by Nan C Avery

Created on: August 05, 2009   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

Wines are the most wonderful complements to a meal. Wines bring out the flavors of a meal or whet the palate before a meal. It is important to choose the best wine to go with a meal.

Wine is judged by its taste, texture and weight. Taste is the way wine brings out the flavor of the food. Texture is when you are eating spicy food and drink a sweet wine. The hot food stings the palate and a sweet wine soothes it. Weight is the robustness of the wine. A dry red wine is heavier than a sparkling white wine.

Wines, in general, should match the weight of the food being eaten. The wine served is dependent upon what is being served. The aesthetics of the cuisine and wine, when paired correctly, is a symphony of taste and smell.

Appetizers: Champagne or a white sparkling wine can be served as an aperitif. A heartier appetizer made of mild cheese, crackers and fruit would do well with a Pinot Grigio. A Chardonnay would complement a bruschetta appetizer.

Main dishes: The pairing of the main dish and wine should be a sonata.

Beef cuisines can always be paired with Zinfandel. For different palate sensations, Cabernet Sauvignon would be a nice alternative to pair with barbequed beef ribs, steak and roast beef. Merlot would also be another wine that would marry well with steak and hamburgers.

Chicken cuisines, we are told, should be paired with white wines. Roasted chicken could be paired with a Chardonnay, which has a light, crisp taste. Another wine that would couple well with the roast chicken would be a Pinot Noir, a red, which has a light, smoky taste that will bring out the flavor of the roast chicken. Fried chicken tends to have a greasy aftertaste; so the wines that would counteract the pinguidity, cleanse the palate, and yet keep the essence of the chicken are Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. Both are fruity white wines. Barbequed chicken would pair well with a light, fruity, white Zinfandel as well as a Chenin Blanc.

Pork cuisines can be paired with Merlot. The individual dishes, such as grilled pork chops would also do well with Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Pork ribs could be matched with Zinfandel , Syrah (a red wine with a spicy blackberry, plum, and peppery flavors), or a Riesling for a different taste impression.

Fish and seafood, as a whole, is another cuisine, which also could be paired righteously with Chardonnay. Lean fish, such as trout, paired with a nice Riesling, with its dry, melon taste would tickle the palate. A fatty fish,

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