Compatibility of food and wine cannot simply be reduced to the well-known mantra of white meat with white wine and red meat with red wine. The combination of flavors is also influenced by the spices used and the cooking temperature, so for those who truly care about their palate, this can be of great significance. However, for the average food and wine enthusiast, this is not of decisive importance.
In order to achieve the full aroma, the wine should be more acidic and sweeter than the dish being consumed. Additionally, to avoid the wine flavor overpowering the taste of the food, the wine should be of weaker or similar intensity to the dish.
Although we’ve learned in the first sentence that white wine goes with white meat and red wine with red, it’s best to follow the saying “cook with the wine you’ll drink.” Therefore, it’s better to pair wine with the sauce rather than exclusively with the meat because it more strongly influences the overall taste of the dish. In addition to white meat, white wines also pair well with fish dishes and other seafood specialties. Rosé wines are the most versatile for pairing with dishes due to their fresh aroma, making them easy to match with meat, fish, and pasta.
Cheeses, which are associated with wine culture following the French example, are the most challenging to pair. It is essential to have a good understanding of the intensity of the cheese flavor to be able to correctly adjust the choice of wine.
With saltier and more pronounced flavored cheeses, such as aged cheeses, black wines are served, while for softer and lighter cheeses like Brie, it’s best to serve white or sparkling wines. Generally, aged cheeses, due to their higher fat content, require tannins in red wine to blend and neutralize flavors. Blue cheeses are ideal with dessert wines, but if you’re not a fan of such cheeses, you can serve some semi-hard cheeses with light sweet wines.
When it comes to desserts and cakes, most people, even professionals, find it difficult to match the right wine because it should be sweeter than the dessert, which is rare. To achieve this, the simplest solution is to serve Prosecco or some other dessert wines.
To make flavor pairing easier for you, here is a simple overview that can serve as a guide for wine enthusiasts:
