Wine & Food Pairing: Pairing

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Pairing Wine and Food

It has almost been a constant puzzle for many people. What type of wine should I pair with what food?

Many people seem to worry about not being able to provide the right wine that will complement the food being served at the dining table. Here are some simple tips that may help get the complexities out of your mind.

First of all, it doesn't have to rely on you to choose the right type of wine to go with the food if you are going to a party somewhere. If you are planning to give a bottle of wine for a gift, then you shouldn't have to worry about what type of wine to buy that you think will go well for the type of food that you are expecting at the party, that is, unless you have been requested to do so. Bringing a good bottle of wine would be enough for any dinner party.

If you are the dinner host and would like to serve more than just one type of wine during dinner, it is always the custom to first serve the lighter wine before the full-bodied variety. The dominant flavor of the food being served should also provide a hint of what type of wine to serve. If the dish eaten is sweet, a sweet wine should also be served to go along with it.

It is always wise for the dinner host to strike a balance between the flavor intensity and the type of wine served. Try to pair up lighter wines with light food recipes. If the meal is more heartier and offers a more flavorful concoction, then a full-bodied wine should go well with it.

Try to remember what type of wine goes well with different types of meals. Wines with a citrus tang to them such as a good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc goes well with fish dishes, in the same way that a lemon does. Pinot Noir wines on the other hand is an excellent complement to mushroom soup.

Here are some more tips for you to remember. If the dish being prepared is acidic, then an acidic based wine would be preferred for it. The acidity in wines such as Sauvignon Blancs and sparkling will also help cut the saltiness in most salty dishes and would be a better partner to it than most red wines. Full-bodied wines usually go well with rich meat and chicken dishes. The richer the dish, the wine with the higher alcohol content should also be served as the alcohol seems to help bring out the flavor in the rich meaty dishes.

Another good tip for dinner hosts is to try and consider pairing opposites. Hot and spicy dishes can be paired up with sweet dessert wines. This can sometimes help giving your guests a whole new flavorful adventure since the opposing flavors from the wine and the served dish can provide a unique tasty sensation that might surprise your dinner guests.

Guide to Wine and Food Pairing

Wine and food pairing is always an individual choice. It is important to remember that tastes and choices differ from individual to individual. In general each person should decide his or her choice of food and wine according to their likes and dislikes. In this article I would like to point out certain basic guidelines which might be helpful when you decide to pair your wine with your favorite dishes. Typically you should always start from light to dark wines. It is good to start with wines with lower alcoholic content and then proceed to higher alcoholic content.

In general dry wines are usually served prior to sweet wines. So if you are having a typical three course meal which includes an appetizer, the main course and dessert, you need to pair it with three different types of wines. Starting with appetizers, sparkling wines go best with any appetizers. These wines are dry and light with low alcoholic content. The bubbly effervescence is best suited for salads and other appetizers.

Coming to the main course if you plan to have pasta or vegetarian food, then you should pair it with the Riesling. This is a type of white wine which is bit sweet and crispy. It is derived from grapes grown in Germany. If you plan to have white meat or chicken for your main course, then you can go for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Pinot Blanc or Merlot. These light wines compliment the taste of chicken or white meat very well. If it is the red meat that is being served, then you should consider going for fuller red wines like the Pinot Noir, Merlot, Burgundy. These wines along with Zinfandel and Cabernet go very well with roasted beef.

If the course includes duck or goose, then you should pair them with wines like the Syrah or Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja. If you plan to have pizza or any other Italian food, then it goes without saying that these should be paired with any Italian table wines like the Chianti or Pinot Girgio. Spicy foods like Indian or oriental dishes can be paired with spicy wines like the Gewurztraminer, Pinot Giris, Chenin Blanc, Merlot or Riesling. Once you are done with main course move on to the dessert. Sweet desserts are paired with the semi sweet to sweet white wines. However chocolates taste really good with Cabernet Sauvignon or even Syrah.

