The Art and Science of Pairing Food and Wine - Part 1

Pairing food and wine is both an artistic and scientific endeavor. But that statement makes the whole idea of pairing food and wine sound like a daunting, tedious, and serious business. Instead, it should be an exciting, fun, and educational activity. Oh, and simple to understand as well! To that end, here are my “guiding principles” for anyone who wants to quickly learn the art and science of successfully pairing wine and food.

Wine and food pairing and tasting at Ponzi Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, OR

The “science” of pairing wine and food concerns how the inherent characteristics of each (i.e., richness, acidity, earthiness, sweetness, saltiness, etc.) complement or conflict with each other. Understanding the key components and flavor profiles of particular wines is the key to creating a successful food and wine pairing.

But there is also an “art” to the pairing process. This is where intuition and personal preferences come into play. Which is a somewhat technical way of saying that any guiding principles for food and wine should be considered somewhat subjective and open to challenge. That’s how I view my 10 “guiding principles" and how I hope you view them as well! Without further ado, here the first five principles:

• Sense of Place. You will never go wrong pairing food and wine that come from the same place. That means pairing Spanish tapas with a nice Spanish Tempranillo, Ossobuco with a big Nebbiolo from Lombardy, Coq au vin with a stylish red Burgundy from France, or a grilled New York Strip with a big Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. The synergy present in these pairings come courtesy of the fact that terroir (the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives wine grapes their distinctive character) not only impacts how wines taste, but also how the food grown and raised in those same areas taste as well.

• Same Ole Same Ole. Pairing wines and food with similar characteristics is always a good strategy for emphasizing and showcasing the most important and predominant flavors and components of both. And these pairings are neither boring nor monotonous; instead, they help to accentuate and bring to the fore the best features of both the wine and the food. This means pairing white meats (chicken, pork, fish) with white wine and red meats (lamb, beef) with red wines; or pairing rich dishes like risotto and grilled scallops with a rich wine like a Napa Valley oaked Chardonnay; or briny oysters on the half shell with a chilled, lean, acidic Chablis from France.

• Opposites Attract. You can also skip the “likeminded” pairing construct and instead, emphasize the differences between the food and wine in your pairings. This principle is often an inspired choice when you have either a wine or dish that is “extreme” in some way. For example, if you have an extremely rich dish (think cream of mushroom soup, a triple cream brie from France, or grilled sockeye salmon), pick a wine with opposite characteristics to pair with it (think a leaner, unoaked Chardonnay to pair with the rich mushroom soup, a racy Champagne with nice acidity to pair with the creamy brie, and a leaner, fruitier Oregon Pinot Noir to pair with the fatty salmon). This approach creates a pairing that “tempers” and moderates the extremes of the food or wine being served and provides an interesting counterpoint to the match.

• Rich Fat Cat. Fatty foods are delicious, but they can also overwhelm the palate and dull the senses after a few bites while making you feel bloated and full at the end of the meal (think crispy pork belly or a grilled dry-aged ribeye marbled with delicious fattiness). The antidote to this “fat fatigue” is to pair these and other fatty foods with tannic wines such as Malbec from South Africa, Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, or Shiraz from Australia. The astringency these tannins bring to these wines cuts through and mellows the fattiness of the food resulting in a more balanced and less filling dish.

• Acid Trip. Salads and vegetables are vexing from a pairing perspective. Most have flavor profiles that conflict with some of the basic characteristics of both red and white wines. Asparagus, broccoli, and salads with vinaigrette dressings are perfect examples of “non-cooperative” wine pairing partners. But it turns out that there’s a “ringer” wine that works well with almost any greens – the humble Sauvignon Blanc, due to its acidity, and its naturally grassy/vegetal character (especially those from New Zealand). Other options are more acidic wines like a zesty Pinot Gris from Oregon, a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, or a lean un-oaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay. Also, I haven’t found a single red wine that pairs well with greens, so let’s put that one to bed once and for all!

Next week, we’ll cover the remaining five guiding principles for pairing food and wine. Until then, give one or two of these principles a try and let me know whether they worked for you!