Have fun and experiment when learning to pair wine and food

A wine pairing primer

Date published: 2/21/2007

PAIRING WINE and food seems to be a confounding element of wine appreciation for many people. What would seem to be a natural fit can give even the most adventurous palates anxiety .

It certainly doesn't have to be this way. With a few basic guidelines and a little experimentation, you will be able to pair meals with ease.

People may be surprised to hear this, but flavor is not the top factor I use in pairing wine and food. The first criterion I consider to be important is acidity.

Think of squeezing a lemon over your food. The lemon imparts flavor, of course, but it's the acidic kick that brings out the flavors in the food and provides a balance to the fat and starch. Wine does the same thing.

Acid is present in white, red and rose wines, and it is important to pick a wine whose acidity has not been artificially reduced (or at least too much). How can you tell? The clues are often in the tasting notes, or hopefully your retailer can tell you.

If a white wine is described as creamy or soft, this could mean the winemaker has used a secondary fermentation, called malolactic, that artificially reduces the acidity. A wine like this can be pleasurable to sip on its own but will not make your dish sing.

Additionally, high-acid foods (like tomato sauces) need a wine with acidity to work. Think classic pairings like a Chianti with lasagna, or a sauvignon blanc with oysters.

Of course, marrying flavors is another important factor. A lemony Virginia seyval blanc can be the perfect foil to crab bisque. Another delicious pairing is an Argentinean malbec that shows dark fruit and coffee flavors paired with grilled tenderloin.

The trick is to figure out the underlying flavor elements of each food and decide whether they will work well together. Developing your palate as a whole is the best way to marry flavors, and the good news is that doing so is a joy unto itself. Go to wine tastings, sample new dishes, figure out what you like and what didn't work and build on it.

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Date published: 2/21/2007