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Wine and Food Pairing - 5 Basic Steps

Knowing the right wine to serve with your food can make a normal meal great, and earn you points with your date, dinner guest, or friends. Instead of picking a random bottle off the wine list, taka a few minutes to learn five basics step to pairing food and wine properly.

1. Balance

It is always best to pick a wine that balances the natural flavors of the food. Spicy, flavorful food should be paired with a spicy, flavorful wine. Likewise, a mild, neutral dish should be paired with a mild, neutral wine.

Most beef dishes would be considered a fatty, flavorful dish, so they pair well with charismatic red wines like big Cabs and Zinfandels. Rich, creamy pasta sauce would be better suited to match with a rich chardonnay.

Use your instinct here. Think about the words you would use to describe the food (rich, buttery, etc), then pick a wine that has similar characteristics.

2. Acidity

Acidic dishes like pasta with tomato sauce pair well with a wine that is also high in acidity, like a Chianti. However, this same Chianti will overpower a mild seafood dish or a rich creamy pasta sauce. So, try to match the acidity level of the wine to the acidity in your food. For fish with an acidic lemon sauce, try pairing with a similarly acidic Sauvignon Blanc.

3. Palate Cleansing

Wines contain natural tannins which have an astringent flavor. This flavor makes your mouth pucker when you drink it, and the tannins cleanse your palate of the fats from your food. "Cleansing your palate" leaves your sense of taste clear and ready to fully enjoy the next bite. This property of tannins as a palate cleanser is especially useful in meat and steak dishes, which are higher in fat.

4. Dessert Wines

Make sure the dessert wine is the sweetest serving. Don't pair a dessert wine with a food that is sweeter than the wine. For example, avoid serving a really sweet French apple tart with a subtly sweet wine. An easy to way to solve this problem is to serve the wine directly after the dessert, rather than with it.

Sauternes (pronounced saw-turn) is the easiest to pair when it comes to dessert wine. It is the most versatile, and therefore pairs well with everything. Pair sauternes with buttery, salty or fatty foods!

Wine and chocolate is the easiest wine and food pairing for dessert. Serve dark chocolate with any fruity red wine and you will be sure to have happy guests!

5. More info

The web has a ton of great resources for all things wine and food related. For specific wine and food pairings, I recommend www.foodandwinepairing.org.

You can pick from a huge variety of wines and foods and the site will pick the perfect pairing for you! Also, check out the Wine and Food for wine recipes, more info on wine and food pairing, basics on cooking with wine and a ton more great stuff! Matt Coughlin writes articles on wine tasting, various wine and food topics, and cooking.
See more of Matt's articles at http://www.wine-in-a-glass.com!

Wine and Food Pairing Guide

This wine and food pairing guide is designed to give you tips, suggestions, and some tried-and-true combinations. Wine and food pairing is a fun hobby that many people feel very passionate about. If you are a seasoned chef or a wine neophyte, you'll find what you need in this brief but detailed wine and food pairing guide.

First, let's start with the basics. Please know that despite the definitive tone, these are all suggestions you can experiment with. So, in general, you pair red meat with red wine and white meat with white wine. If the meat is very mild and delicate, base the wine/food pairing on the sauce or side dish instead of the meat. Remember, wines can be chosen to compliment or contrast the foods served, depending on your preference. If you are going to be serving two wines with dinner, offer the more delicate one first and reserve the bolder one for last. Dessert? It's generally served best with lighter wines.

Red wines are generally paired with strong cheeses, pasta dishes with tomato sauces, beef, and some chocolates. Furthermore, Pinot Noir is an excellent choice for earthy-flavored dishes, such as mushrooms. Syrah is a wonderful balance for spicy dishes.

White wine is typically served with mild cheeses like gouda, swiss, or mozzarella. White wine is also great with shellfish, seafood, Asian food, pasta dishes in cream-based sauces like alfredo, chicken, and pork. Champagne is just the thing to serve with a salty meal, whereas Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for tart or zippy flavors. If you are serving contrasting flavors like a "sweet and spicy" dish, try Riesling. White wine is also very harmonious to the palate for any food with a fresh lemon or lime squeezed over it.

