Food and Wine

Question 1

What two components in food make wine taste harder?

Answer 1

Sweetness and umami

Question 2

What two components in food tend to make wine taste softer?

Answer 2

Salt and acid

Question 3

What do we mean by harder and softer?

Answer 3

Levels of astringency, bitterness, acidity, sweetest and fruitiness

Question 4

What does umami in food do to wine?

Answer 4

• Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and alcohol burn in wine
• Decreases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness
• Umami tends to be present w other tastes (saltiness in MSG) or w other flavors (in cooked or dried mushrooms)
• asparagus, eggs, mushrooms and ripe, soft cheeses without salt are hard to pair
• cured or smoked seafood and meats and hard cheeses have salt so easier to pair

Question 5

What does sweetness in food do to wine?

Answer 5

• Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and the burning effect of alcohol
• Decreases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness
• Sweetness can make a dry wine seem to lose its fruit and be unpleasantly acidic
• A good rule is to pair sweet food with a sweeter wine