Pinot Blanc paired with simple pan-fried trout.
A high-intensity match: a boldly fruity Pinot Blanc paired with alder-grilled salmon and a mango, bell pepper and purple onion salsa.
Texture
The feel of the wine in your mouth, resulting from the influence of all the components in wine - fruit, alcohol, acid and tannin. For example, a barrel-fermented, oak-aged Chardonnay may be full-bodied and velvety: a stainless steel fermented, no-oak Chardonnay firm and crisp. As with flavour, the match for texture may be one of either similarity or contrast.
Examples: Similarity of textures: a rich, creamy Chardonnay paired with scallops in a tarragon bure blanc.
Contrast of textures: a young, firm, high acid Chardonnay paired with Camembert.
In addition, there are three areas that tend to prove especially tricky when it comes to bringing food and wine together in harmony. If you can commit these to memory, you'll be well on your way to becoming your own hot-shot wine expert.
Red Wine & Fish
Yes, it can work, and beautifully. To make your dish wine-friendly, start with the richest, 'meatiest' most un-fishy fish or shellfish you can find: shark, tuna, salmon, swordfish, scallops. Next, select a sauce, marinade or flavoring that is classically paired with red meat; a red wine and shallot reduction; caramelized onions and perennial herbs such as rosemary and thyme; or a hint of plums or raspberries in a concentrated jus. Finally, choose the right red wine --- light, soft, and extravagantly fruity. (Tannin is the enemy, reacting with natural fish oils to create a strange metallic taste.)
White Wine & Salad
It's a tough one, all right, but with all the current emphasis on salads as a meal in themselves, it pays to know how to pull it off. In this case, the acid in the salad dressing is the culprit, causing many wines to taste fat, flabby and just plain dull. The secret? Choose a wine that is already crisply acidic (a young, bone-dry Riesling, for example) and cut down on the vinegar or lemon juice in the dressing. If you incorporate ingredients into the salad that pair easily with wine --- a mellow cheese, grilled mushrooms, nuts or croutons, grilled meats, seafood and poultry --- even a big, oaky Chardonnay can find true happiness.
Any Wine with Anything
If you want to memorize one single wine rule, let it be this: NEVER ALLOW FOOD TO OVERWHELM A WINE. Without exception, your wine should always be as rich and intense as the food it accompanies.
Canadian wines are excellent accompaniments to foods. Much more like classic European wines in this regard than our "new world" cousins, Canadian wines tend to be elegant matches on the dinner table. Rather than being overpowering or dull, the natural balance and crisp acidities of Ontario and British Columbia vintages have earned these wines international recognition for complementing fine cuisine.
Continue on to PAIRING WINE VARIETALS
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