Any helpful wine and food pairing guide should include listings by food, not just by wine, so here we go. Barbequed food is great with Roja, Chablis, or Baco Noir. Chinese food goes well with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Likewise, Indian food pairs nicely with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Lobster blends nicely with Sauvignon Blanc. Pizza tastes great with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chianti, and Merlot.

If you feel that spices will be dominating the flavor of your meal more than any particular food type, here is our wine and food pairing guide for the following spices/flavors:

? Basil - Merlot

? Bay Leaves - Cabernet Sauvignon

? Black Pepper - Chenin Blanc, Gewurtraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel

? Caribbean Spices - Chardonnay, Viognier

? Cinnamon - Pinot Noir

? Citrus - Pinot Gris, Semillon

? Chives - Pinot Gris

? Cloves - Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Zinfandel

? Cumin - Semillon

? Curry - Gewurtraminer

? Dill - Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Semillon

? Fennel - Pinot Gris

? Garlic - Sauvignon Blanc

? Ginger - Chardonnay, Riesling

? Mint - Gewurtraminer, Pinot Noir

? Mustard - Chardonnay, Viognier

? Nutmeg - Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Merlot

? Oregano - Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc

? Parsley - Cabernet Sauvignon,

? Rosemary - Syrah

? Sage - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling

? Tarragon - Syrah, Zinfandel

? Thyme - Pinot Gris, Zinfandel

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Wine and Food Pairing - What You Need to Know

Wine does not only come with accessories. It comes, more importantly, with food. A drinking party will not be complete without food. Or, to correct the sentence, a drinking party will not be complete without pairing it with the right food. Without the food fit for your drink, the party will surely be ruined because the visitors will not be able to enjoy the drink. So, try to know the secrets in correct wine and food pairing.

o Foods that are rich in spices require full-flavored wines.

o High-acid wines are better paired with acidic foods.

o The key in wine and food matching is balance. Do not allow the taste of one overpowers the taste of another. Foods rich in texture match rich and full-bodied wines.

o Red wines are a great match to pasta with red sauce, and red meats.

o Because garlic and vinegar, and other overpowering spices do not go with any wine, make sure that the foods you will serve are not too intense with these components.

o Those pasta and seafood with cream sauce should not be paired with red wines.

o Adding salt to food is useful in softening the bitterness and sharp taste of some wines.

o Foods that are sour and with a great amount of acidity, when paired with wine, will not taste as such; but, will rather have rich flavor.

o Foods that are sweet, when matched with wine, will taste bitter. This goes also with flavorful foods.

o Spicy food will produce exaggerated bitterness in wine. But, adding salty or sourness to the food will counter this result.

o Foods that are bitter will decrease the wine's sweetness; it will also enable the wine to become more alcoholic.

o Savory food will improve the sweetness of the wine.

o Asparagus is a vegetable that is known to have a very strong flavor; thus, 'killing' the taste of the wine. So, do not attempt to serve food with this vegetable or else, your wine will be nothing. But, if you still insist, steam then grill the asparagus; thereby, reducing the grassy taste.

o Salad with vinaigrette dressing dulls the flavor of the wine.

o The higher the alcohol content of the wine, the higher the possibility of decreasing the palatability of the food.

o If you have old wines, do not match it with foods that have delicate flavors.

o Desserts that are sweet must be less sweet than the wine.

o To make sure of a happy drink, if you have more than kind of wine, you ought to have more than one meal.

Your food and wine should match. It is not enough that you have both. You have to be sure that when these foods and wines are served, they satisfy the taste buds of the people attending your party. This way, you will be able to bid good bye to visitors that have happy faces because they enjoy both your food and your wine.

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Guide to Wine and Food Pairing

Wine and Food Pairing Guide

If you feel that spices will be dominating the flavor of your meal more than any particular food type, here is our wine and food pairing guide for the following spices/flavors:

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Wine 101 - Pairing Wine and Food

Pairing wine and food is the focus of this part of our wine 101 guide...

The taste of a wine can improve or worsen depending on the food that you drink it with. There are only a few combinations which really do not work, however, by learning a little you can bring the best out of both the wine and the food.

There are two basic and simple approaches involved; one is contrast, where the wine is different in character to the food, yet still complimentary, and the other is complimentary, where the wine and food work together through a similar trait (such as sweetness or acidic). Either works equally well, but which to apply varies on the type of food being served. Regional combinations are worth paying attention to as food originating from a particular region or country will often pair well with the local wines, as they have both evolved to complement one another. The foods that are hardest to combine with wines are egg dishes, acidic foods, and hot and spicy selections. There are no specific rules or recommendations for these, and it's really a case of hit and miss. Personal experimentation is necessary if you insist on pairing wine with such foods.

Here are some examples of wine and food pairings: beef is best paired with Cabernet Sauvignon, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir; lamb pairs well with Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, or Medoc; poultry served with a light sauce pairs well with Chardonnay, Chablis or White Burgundy; poultry served with a heavy or spicy sauce goes well Zinfandel, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais; fish is best served with Sauvignon Blanc or White Burgundy.However, though these are said to be classic pairings, that doesn't mean that you'll necessarily like all of them. Keep in mind that your palate is unique to you, so if you don't like a combination, don't use it. It's important to also remember that some people only drink one kind of wine, no matter what food is being served. So, if you're entertaining a guest who only drinks white wine, it's not advisable to insist on them drinking a particular red wine just because you think it matches the food well. You can recommend a certain variety, but the final decision about what they drink should be up to your guests.

Want to know more? Click here to continue reading our wine guide: Wine 101

Wine and Food Pairing - Is it Real?

In recent years, it's begun to seem as if writing about food and wine matching has gone out of fashion. A lot of people I know think that it's just more highfalutin wine snobbery, that it doesn't really mean anything, and that its main purpose is to make the wine critic feel like he or she has some special refined information. It's like wine jargon: Who ever really tastes a glass of wine and says, "Wow, this wine is really vegetal," or, "Hey, that's a velvety palate!" Some wine tastes good, and some tastes not so good, so what's the difference?

When buying wine online, it's common to encounter this sort of thing--jargon-heavy reviews, or blurbs that say a certain wine is perfect for a certain type of food. Many people roll their eyes at this and feel frankly lost. Buying wine online, you can't talk to the store clerk about it, and you certainly can't sample anything, so for those of us who aren't wine snobs, it's hard to know what to make of wine jargon and references to food and wine pairing.

From my own experience, I can tell you with certainty that these things do have meaning. Once you taste enough fine wines, and once you begin to learn how to differentiate between different types and qualities of wine, it becomes much easier. Just a few years ago, I was pretty lost when it came to analyzing wine complexity. But with experience, I was able to develop a "wine sense," and now I know there is some truth to these advanced wine concerns.

Okay, now for the wine and food matching tips:

1. Don't take it too seriously. I will admit that, yes, an ill-advised wine and food pairing isn't the end of the world. Unless you're entertaining the wine critic from the Sydney Morning Herald in your home, don't worry about impressing anyone with your refined tastes. Just keep the basics in mind: Red wine goes with heavy cheeses, red pasta sauces, and red meats. White wine goes with lighter cheeses, seafood, white pasta sauces, and poultry. Start from there, and adjust according to the situation.

2. Even easier--match colors. It's funny, but in most situations, you really can get away with matching wine and food based on color: red wine with red or dark-colored things (see point 1); and white wine with white or light-colored things.

3. Consider geography. Generally, the specific wines and foods of a given region have grown up together, and have been cultivated for the purpose of going well together. It's not a hard and fast rule, but if you're making a French dish, whether red or white is called for, go with a French wine. At the very least, it will give you a reason to explore wines from all different regions.

4. The meal is in the driver's seat. When buying wine online, you might have to experiment before you get this right. But the most important thing when considering wine and food pairings is to start with the meal, and choose the wine based on the food. In rare occasions, you may have a fine wine that you want to show off, but even in this case, a poor meal will dishonor the wine. Choose wines that bring out the special qualities of foods, and don't be offended if the food gets much more attention from your guests than the wine.

Rodney Ian is an Australian writer and businessman who enjoys exploring Australian wine and writing wine reviews in his spare time. To read Rodney's blog on Australian wine and receive tips for buying wine online, visit Rodney Ian's wine blog at http://www.buyingwineonline.com.au/

Pairing Food And Wine Is Not Simple Any More, But A Few Simple Rules Really Help Out

Food and wine pairing is not an exact science. Many people follow the old rule of paring red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry.

Unfortunately this outdated rule doesn't take into consideration the complexity of today's multi-ethnic, highly textured or spiced foods as they relate to the wide range of wines available today.

The new rule when pairing food and wine is to try and achieve the right level of synergy and balance. Quite simply, regardless of the food texture or spices in the food, the wine shouldn't overpower the food and the food shouldn't overpower the wine.

The basic flavors found in food are also found in wine. Those flavors include sweet, tart, sour, acidic, bitter and salty (not found in wine, but affects flavor). Furthermore, because wine has alcohol, it adds aromas and body, making the wine and food taste richer.

In order to enhance your success at pairing food and wine you need to do a few things.

1. Balance the weight, texture and intensity of the food so you don't overwhelm one or the other

2. Determine the primary taste sensations in food. Is it sweet, salty, sour, bitter or savory?

3. Complement the components in your wine (alcohol, acid, sugar and tannin) by balancing foods with the same components. The strongest flavor of the food should be considered the primary component (chicken, beef, fish etc.) to be paired with a similar wine component.

Here are two rules of thumb to remember:

1. Wine seems sweeter and less tannic when paired with foods that have a strong salty, sour or bitter taste

2. Wine seems more tannic, less sweet and more acidic when paired with foods that have a strong sweet or savory taste

You need to think of wine as an additional condiment or spice that would go nicely with the food. When you drink wine alone without food, it has a totally different taste than it does when you drink it with food. This is because wine acts as sort of a spice on its own. Once the wine is paired with food, acids, tannins and sugars in the wine interact with the food to provide different taste sensations for different types of foods eaten.

Bitter flavors in food increase the taste of bitter, tannic elements in wine. Foods that are sour or salty suppress the bitter taste in wine. Salt in food can also tone down the bitterness to make sweet wines taste even sweeter. Salt, lemon, vinegar, and mustard seasonings can be used to spice up foods to achieve balance and help pair foods to wines better. In addition, they can either make the wine taste milder or stronger.

If you serve a dish that contains citrus or vinegar (acidic), then you should choose an acidic wine for the sake of balance. Keep in mind though that if you have a dish that is only lightly acidic, you can pair it nicely with a lightly sweet wine. Some acidic wines to consider include Sauvignon Blanc and most sparkling wines like Champagne. Because the acidity found in wines tones down saltiness, sparkling wines generally pair better with salty foods than most red wines.

It is widely known that wine can enhance the overall eating experience by enhancing the flavor of foods. If you pair the right wine with the right foods, you can enjoy the uniqueness of both the foods and the wine. The trick is to find similarities and/or contrasts in flavor, body (texture), intensity, and taste.

All your pairings may not be perfect but many will certainly be enjoyable!

Enjoy!

Steve Sands

www.PairingFoodAndWine.com [http://www.PairingFoodAndWine.com]

It's time to take the guess work out of pairing food and wine, once and for all!

