It's currently very fashionable to say there are no rules when it comes to food and wine pairing. If one isn't openly encouraged to be adventurous and try matching, say, malbec with oysters then the mantra goes something like, simply eat and drink what you like. The fact is it's not that simple.
I know, when it comes to wine we're supposed to simplify things but pairing food with wine isn't nearly as obvious as some would have you believe.
The good news is that acquiring basic food-and-wine pairing skills isn't as difficult as it sounds. If you're willing to experiment and, in this case, listen to someone who's attended thousands of wine dinners, you'll come to know that some pairings work better than others. And while the reasons may not be readily apparent, the pairing often is.
My inspiration for food-friendly wine matches doesn't come from cookbooks but rather from an almost unexplainable camaraderie between ingredients in classic food dishes.
Is there a better match than bacon and eggs, or fish and chips? Why do we crave macaroni and cheese, cookies and milk, or even peanut butter and bananas? I haven't even mentioned my favourite, spaghetti and meatballs but you get the point.
I'm betting most of you will have experienced many of these time honoured matches and know, for some reason or another, that the combination of ingredients simply tastes better.
Most great food and wine matches begin with wines that naturally lend themselves to being paired perfectly. In my mind, wines of balance, where the sugar, acid and tannin coexist and feed each other, are the perfect platform to elevate most dishes to another level of enjoyment.
What follows is a look at some of the most food-friendly wine types on the planet. Each comes with a number of suggestions, gathered over three decades, on what best to serve them with and, of course, as always, a wine pick you can find in the local market that you shouldn't miss.
CHAMPAGNE
Champagne is the quintessential food wine, thanks to its superb acidity levels. Complex, effervescent and dry it can easily tame the wild flavours of game or simply set off the classic gougère before the dinner starts. Some of my most memorable meals began, continued and finished with champagne. It's a sure bet with oysters on the half shell, but is equally at home with rich soft cheeses.
The Match: Charles Heidsieck N/V Brut Reserve $61
Heidsieck is on a roll with this fragrant bubble with its nutty, brioche, baked apple nose. The palate is a subtle mix of toasted nuts and citrus and juicy baked apple, pear and cherry flavours. This one over-delivers.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Easily among the biggest, most tannic reds in the wine business, cabernet is rightly attracted to grilled and roasted meat dishes. The protein breaks down the tannins and you have a match that is hard to beat. In its youth, a steak or a prime rib roast are perfect matches, but as it ages cabernet mellows, leading to other possibilities such as osso buco, mushroom risotto, medium-soft cheeses and even chocolate.
The Match: Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Apalta Valley, Valle del Colchagua, Chile $25
Alpha cab is picked at just under seven tons per hectare and mixed with 10 per cent of merlot to temper the tannins and acidity. It's then aged for a year in French oak before bottling. Made for grilled meat.
CHARDONNAY
The grape everyone loves to drink is often a challenge for food given its oak content, but when the balance is correct and the fruit acid and minerality are allowed to shine through chardonnay is a sublime match for lobster, crab or scallops in a rich-meets-rich scenario. White wine and cheese is the best match, so think chardonnay with your favourite cheese.
The Match: Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2008, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA $35
Now under screwcap and completely rejuvenated as a juicy, elegant, slightly sweet and super-fresh chardonnay flecked with orange, honey, buttery, spicy lees, nutty, guava and green apple flavours. A perfect crab wine.
MALBEC
There's an undeniably delicious, savoury character in malbec that makes it not only attractive to nose and sip, but when matched with similarly scented meats it can be heaven. Lamb is such a great match with malbec but any slow-cooked meal is equally at home with its dense soft tannins and rich flavours.
The Match:
The Show Malbec 2009
,
Mendoza, Argentina
$19
Charles Bieler, Roger Scommegna and Joel Gott are the 3 Thieves Wine Company and The Show Malbec is a blend of high-altitude fruit from Luan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. It's aged in American oak, lending it a warm soft, vanilla undercurrent with plenty of soft, generous, dark plummy fruit.
PINOT NOIR
Pinot noir is on a roll and its affinity for food only strengthens its hand. Modest tannins make it as much fun to drink with salt cod and ahi tuna as with the classic duck confit. Toss in some mushroom risotto, grilled salmon or a runny French cheese and you see what wine and food matching is all about.
The Match: Picnic by Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago, New Zealand $27
A blend of fruit from all the Two Paddock's vineyards and other parts of Central Otago. The nose is spicy with bits of carrot top and black cherry fruit. The palate it is sleek with spicy, savoury black cherry fruit character. Impressive styling and weight for the price.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Screwcap sauvignon blanc is my go-to white wine in restaurants and at home and there's no better choice for sushi or a simple piece of goat cheese. At the dinner table the menu can span halibut, black cod, and a variety of seafood pastas. It's the balance between the tropical fruit, minerality and acidity that works its magic with the food.
The Match: Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2010 Valle de Leyda, Chile $12
Fresh and inviting with grapefruit, lemon and light lees notes and ripe guava, melon and light, smoky jalapeno flavours. Fine intensity for the price.
Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com.
