Were you a wine connoisseur, you’d always know whether to serve red or white wine, have full knowledge of their characteristics and know which particular wine best complements the meal that you’re planning to serve. Most of us, however, either have a rather limited understanding or have no clue at all. Serving the correct type of wine with a particular meal isn’t just a matter of being trendy – it’s a matter of the blending of flavors and textures, or “body”. Just as you wouldn’t place a heavy stew on the menu with fruit platters and light salads during a spring or summer event, neither would you use a heavy wine with a light dish. Here are a few basic guidelines that might help you to select the proper wine/food combinations.
WHITE WINES
As a general rule, white wines – which are lighter in character than their heavy red counterparts – are served with lighter foods and are typically the types of wines that are served with appetizers or entrees that offer a lighter presentation.
Chenin Blanc
This crisp, semi-dry to dry wine – which tastes of apples, pears and tropical fruit – can age for up to five years and tends to best complement both mild and strong cheeses, appetizers, shrimp, crab, lobster, shellfish, poultry and Asian foods.
Gewurztraminer
This is a German wine – meaning “spice grapes” - which is typically sweet, with some dry variations. The bouquet is redolent of roses and lychees, and tends to have both flowery and spicy characteristics. This is best when aged from two to four years, and is best appreciated when paired with mild cheeses, appetizers, poultry, pork and Asian foods.
Dry Riesling
There are many varieties of Riesling and is produced with great success in its native country of Germany. The catch-phrase “Rhine Wine” refers to the German territory in which the grapes are grown. The dry version of this family, however, tends to come from California and offers a melony taste. This goes very well with mild and strong cheeses, appetizers, shrimp, crab, lobster, seafood with light sauce, grilled fish, poultry, pork and Asian foods.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sometimes referred to as Fume Blanc, this light wine offers the combined tastes of herbs and olives, with a slightly smoky characteristic. While there are variations of Sauvignon Blanc which range from sweet to dry, it tends to be quite light and is a perfect complement to mild and strong cheeses, appetizers, oysters, shrimp, crab, lobster, shellfish, seafood with light sauce, pasta with cream sauce, grilled fish and poultry.
Chardonnay
Depending upon its environment, this white wine can range in flavor from semi-sweet to sour and can have either a heavy or light characteristic. Most often, the flavors that will present themselves are lemon, lime, tangerine, apple, melon and oak. This tends to be a rather dry wine and goes best with strong cheese, appetizers, oysters, seafood with a light or cream sauce, grilled fish, poultry and pork.
White Riesling
While there are a number of types of Riesling, this tends to offer a fruity, floral taste which will exhibit more of a melon characteristic if produced in California, as opposed to the more tart grapefruit characteristic of the German variety. White Riesling not only goes well with mild cheese, but is one of the wines that blends exceptionally well with chocolate.
RED WINES
Due to their heaviness, red wines are generally not served with an opening course, such as an appetizer – although there are exceptions. Instead, these tend to do much better with heavier foods, and are often found in combination with a weightier entrée, such as pasta with red sauce and beef dishes.
Beaujolais
This tends to be a light, fruity wine which typically offers a fragrance of bananas, pears and other mild fruits. While the better varieties of Beaujolais should be enjoyed within two years of production, some of the better vintages can be kept for up to 10 years, whereas Beaujolais Nouveau should be used immediately. This light, tasty wine best complements strong cheese, appetizers, pasta with red sauce, pork and poultry.
Pinot Noir
Varying in color from cherry to a purplish red, which tends to become brown in color as it ages, this wine offers a variety of flavors. Among them are vanilla, leather, earth and jam. That which exhibits more of a jam flavoring tends to present itself in the form of plum, raspberry or strawberry. Strong cheese, pasta with red sauce, beef and pork are the best matches for Pinot Noir.
Merlot
As a mellow, less harsh red wine, Merlot offers a variety of flavors which include violets, black cherries, plums and oranges. This tends to do best with medium-heavy dishes, among which are strong cheese, pasta with red sauce and beef, but is also one of the few wines that provides a beautiful complement to chocolate.
Cabernet
Ranging from mild, mellow characteristics to the rich and hearty variety, Cabernet is deep red in color and typically has the flavor of black currants with a hint of vanilla and oak, as a result of the storage barrels in which the wine is encased. More subtle flavorings include blackberry and mint. Cabernet blends quite well with strong cheese, pasta with red sauce, beef and chocolate.
Zinfandel
This deep red – nearly black – wine is quite spicy with a hint of fruit that tends toward the flavor of dark cherries or berries. As Zinfandel ages, it becomes much more mellow, but is often appreciated in its youth (within the first two years after production). This heady wine best presents itself when enjoyed in union with strong cheese, pasta with red sauce, pizza and beef (including hamburgers).
Port
There are many types of port (white, ruby, tawny, dated, harvest and vintage) and, depending upon who produces it, this wine can be aged from one to twenty years. Bouquets will typically include those of black currants, truffles, pepper and smoke. The two primary foods that are best complemented by port are strong cheese (usually cheddar) and chocolate.
The next time an occasion calls for wine, perhaps you’ll be a bit more ready to take on the challenge of matching a particular type with a specific dish. Basically, all you need to remember is that – in most cases – lighter wines best complement lighter dishes, and darker or heavier wines best serve heavier dishes, such as beef and pasta with red sauce. Before long, you’ll be well acquainted with the wine spectrum and much more comfortable in an environment where you’re responsible for ordering the wine.