Gourmet Cheese Course - Food Pairing Inspirations

Whether you are hosting a soiree or a casual get-together, your mission is to provide your guests with warm hospitality, lively conversation and a delectable spread of food and drink. Whether the menu is complicated or simple it better be delicious. Serving a sumptuous gourmet cheese course is perfect as a starter or centerpiece of the meal. Not only is the preparation simple (no cooking!) but like fine wine, serving a gourmet cheese course can be mystifying. You may find yourself asking - What sort of foods to serve alongside? How do I select the right food and cheese pairings?

Not to fret! The good news is, you really can't go wrong. Just keep in mind that a cheese course is about observing and enjoying contrasting and complementary flavors. There are no hard and fast rules. Experiment and discover your favorites by using the recommendations for traditional food and beverage matches as a starting point.

Bread/Crackers - Bread such as a baguette and plain or mildly flavored crackers serve to cleanse the palate.
Fruits such as apples, figs, pears, grapes, berries, nectarines and melon are traditional accompaniments as their juicy and/or crisp textures contrast with the cheese. Their sweetness provides a counterpoint to the salty flavors of cheese.
Dried fruits offer a chewy texture that contrasts with harder cheese.
Fruity jams, pastes, and chutneys also provide sweet and sometimes savory notes.
Toasted nuts enhance the nuttiness of the cheeses. Try toasted almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios or hazelnuts.
Olives - The briny flavor of olives contrasts with the richness of the cheeses.
Cured meats such as prosciutto add a salty and textural difference.

About Sara Kahn
Even though her passion for gourmet cheese was undying, Sara Kahn found shopping for it to be overwhelming, time consuming and confusing. She established http://www.thecheeseambassador.com to offer a simple way to select and serve the world's finest cheeses. By providing the perfect combination of exquisite cheese along with a comprehensive cheese course guide, enjoying gourmet cheese is now a deliciously enriching experience.

Easy Tips For Wine and Food Pairing

The last few years, it seems like talking about wine and food pairing has gone out of style. Some people think of it as nothing more than pretentious wine-snob talk that has no real meaning, just like all the jargon-heavy reviews referring to wine as "buttery" or "vegetal" or having a "velvety palate." For people who just enjoy a good glass of wine, there's no need to analyze everything. Why should it matter what wine we drink with our meals? If we like the wine, and we like the food, and if the pairing doesn't cause us to gag, then what's the difference?

Well, I can tell you from personal experience that the more wine you drink-especially if you can afford to drink a few finer wines from time to time-the more you start to notice these things. And after a few years, you may start to say, "Yes, this Australian Moscato is quite silky, with a raisiny bouquet and an oaky finish," or, "Indeed, the complexity of this Shiraz is dulled when paired seafood."

If you still don't believe me, put your skepticism to the test with these tips for pairing wine and food:

1. Don't worry too much: In many cases, the particulars of the pairing aren't so important. Unless you'll be entertaining a seasoned wine critic in your home, don't get bent out of shape over which specific wine goes best with all the ingredients in a meal you're preparing. Usually, it's enough to think of the bigger picture. Keep these rules in mind: Red wine pairs best with heavy cheeses, pasta with red sauce, and red meats. White wine pairs best with seafood, lighter cheeses, pasta with creamy sauce, and poultry. Start with this basic, easy-to-use information, and you should be fine.

2. Match colors: This may seem a little too easy, but nine times out of ten, you can make a successful wine pairing by matching the color of the wine with the color of the food: White meat with white wine, red meat with red wine; white wine with cream sauce, red wine with red sauce; etc.

3. Geography: Every Old World wine-producing region has spent centuries developing its respective culinary and winemaking traditions. In most cases, these two traditions play off of one another. For example, if you're making an Italian meal, you can't go wrong with a matching Italian wine. But, in most cases, this rule of thumb also works for New World wines. You might be surprised to find that a hamburger and fries really does pair better with a California or New York wine than with something from Europe or even Australia or South America.

