This document discusses the history and modern approaches to food and wine pairing. It outlines some traditional rules for pairings, such as red wine with red meat and white wine with fish. However, it notes that the modern approach considers many other factors and allows for more flexibility. Some key factors in successful pairings mentioned include matching intensity, acidity, sweetness, cooking methods, and considering both the base and secondary flavors in a dish. Specific foods that are noted as either easy or difficult to pair with wine are also outlined.

1. By: Juby John

2.  Food and wine goes back centuries, in modern times it has become more
trendy
 In 1928 Escoffier wrote that red meat and burgundy should be paired,
as Champagne with entremets
 In 1931 Micheline Guide recommended wines with dishes
 1939 a systematic approach by Pierre Andrieu paired wine with the
evolution of the meal
 Old Systematic Approach: Red Wine with red Meat. White Wine with
Fish.
 Modern approach is a Lateral Approach with wine-dish combinations
regardless of sequence.
 Today there are so many subtle foods and cuisines where matching food
and wine takes more into consideration.
 Use an intermezzo or water as a palate cleanser when there is a change in
coursing

3.  FOOD AND WINE PAIRING IS SUBJECTIVE: Everyone has a different
palate:
 Germans say something is dry, we say it’s sweet.
 People who eat spicy food experience wine differently from someone who
eats pasta and potatoes
 THE SENSES
 Sweet, Bitter, Sour (Found in food and wine)
 Hot and Salty (come from food)
 6th sense UNAMI (found in food and wine)
 Unami: “Delicious” or “Savory”
 Found in foods with high protein such as consumes, aged meats,
shitaki mushrooms, dried seaweed, shellfish, raw seafood, soy sauce
& tomatoes
 Amino acid: L-MSG (l-glutamate-monosodium glutamate)
 Related to spiritual sense: “feeling of perfect quality in a taste or some
special emotional circumstance”
 Sweet and Unami are the only senses that are perceived as pleasant
 Can have adverse affects on wine, making wines more tannic, bitter or
metallic tasting

4.  Analyse component elements of both.
 Match the weight/richness of food to wine.
 Match the flavour intensity of the food and the flavour
intensity of the wine.
 Match acidic food with high acidic wines.
 Match sweet food with sweet wine.
 Consider cooking method for example fried foods
contains more fat and need acidic wine.

5.  White wines with white meat because less strong and no tannins.
 Red wine with red meats because fuller bodied and tannin helps in
cutting through fat content.
 Desserts need sweet wines
 More neutral wines for example SOAVE/PINOT GRIGIO with
delecate food.

6.  Serve a dry rosé with hors d'oeuvres.
 Serve an unoaked white with anything you can
squeeze a lemon or lime on.
 Try low-alcohol wines with spicy foods.
 Match rich red meats with tannic reds.
 With lighter meats, pair the wine with the
sauce.
 Choose earthy wines with earthy foods.
 For desserts, go with a lighter wine.

7.  The Indian palate often wants a wine that is mineralic
and acidic, which adds to the spices and brings them
out.
 The western palate tends to prefer combinations of
flavour.
 Creamy wines coat the palate.
 Buttery whites combines with the flavours of Indian
food quite well.
 Something to calm down the spice: go for something
sweet such as PINOT GRIS or RIESLING that have
some residual sugar.

8.  Acidic: A dish with citrus or vinegar should be paired with a
acidic wine.
 Duck with oranges needs a more acidic red wine than Duck
with olives
 Salty: dishes with saltiness, such as soy sauce or seaweed will
make wines with tannins more tannic and bitter.
 Sweet: If the food is sweeter than wine then the wine will taste
thin and tart.
 Ice cream is almost impossible to pair.
 Highly Seasoned or Spicy: These foods can fatigue and numb the
palate and the wine can get lost.
 Wines with low tannins and low alcohol levels are best
 Sweet wines contrast well
 Rich and Fatty Foods: Foods with cream sauces, fatty steaks or
rich fowl
 Full bodied wines such as Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel,
Merlot or Syrah are recommended

9.  Base Ingredients are the main portion of the dish (the Protein)
 Bridge Ingredients are those extras on a dish that add to the flavor such
as mushrooms, berries, beans and herbs such as ginger, tarragon,
cinnamon, cloves
 Cooking Method
 Grilling, Roasting, Sautéing and braising are preferred methods to pair
with wine
 poaching, Steaming or smoking limit the wine choices
 Easy Matches: Risotto and Chicken
 Difficult Matches: Asparagus, Artichokes, Strong Cheeses
 Chiles numb palate
 Eggs Mask wine flavors too much Unami
 Vinegar and Pickled foods can rob tastes and make wines more
astringent
 However balsamic and pickled ginger work well

10. MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN
“the marriages between two exceptional beings are as
rare in gastronomy as they are in life.”’
o Oysters and Chablis
o Roast Lamb and Bordeaux
o Roquefort and Sauternes
o Stilton and Vintage Port
o Sole and Burgundy
o Goat Cheese and Sancerre
o Caviar and Champagne
o BBQ Ribs and Zinfandel
o Stewed or Game Casseroles and Barolo