by Lyn Michaud

Created on: August 07, 2009   Last Updated: February 06, 2012

When dining with a wine accompaniment, food is more than sustenance. Pairing food and wine is an art experience you can see, smell, and sink your teeth into. As with all art, everyone's taste is a little bit different, to please the most palates start with two basic ideas. One, if you love a certain wine by all means enjoy experimenting with any and all foods. Two, never hesitate to try something new. Contradictory? Yes. Both will allow you to make sense of the question of what wine to serve with appetizer, entree and dessert.

The flavors of food change the taste of wine. Sweet and richly flavored foods make wine taste less sweet (dryer), more tangy (more acidic) and perhaps bitter (increasing the ability to taste the tannins residues from fruit and skin). Sour and salty foods mellow the taste of wine making it seem sweeter, less tangy and less bitter. If a wine seems too dry and sour feel free to add something salty like salt, soy sauce or bacon bits. If a wine seems too sweet consider adding something sour lemon, lime, balsamic vinegar to the food for balance.

Classic pairings (red wine and steak, white wine and fish or seafood, champagne and caviar) work because of balance; one does not overpower or decrease the quality of the other. To best appreciate the complexity of an older wine, serve the younger first. White should go before a red. Serve reds slightly warmer than whites to prevent overwhelming the senses with the volatile compounds found more in whites. The dry, more acidic wines should precede a sweet.

Whites with Food

Chardonnay is the most popular and perfect with many appetizers, seafood and milder grilled, fried and baked meats like chicken and pork. Riesling is an excellent choice for cheese dishes including macaroni and cheese as well as souffles, deli sandwiches, veggie burgers and creamy casseroles. Gewrztraminer is slightly sweeter and a good bet for grilled vegetable kabobs and stir fries as well as the spicier cuisines (Thai, Indian, Chinese takeout and Mexican).

Reds with Food

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz and Pinot noir have bold flavors perfect with the smokier flavor of beef dishes including steak, roast beef and cheeseburgers. Chianti or Sangiovese enhance Italian food, meatier casseroles and stews and make leftovers even better. Red zinfandel pairs well with Barbecue.

Dessert

With the idea of sweet and sweet consider Port with decadent chocolate (cake, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and fudge). For a surprising twist after clearing the palate with a cheese course, try champagne with packaged cream-filled yellow cakes dabbed with orange marmalade. Sweeter white wines and fruit wines also pair well with fruit desserts. Think Key Lime and raspberry or cherry pies. Sherry and rich red wines enhance cinnamon and nutmeg flavors and flan, caramel and cheesecake.

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