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Food can influence a great deal in the taste of wines. Different cooking preparations contain fatty, acid, salad, spicy or sweet components, which are combined according to varied recipes. A good combination of ingredients may enhance the taste of a wine, while an unwise wine pairing may ruin even its best characteristics.
Because of this, there is a “classic” trend which provides certain rules about wine and food pairing, such as the traditional combinations of red meat and red wine, fish and white wine, or any other similar recommendations. However, variety is the spice of life, so these suggestions are not always absolutely valid under certain circumstances. Many times it is not meat –or the principal ingredient of a dish- which indicates the wine pairing; sauces or dressings may define the wine that suits the best.
That is why, every recommendation on the best pairing for a wine should be only an advice about “flavor approach”, as a way of enjoying food and wine in their greatest splendor
What you should never do
- There are combinations that are definitely harmful, where wine and food flavors, instead of complementing, destroy one another. These are concepts to bear in mind:
-It is very important not to confront full bodied wines with too spicy dishes since flavors tend to “compete” with each other. For intensely aromatic and spicy preparations, the best option is a light wine.
-Wine and citruses should never be faced. Acid flavors inevitably destroy the tasting balance of any wine.
-Some vinegar-based dressings are also very difficult to pair with wine. A balanced vinegar or lemon juice should be used for dressing.
-Some vegetables (artichokes or asparagus) tend to modify the alkalinity levels in the mouth, altering the taste of any beverage. When having any of these vegetables, drinking water is far more advisable.
-Pairing dry sparkling wines (Nature, Brut or Extra Brut) and extremely sweet desserts may not be the best option. Demi-sec or Sweet sparkling wines are advisable for sweet desserts.
Wine Classification according to flavor
To get into the pairing matter, it is essential to classify the wine varieties according to their flavors and aromas. These are the different categories:
1- Aromatic white wines: Torrontes, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and dry Muscat.
2- Light Dry white wines: Chardonnay, Chenin, Semillon, Viogner and Pinot Gris.
3- Dry medium to full bodied white wines: Chardonnay and Viogner, and other barrel aged white varietals.
4- Light White wines: this category includes every white wine variety, destined to be consumed young, fresh and fruity.
5- Full bodied red wines: this category includes all red wines, barrel aged and destined to be aged in the bottle for long periods of time.
6- Rose wines: all pink dry wine.
7- Sparkling wines: dry, semi-sweet and sweet sparkling wines.
8- Sweet wines: white, rose, red and fortified wines.
Once this distinction is set, these are the most recommendable wine and food pairings
-Aromatic white wines make a perfect match with fish and smoked cold meats, pâtés, cheese and onion quiches, oriental food, dishes dressed with curry and empanadas.
-Dry, fruity and light white wines are best paired with grilled fish, seafood, rice, and paella.
-Dry medium to full bodied white wines specially combine with fish garnished with strong sauces, red meats cooked in white wine, chicken, white meats, semi-soft cheese, spicy rice and seafood soups.
-Light red wines are paired with salads, fast food, green cheese, cold meat, grilled fish, sausages and meatballs.
-Full bodied red wines are the perfect combination for barbecued meat, pork and lamb, pasta with tomato sauce, strong cheese, stews and casseroles, spicy rice and empanadas.
-Rose wines are best served with fish, cold meat, starters and salads.
-Dry sparkling wines combine with cold starters, canapés, shell fish and white meat. Semi-sweet and sweet sparkling wines match with desserts and pastries.
-Sweet or fortified wines are the best companions for chocolates, pastries and cakes.
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