Guiding Principles of Pairing Flashcards
What are the two approaches to pairing food and beverage?
- Build a pairing starting with a dish and then considering what wines go with it
- Build a pairing knowing what wine you want to feature, then deciding what food will make that wine stand out
What is of utmost importance?
The guest’s preference
What is Guiding Principle #1?
Evaluating the Wine.
Look at the dominant elements in the pairing.
Such as, is the dish predominantly savory and rich? Or is the wine very tannic?
What are the wine structural elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?
Sweetness
Tannin
Acidity
Alcohol/Body
Texture/Oak
What are the wine flavor elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?
Fruit & fruit condition
Non-fruit
Earthiness
Oak influence and flavors
Service temperature
What are the taste elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?
Sweet
Sour
Bitter
Salty
Umami
What is Guiding Principle #2?
Evalating the dish
Looking at the dish as a whole or the full meal is paramount to proper pairing.
For example, consider both the protein and the sauce, how they work together and how a wine can pair with both but feature the more prominent of the two
Ask, what are the main ingredients of the dish?
Beef/lamb - lean filet mignon vs rich ribeye
Poultry - flavorful game birds vs subtle chicken breast
Fish & Seafood - Delicate sole, fattier salmon, meatier tuna
simple fresh oysters vs rich, dense lobster tail
What is the cooking method?
Raw
Poached
Grilled
Sauteed
Braised
Roasted/baked
What sauces are being used?
Often the sauce is more important than the protein
Examples:
Barbeque
Curry
Bearnaise
Butter
Pan Gravy
Tomato
What condiments could be used with this dish?
Butter
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Hot sauce
Mayonnaise
What sides are going to be served with this dish?
Tart and Sweet cranberry sauce
Earthy mushrooms
creamy mashed potatoes
French fries
vinegar-based salads or pickled veggies
What textures does the food have?
Fat
Oils
Butter/Creamy
Crispy
Crunchy
What is Guiding Principle #3?
Match the Intensity between food and wine
Delicate pairs with delicate, rich with rich
What is Guiding Principle #4?
Understand how certain foods react with wine elements
What does salt do to wines?
Salt helps reduce perception of acidity
Salt makes tannic wines feel more astringent
Salt makes alcoholic wines feel more alcoholic
What does animal fats do to wines?
Fats reduce the perception of tannin
What does sugar do to wines?
Sugar makes dry wines seem even drier or austere
What does spice/heat do to wines?
Spice/heat makes alcoholics wines seem more alcoholic
Can be mitigated with off-dry, slightly sweet, or low alcohol wines
What does acid in food do to wine?
Can make non-acidic wines seem flabby
What does bitterness in food do to wine?
Can make non-bitter foods seem bitter so choose a wine with complimentary bitterness
What type of food do tannic wines go well with?
High fat proteins
High fat, or oily sauces
Peppery dishes counterbalance tannins
Serve bitter foods to achieve taste symmetry (eggplant, zucchini, blackened food, charred food)
What type of food do acidic wines go well with?
Can counterbalance salty food
Dishes that are rich, creamy, high in fat counterbalance it
Match the wine with tart food (sharp ingredients, vinaigrettes)
Can cut mildly spicy dishes
What type of food do sweet wines go well with?
If with dessert, the wine should be sweeter than dessert
Use an off-dry wine with a slightly sweet dish or a mildly spicy dish
Use an off-dry wine with salty and spicy dishes such as Asian, Nuevo Latino, North African, Caribbean
If you want a dry wine, use one with very ripe fruit
What type of food do alcoholic wines go well with?
The dish should be as weighty as the wine otherwise it will be overwhelmed by the wine
Avoid salt and spicy
What type of food do oaky wines go well with?
Should be paired with bold dishes to counteract the boldness of the oak
Play up oak with nuts, sweet spices, light grilling or smoking, or rich textures
What type of food do aged red wines go well with?
Meats should be med-rare and not dry
But dishes should be simpler because the wine is more delicate with age
What type of food do aged white wines go well with?
Dishes should mirror the aged white: nutty, sherry, dried fruits
Compensate for lost acidity in the wine by having some acidity in the dish
What is “What grows together goes together?”
Foods and wines that both originate from a particular region often pair well together
What is an example of “what grows together goes together?”
Sancerre and fresh goat cheese
Oysters and muscadet
Boar and Nebbiolo
What is a “complementing” pairing?
An element in the food matches one in the beverage. This element may be structure, flavor, texture, or intensity.
Comparable aromas or flavors may provide a “bridge” between the two
What is an example of a “complementing” pairing?
Herb-crusted beef tenderloin with chianti classico reserva. Herbal notes in the wine match the beef.
Foie gras and Sauternes due to both being rich and mouth-filling
White truffles and Barolo: earthy meets earthy
What is a “contrasting” pairing?
Using opposite elements in structure, flavor, or texture to creaty harmony
What is an example of a “contrasting” pairing?
Steak and cab sauv for protein/fat vs tannin
Blue cheese and port: salty cheese and sweet wine
Tart hefeweizen beer and rich burrata cheese
Why does Foie gras and Sauternes work as a pairing?
Complementary: Rich wine meets creamy, rich, salty fat
Why does fresh goat cheese and sauvignon blanc work?
Complementary: high-acid cheese meets high-acid wine
Why does Steak and Cab Sauv work?
Complementary: intensity of tannin vs protein/fat
Why do Sardines and Manzanilla Sherry work together?
Complementary: Salt and fish oil stands up to stronger yeasty and salty flavors in the wine
Why do white truffles and Barolo/Barbaresco work together?
Complementary: Earthy truffles meets earthy wine
Why does roast chicken and beaujolais work?
Complementary: Softer tannins in wine match the lighter flavor and texture of the chicken
Why does Stilton and Port work?
Contrasting: Salty cheese vs sweet wine
What is the role of a sommelier?
- Make the food taste better
- Create a memorable experience for the guest
- Drive revenue
What is the “arc of intensity?”
Building wine and food pairings from lighter to heavier, soft to crescendo
What are the “wine enemies?”
Artichokes - makes everything taste sweeter, so need to pair with an acidic wine
How do we pair with chocolate?
Tannic and sweet like port
Or a fruit forward wine with a bitter chocolate
