Food and Wine Pairings Flashcards
The really important guidelines
Weight with weight. Acidity loves and needs acidity. Fish oil love acidity but hate tannins. Tannins love fat but hate fish oils. Acidity can cut saltiness.
Building Blocks 3
Tannin: is always counterbalanced by protein/ fat. Is variable; not all red wines are created equal. Fades with age.
Building Blocks 2
Alcohol: balances weights/ body. Accentuated easily….so pay attention (salty, heat……)
Oak: is best in small doses
Building blocks of wine
Acidity: is the ultimate contrast balances high acid ingredients. Highlights the integrity of core focal point ingredients.
Sugar: Required for “sweet foods”. Counters aromatic heat (Provençal Italian, Nth African). Can counteract salt.
The key to it all…..
Understand the…..
Flavours: Thousands and thousands
Textures: Increasingly important in the play of modern food/ wine.
Tastes: Critical matching points. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter (and, though nota taste, heat)
Which of the following tastes is not in wine?
Salt
When will acidity most likely be detected?
In the mouth
What cheese is ideal with Recioto Della Valpolicella DOCG?
Blue Cheese
After looking @ the richness what is the most important factor?
Flavour and how intense the flavour is (delicate wines and strong- flavoured foods do not match). Consider method of cooking food.
What types of wines are best with fruity flavours?
Fruity flavours in food can be matched with fruity, floral wines.
What effect do hot spicy foods have on wine?
Hot spicy foods reduce the sweetness in wines and can make dry reds more astringent
What types of wines are good with spicy foods?
Spicy foods are best with wines that are made from really ripe, juicy fruit either unoaked or slightly Oaked. Spicy wines go well with spicy foods.
What types of wines are good with smokey foods?
The stronger the smoke, the greater the oak can be.
What types of wines are best to pair with fatty or oily foods?
High acid wines are best to pair with fatty or oily foods
What types of wines are best to pair with salty foods?
Salty foods are enhanced by sweet or high- acid wines.
What is the relationship between protein content and tannin?
Tannin reacts with protein foods with high protein content soften the effects of tannin pair chewy meat with tannic wines
What is the relationship between tannin and salty foods?
Wines with high tannin can taste bitter with salty foods
What is the relationship between tannin and oily foods?
Tannin with oily foods can give a metallic taste
What effect do sweet foods have on wines?
Dry wines can seem tart and over acidic when consumed with sweet food. So best to match sweet food with sweet wines.
What effect do sour flavours in food have on wines?
Sour flavours make wines taste less acidic (and less vibrant and refreshing). Need to match acidic foods with high- acid wines.
What is the first and most important element to consider when pairing food and wine?
Match the weight of the food to the weight of the wine
What are the key compounds to think about when pairing food and wine?
Structure- Body/ Weight, Acid, RS, Flavors: Sweet/ Sour/ Salty/ Bitter/ Umami/ Heat/ Textures
What are the principals for pairing regarding body?
Weight of the wine and food should match. If wine is lighter bodied, it must be powerful in flavour/ high acid to stand up to food.
What are the principals for pairing regarding alcohol?
Balances weight and body in food.
Accentuated easily with too much spice/ heat
