2. Wine with Food

Question 1

What are two things to take notes of before pairing wine and food?

Answer 1

The individual’s preferences and sensitivities.

Question 2

What two components in food make a wine taste ‘harder’ (more astringent, bitter, acidic; less sweet, fruity)?

Answer 2

1. Sweetness

2. Umami

Question 3

What two components in food make a wine taste ‘softer’ (less astringent , bitter, acidic; sweeter and fruitier)?

Answer 3

1. Salt

2. Acid

Question 4

Which generally has more of an impact on the other? Wine on food? or Food on wine? Is it more likely to be a positive or negative impact?

Answer 4

Food has more of an impact on wine. It’s more likely to have a negative impact.

Question 5

Sweetness in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Sweetness in food decreases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 5

Increases the perception of

• bitterness
• astringency
• acidity
• the warming effect of the alcohol

Decreases the perception of

• body
• sweetness
• fruitiness

Question 6

What type of wine should you pair with food that contains sugar?

Answer 6

A wine that gas a higher level of sweetness than the food

Question 7

Umami in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Umami in food decreases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 7

Increases the perception of

• bitterness
• astringency
• acidity
• the warming effect of the alcohol

Decreases the perception of

• body
• sweetness
• fruitiness

Question 8

What can counteract the negative effects of umami with wine pairing?

Answer 8

Salt

Question 9

Which types of wines should you pair with umami-rich foods? Which types of wines should you avoid?

Answer 9

Pair: balanced high-tannin wine
Avoid: low tannin reds, skin-contact or oaky whites

Question 10

Acidity in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Acidity in food decreases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 10

Increases the perception of

• body
• sweetness
• fruitiness

Decreases the perception of
-acidity

Question 11

When pairing wine with an acidic dish, what type of wine should you pair? Why?

Answer 11

A wine with good acidity (same or more than food). Otherwise, the wine might seem flat and flabby.

Question 12

Acidity in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Acidity in food decreases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 12

Increases the perception of
-body

Decreases the perception of

• bitterness
• astringency
• acidity

Question 13

Acidity in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 13

Increases the perception of

-bitterness

Question 14

Chilli Heat in food increases the perception of ___ in wine.

Chilli Heat in food decreases the perception of ___ in wine.

Answer 14

Increases the perception of
-the warming effect of the alcohol

Decreases the perception of

• body
• richness
• sweetness
• fruitiness

Question 15

Name three common considerations/strategies when pairing food and wine.

Answer 15

1. Flavor Intensity: try to match the intensities of the dish and the wine to not overpower each other
   (This can also be reversed. Big dish with a lighter wine.)
2. Acid and Fat: acidic wines with fatty/oily foods to cut the fat
3. Sweet and Salty: sweet wine with salty cheese is dope.

Question 16

What’s the safest assumption to make about personal preferences with food and wine pairing?

Answer 16

Most people prefer their wines to taste more fruity, less acidic, bitter, and astringent.

Question 17

What are “high-risk” foods and why?

Answer 17

1. Sugar - wine must be at least as sweet as food.
2. Umami - emphasizes bitterness of tannins, requires additional fruity character in wine to balance astringency or more salt to the dish.
3. Bitterness - makes wine more bitter, look for whites or low-tannin reds
4. Chilli Heat - increases all burning sensation, consider whites or low-tannin reds, low in alcohol

Question 18

What are “low-risk” foods?

Answer 18

1. Salty foods

2. Acidic foods

Question 19

What are “high-risk” wines?

Answer 19

Complex wines with high levels of bitterness and astringency, coupled with high levels of acidity and alcohol and complex flavors

Question 20

What are “low-risk” wines?

Answer 20

Simple, unbaked wines with little residual sugar (but less exciting)

Question 21

Name three alternative approaches to food and wine pairing.

Answer 21

1. Matching or Contrasting Flavors
2. Local Wine with Local Food
3. Red wine with red meat; white wine with fish

Question 22

Why does red wine pair with red meat?

Answer 22

The salt content of meat dishes softens the wine tannins.

Also, the tannins in red wine bind to meat proteins, softening the impact of the wine.

Question 23

Why does white wine pair well with fish?

Answer 23

• Fish high in umami, makes red wine bitter and astringent.

- Reaction of red wine compounds and oily fish results in metallic taste

Question 24

Name 4 classic wine and food pairings.

Answer 24

1. Goat cheese with Sancerre
2. Oysters with Muscadet or Champagne
3. Stilton with Port
4. Olives with Manzanilla

Question 25

What is the most important thing to take into consideration when pairing food and wine?

Answer 25

The structural components of both the wine and the food (e.g. acid, salt, sweetness, etc.).