There’s something whimsical about being able to enjoy a decadent meal whilst indulging in the perfect wine to pair it with.
Here are 5 Top food and wine pairings that are worth considering to help create a burst of flavor for you and your guests. Why not start exploring with our “getting started” guidelines to lead your flavor adventure? This is sure to turn you and your winning menu into a star dinner host with your guests every time!
Getting Started
Wine flavors are a derivative of fruit, sugar, acid, tannin, and alcohol and foods have flavor components such as salt, sugar, fat, acid and bitter. The key is in matching complementary elements.
Understanding these flavor profiles will give you the foundation needed to start pairing!
- Acidity in wine pairs well with fatty and sweet foods
- Fatty foods require acidic or high alcohol wine
- Bitter wine is balanced with a sweet food
- Salty shouldn’t compete with acidity in wine
- Sweet food/wine benefits from a little acidity
- Alcohol can be used to cut through fatty foods or balance sweet dishes
5 food and wine pairing guidelines
winery-sage highlight top guidelines to get you pairing food and wine like an expert
- Never serve a dish sweeter than the accompanying wine
- Fattier meats complement wines that have more tannins
- Match flavor intensities
- Don’t drink an acidic wine with a cream based sauce
- Don’t pair wine with a side dish unless you’re serving meals one course at a time
Simplifying it for you
Use the simplified chart below from Wine Folly to intrigue your craftiness with food and wine pairings
Still Unsure? Enjoy this short video to recap on Food and Wine Pairings for Beginners
Now that you’ve mastered the basics to get you on your way to pairing greatness, look out for food and wine pairing evenings to be announced after our much anticipated launch. Sign up for our La Vista newsletter and receive a list of SA’s best wines and complimentary recipes. If you have a favorite pairing yourself, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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