Chapter 2 - Pairing wine and food

Question 1

Basics of food and wine pairing

Answer 1

• Take advantage of interchangeable effects between food and wine. Food/wine may seem more pleasant in combination than alone
• Taste combinations may affect different people differently, hence take individual preferences into account

Question 2

What are basic food and wine interactions?

Answer 2

• Food has a stronger impact than wine on perception of wine than the other way round
• Some foods such as chocolate have mouth-coating effect and alter taste
• Sweetness: dry wine seems less fruity and unpleasantly acidic. Select wine with a higher level of sweetness than the dish
• Umami: difficult to isolate flavour. E.g. in mushrooms, air-dried meats, aged cheese
• Acidity: Can balance acidity in wines and make them taste more fruity
• Salt: adds taste to food, can soften tannins and make wines seem fruitier
• Chilli: alcohol increases burning sensation of chilli, depends on whether people enjoy it
• Flavour intensity of wines and foods should match
• Acid and fat: many people enjoy acidic wines that cut through the fat, but it is very subjective

Question 3

Recommended food and wine pairings:

Answer 3

• Sweet food/umami food: wine seems more drying and bitter and acidic wine, less sweet and fruity
• Salty: less drying and bitter, less acidic, more fruity, more body
• Acidic: less drying and bitter, less acidic, more sweet and fruity
• Highly flavoured: overwhelmed by the food flavours
• Fatty/oily: less acidic
  Hot (chilli heat): alcohol seems more noticeable