Wine Pairing Tips

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Were you ever at a wine tasting where you had no idea what the wine snobs were talking about?  You saw a person with his or her nose buried in an oversized wine glass and you heard, “Oh yes, yes you can really taste the hand-picked fruit in this 18-month-old Cabernet, which has been aged in barriques of French oak. It pairs perfectly with this mackerel.”  That’s usually how it goes as they swirl around their glass and do deep breathing exercises into it.

But, sometimes, they’re wrong. Wouldn’t it be nice to one day, perhaps at you next fancy work event, to turn to one these know-it-alls and say, “No, Mr. Parker, the fish that you’re eating actually doesn’t go with the wine you’re swirling.”

We’re AWS members. We know the rules. White meat and fish go with white wines; red meats, game, red sauces and stews go with red wines, right? But what do you do if you order a spicy Thai curry, or a vegetarian chili, or Uber Eats is bringing you a quinoa bowl from CoreLife? If you’re a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, gluten-free, no-high-fructose-corn-syrup-or-soda, salt-free foodie, the options can get narrow. Still, some foods actually do not go well with wine because of a chemical reaction. To make sense of the best wine pairings, it helps to recognize the worst wine pairings, too.

Why would the wine gods play a trick like that on us? The answer is that some foods contain chemical compounds that clash with those in wine. For instance, artichokes contain cynarin, which tricks people’s taste buds into thinking that there are tart flavors. A wine like Sancerre will taste strangely sweet. Some folk find the reaction is reversed and artichokes with wine make foods taste bitter.  You would honestly be better off drinking a (forgive me) beer!

Asparagus contains methyl mercaptan, a sulfur compound, which gives wine a vegetal character. Asparagus doesn’t need to be enhanced with wine. (Maybe a Gruner Veltliner. . .)  Also certain fish are not good. Cod, haddock and mackerel are examples, as are shellfish, since they’re high in iodine, which is why red wines don’t pair well with them. The iodine content reacts with the tannins in red wine and makes both the fish and the wine taste metallic (and terrible). Fish oils react badly with tannins, so don't serve mackerel with Cabernet, unless you enjoy the taste you get from licking a roll of pennies. With oily fish, skip the reds and go white. Any crisp wine: Albariño, Vermentino, or Sauvignon Blanc make good options. The only exception is Salmon. Try that with a nice Oregon Pinot Noir.

Egg yolks are also difficult to pair with wine, because they tend to coat your palate and kill flavor (not to mention wine is not offered at breakfast in most countries). Heavy egg dishes like quiche, frittatas and custard served at brunch, however, tend to pair best with a Pinot Bianco, Gris or Grigio.

Strangely, olives are tough to pair because they tend to be stong. They’re soaked in vinegar and not a particularly easy flavor to match with wine. Anything pickled can draw astringent properties out of the wine and give the wine an unpleasant flavor.

General Guidelines in Pairing

When in doubt, try to follow these simple suggestions. Whenever possible, try to match the wine of a region with the foods of the region. “If it grows together, it goes together.” For example, Italian sausage and spaghetti with red sauce with a good Chianti or a BBQ ribs with a Chilean red. Start with simple cheese and wine pairings and then expand to entrees and desserts.

Try buttery with buttery. Yes, a butter sauce on chicken or a light cream sauce over pasta matches well with a buttery Chardonnay or a Spätlese Riesling. Would you like a little comfort food but without the high calorie count? That’s the way to go. It’s all about portion control anyway, right?

Contrast spicy with sweet. Thai peppers or heavy garlic in Asian cuisine go well with Rieslings or Gewürztraminers. The contrast allows you to enjoy both the dish and wine’s flavors. A sweet red is best with spicy Latin/American food due to the use of chilies and peppers in the dishes. So, Sangria (as we found in our last tasting) is good with Mexican cuisine. Germany makes some nice, well balanced sweet reds that would be a good choice as well.

Try tannic reds with high fats. For example, Cabernets go well with a sirloin, fatty bacon or a brisket. The tannins cut the fats in the meat and make for another good pairing. A heavy cream or parmesan sauce can pair nicely with a bold red like a Cabernet. Again, tannins cut fat and that will make the meal more enjoyable.

Although, general rules of thumb are good concerning what foods to avoid when making a wine pairing, try not to carry the Unabridged Wine Bible with you at all times. Keep in mind that it’s actually more important to match your friends and the occasion with the wine than worry too much about the food and wine pairing. Besides, overthinking anything causes wrinkles!

Cheers!