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Food and Beverage Pairing > Guiding Principles of Pairing > Flashcards

Guiding Principles of Pairing Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two approaches to pairing food and beverage?

A
  1. Build a pairing starting with a dish and then considering what wines go with it
  2. Build a pairing knowing what wine you want to feature, then deciding what food will make that wine stand out
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2
Q

What is of utmost importance?

A

The guest’s preference

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3
Q

What is Guiding Principle #1?

A

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?

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4
Q

What are the wine structural elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?

A

Sweetness
Tannin
Acidity
Alcohol/Body
Texture/Oak

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5
Q

What are the wine flavor elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?

A

Fruit & fruit condition
Non-fruit
Earthiness
Oak influence and flavors
Service temperature

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6
Q

What are the taste elements that should be considered as part of Guiding Principle #1?

A

Sweet
Sour
Bitter
Salty
Umami

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7
Q

What is Guiding Principle #2?

A

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

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8
Q

Ask, what are the main ingredients of the dish?

A

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

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9
Q

What is the cooking method?

A

Raw
Poached
Grilled
Sauteed
Braised
Roasted/baked

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10
Q

What sauces are being used?

A

Often the sauce is more important than the protein
Examples:
Barbeque
Curry
Bearnaise
Butter
Pan Gravy
Tomato

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11
Q

What condiments could be used with this dish?

A

Butter
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Hot sauce
Mayonnaise

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12
Q

What sides are going to be served with this dish?

A

Tart and Sweet cranberry sauce
Earthy mushrooms
creamy mashed potatoes
French fries
vinegar-based salads or pickled veggies

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13
Q

What textures does the food have?

A

Fat
Oils
Butter/Creamy
Crispy
Crunchy

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14
Q

What is Guiding Principle #3?

A

Match the Intensity between food and wine
Delicate pairs with delicate, rich with rich

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15
Q

What is Guiding Principle #4?

A

Understand how certain foods react with wine elements

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16
Q

What does salt do to wines?

A

Salt helps reduce perception of acidity
Salt makes tannic wines feel more astringent
Salt makes alcoholic wines feel more alcoholic

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17
Q

What does animal fats do to wines?

A

Fats reduce the perception of tannin

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18
Q

What does sugar do to wines?

A

Sugar makes dry wines seem even drier or austere

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19
Q

What does spice/heat do to wines?

A

Spice/heat makes alcoholics wines seem more alcoholic
Can be mitigated with off-dry, slightly sweet, or low alcohol wines

20
Q

What does acid in food do to wine?

A

Can make non-acidic wines seem flabby

21
Q

What does bitterness in food do to wine?

A

Can make non-bitter foods seem bitter so choose a wine with complimentary bitterness

22
Q

What type of food do tannic wines go well with?

A

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)

23
Q

What type of food do acidic wines go well with?

A

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

24
Q

What type of food do sweet wines go well with?

A

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

25
Q

What type of food do alcoholic wines go well with?

A

The dish should be as weighty as the wine otherwise it will be overwhelmed by the wine
Avoid salt and spicy

26
Q

What type of food do oaky wines go well with?

A

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

27
Q

What type of food do aged red wines go well with?

A

Meats should be med-rare and not dry
But dishes should be simpler because the wine is more delicate with age

28
Q

What type of food do aged white wines go well with?

A

Dishes should mirror the aged white: nutty, sherry, dried fruits
Compensate for lost acidity in the wine by having some acidity in the dish

29
Q

What is “What grows together goes together?”

A

Foods and wines that both originate from a particular region often pair well together

30
Q

What is an example of “what grows together goes together?”

A

Sancerre and fresh goat cheese
Oysters and muscadet
Boar and Nebbiolo

31
Q

What is a “complementing” pairing?

A

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

32
Q

What is an example of a “complementing” pairing?

A

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

33
Q

What is a “contrasting” pairing?

A

Using opposite elements in structure, flavor, or texture to creaty harmony

34
Q

What is an example of a “contrasting” pairing?

A

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

35
Q

Why does Foie gras and Sauternes work as a pairing?

A

Complementary: Rich wine meets creamy, rich, salty fat

36
Q

Why does fresh goat cheese and sauvignon blanc work?

A

Complementary: high-acid cheese meets high-acid wine

37
Q

Why does Steak and Cab Sauv work?

A

Complementary: intensity of tannin vs protein/fat

38
Q

Why do Sardines and Manzanilla Sherry work together?

A

Complementary: Salt and fish oil stands up to stronger yeasty and salty flavors in the wine

39
Q

Why do white truffles and Barolo/Barbaresco work together?

A

Complementary: Earthy truffles meets earthy wine

40
Q

Why does roast chicken and beaujolais work?

A

Complementary: Softer tannins in wine match the lighter flavor and texture of the chicken

41
Q

Why does Stilton and Port work?

A

Contrasting: Salty cheese vs sweet wine

42
Q

What is the role of a sommelier?

A
  • Make the food taste better
  • Create a memorable experience for the guest
  • Drive revenue
43
Q

What is the “arc of intensity?”

A

Building wine and food pairings from lighter to heavier, soft to crescendo

44
Q

What are the “wine enemies?”

A

Artichokes - makes everything taste sweeter, so need to pair with an acidic wine

45
Q

How do we pair with chocolate?

A

Tannic and sweet like port
Or a fruit forward wine with a bitter chocolate

Food and Beverage Pairing (1 decks)

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