WSET I.5 food and wine pairing Flashcards
How do food and wine interact?
Food makes wine taste different.
Wine will not impact the flavors of food.
What are the 5 main tastes?
- Sweet
- Salt
- Acid
- Bitter
- Umami (savory)
Which tastes are generally “wine friendly”?
and why
Salt and acid
Reduce the tastes of bitterness
Enhance fruit and sweetness
Which tastes are generally “wine challenging”?
and why
sweetness and umami
Reduce tastes of fruit and sweetness
Enhance dryness, bitterness and acid
Which wines can be paired with sweet foods?
sweet, dessert wines
Sweetness in food makes wine taste more bitter, acidic and drying.
Sweetness in food makes the sweetness and fruitiness of wine diminish.
Which wines can be paired with “umami” foods?
Fruity whites and low tannin reds
Umami in food makes wine taste more bitter, acidic and drying.
Umami in food diminishes the perception of body, fruitiness and sweetness in wine.
Which wines can be paired with salty foods?
Highly acidic whites
Oaked whites
High tannin reds
Some like the combination of sweet wines with blue cheese
Salty food will soften the acidity, bitterness and tannins in wine.
Salty food will enhance the sensation of body in a wine
Which wines can be paired with acidic foods?
Highly acidic wines
Acidic foods will enhance the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine while decreasing the perception of acidity
“Acid cancels acid”
Which wines can be paired with bitter foods?
kale, artichokes, broccoli, etc
White wines
Low tannin, fruity reds
Bitterness in food enhances the perception of bitterness in wine
Which wines can be paired with spicy foods?
Fruity white wines
Low tannin, fruity reds
Low alcohol, sweet wines
Spicy foods increase the perception of bitterness, acidity and alcohol in wine
Spicy foods decrease the perception of body, fruit and sweetness in wine
Which wines can be paired with fatty / oily foods?
High acid white wines
Fatty foods can decrease the perception of acidity in wine
Which wines can be paired with highly flavored foods?
Full bodied reds
Highly flavored foods can overwhelm the flavors in wine
True or false:
Dishes high in umami should be paired with fruity, low tannin wines?
true
True or false:
Acidic foods are best served with wines that have low acidity?
false
“acid cancels acid”
Where does bitterness in wine come from?
tannins and oak
Which of the following wines would pair best with Kung Pao chicken?
a) Rioja
b) Sancerre
c) Riesling
c) Riesling
The spicy and umami of the dish work best with medium sweet wines with lower alcohol
Which of the following would pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon?
a) cheesecake
b) well-seasoned grilled steak
c) hot wings
b) steak
Cabernet is a dry red wine with high tannins and alcohol
What are the 7 components in food that affect wine?
Sweetness umami salt acidity flavor intensity fat heat (chili)
What are the 5 components of wine that are affected by food?
Sweetness acidity bitterness (tannins, oak) fruitiness alcohol
If a food is sweet or umami, wine will be (pick all):
a) overwhelmed
b) more drying and bitter
c) more acidic
d) more fruity, more body
e) less sweet and fruity
b) more drying and bitter
c) more acidic
e) less sweet and fruity
If a food is salty or acidic, wine will be (pick all):
a) less drying and bitter
b) more acidic
c) less acidic
d) overwhelmed
e) more drying and bitter
f) less sweet and fruity
g) more fruity, more body
a) less drying and bitter
c) less acidic
g) more fruity, more body
Fatty / oily food makes wine taste (more / less) acidic.
less acidic
Spicy/hot food intensifies the perception of which characteristics of wine?
a) fruitiness
b) bitterness
c) alcohol
d) acidity
e) body
b) bitterness
c) alcohol
d) acidity
Which is better with fish and chips?
a) Sauvignon blanc
b) Oaky chardonnay
c) White Zinfandel
Sauvignon blank, has enough acid to be a refreshing palate cleanser
