Food + Wine Pairing

Question 1

What elements in wine need to be considered when pairing it with food?

Answer 1

• Sweetness
• Tannins
• Acidity
• Alcohol
• Weight + texture

Question 2

What elements in food need to be considered when pairing it with wine?

Answer 2

• What’s the protein?
• Cooking method
• Sauces + Condiments, if any
• Sides
• Fat, if any

Question 3

If there is one thing to remember or fall back on when food + wine pairing, it’s that you should match the _____ of the food with the _____ of the wine (or vice versa).

Answer 3

Intensity

Meaning, pair up things that match in intensity such as Muscadet and Oysters, or seared steak and cabernet sauvignon. You don’t want one to overpower the other.

Question 4

Do salty foods increase or decrease the perception of acidity in wine?

Answer 4

Salt decreases the perception of acidity in wine

Question 5

How do salty foods affect tannins in wine?

Answer 5

Salty foods make wine tannins in wine seem more drying/astringent

Question 6

Do fatty foods reduce or increase perception of tannins in wine?

Answer 6

Fat reduces perception of tannins (and tannins make the fat seem less rich!)

Question 7

How do fatty foods react with acidity in wine?

Answer 7

Fatty foods coat your palate, and acidity helps cleanse your palate

e.g. Champagne + French fries

Question 8

What style of wine should you be prepared to drink or recommend when pairing it with foods that are sweet?

Answer 8

Off-dry, medium, and sweet wines do best with foods that have sugar in them.

Try this at home: eat something sweet – a dessert, cake, sweet pastry, even candy – and taste it with a dry wine. It’ll feel like your palate is turning inside out!

Keep in mind that when determining which wine to pair with food that has sweetness/sugar in it, your wine should be at least as sweet as your food (if not a touch sweeter), otherwise you risk the wine tasting acrid.

Question 9

What do foods with spicy chili heat do to a wine?

Answer 9

Spicy foods make a wine seem more alcoholic.

Question 10

What style of wine should you consider when pairing foods that are spicy with chili heat?

Answer 10

• Off-dry
• Low in alcohol

German Rieslings are a good go-to wine for foods with low to high levels of spicy chili heat.

Question 11

What are 3 pairing theories to remember?

Answer 11

1. What Grows Together Goes Together
   
   • e.g. oysters + Muscadet
2. Complementing, or Like with Like
   
   • e.g. goat cheese (high in acidity) + sparkling wine (high in acidity)
3. Contrasting, or Opposites Attract
   
   • e.g. piquant, salty Roquefort + sweet Port