4. Symmetry: Strong-flavored meals pair best with strong wines, and delicate foods pair best with delicate wines.

5. Balance: If you wish to emphasize the meal, choose a wine that doesn't call attention to itself. And if you wish to emphasize a fine wine, choose a meal that doesn't interfere with the flavor of the vintage. Also, there are some fine wines whose main purpose is to play a supporting role to tasty foods, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way. If a meal is bad, a fine wine usually won't make up for it. Think of your meal as being in the driver's seat, with the wine as navigator.

Caterina Christakos is a published author and beauty reviewer. Check out her latest reviews of aquage hair products like aquage hair products.

Wine Food Pairing ... A Stelze Treat!

Wine food pairing is a lot of fun with family. Cousin Michaela in Austria whipped up this tasty treat of Stelze and paired it with a local red wine "Zweigelt" from Burgenland ...

Too bad you can't enjoy the aromas of this hearty meal.

Wine food pairing at it's best.

CHEERS!

View the original article here

Wine Food Pairing - A Treat from Thailand

Wine food pairing is always an adventure and last night we had the opportunity to enjoy terrific Thai food, awesome wine and the company of old, as well as new, friends.

An invitation from BigAl's childhood friend, artist Franz Strebinger, to partake of his wife, Busaba's, authentic Thai cuisine is something that is always a delight, but in addition we met vintners from the Fischer Heuriger.

The Fischer family has been making top quality Austrian wines since 1953 ... does it get any better? They shared with us the care that is taken with each bottle, the long months that each wine ferments in oak barrels ... the use of oak in wine plays a significant role in their winemaking and has a profound effect on the resulting wine ... affecting the color, flavor ... even the texture of the wine.

Let me tell you ... the spicy Thai food and the wonderful "reds" from the Fischer Heuriger made for a wine food pairing that was second to none!

Of course the evening wouldn't be complete without an after dinner schnapps ... this is typical for Austrian dinners ... I have been told that it is strictly a digestive aid, but usually they taste pretty darn good! Franz brought out a special Thai whiskey ... it was mellow, but definitely had a "kick" ... YIKES!

All in all, a wonderful time was had by all with the wine and food flowing freely ... who said that Red wines only go with beef? CHEERS!

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Wine Food Pairing - Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas

Wine food pairing ... as you all know, I love an adventure that includes wine and food, but the awesome wine food pairing event that I was privileged to attend certainly is at the top of my list!

Guests of Drs. Darlene and James McCord ... Alfred, Houdini and I ... along with a chosen few were treated to a delightful 5 course culinary experience at the Pinot Brasserie located in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Pinot Brasserie has the warm ambiance of an urban Parisian brasserie. Celebrity chef Joachim Splichal traveled to France to locate accessories and antiques that provide the perfect backdrop for his signature California-French cuisine paired with an award winning wine list. We dined on a "killer" surf and turf and a decadent chocolate soufflé ... Oh MY ... and that doesn't include the cocktail party leading up to dinner where I sipped a Pinot Grigio that was crisp and chilled to perfection while munching on yummy Hors d'oeuvres. Those tasty pre-dinner treats ranged from puffed to flaky and all totally delish!

I have included some of the pictures that I snapped while enjoying every sip and morsel ....

We began our adventure with Baby Field greens, caramelized Bartlett pear, Roquefort crostini with a pear cider vinaigrette. What better way to set the pace ... Louis de Sacy, Tradition Brut, N.V. Champagne a delicate golden color with lots of tiny bubbles ... tickled the tongue and promised the palate good things to come!

Onion soup Gratinee Baguette, Gruyere cheese was our second course. This wonderful warming soup was paired with Justin, Paso Robles 2007 Chardonnay. This bright, crisp wine with flavors of peach, apricot, Meyer lemon and vanilla was the perfect compliment for the hearty soup. A mixture of deeply colored, caramelized onions, chicken stock, and layers of toasted French baguette.

Topped off with a thick, creamy cheese crust it tasted as good as it looked!

Our entree was Maine lobster and a "grilled to perfection" Filet Mignon, potato mousseline, mushroom, creamy spinach and Bordelaise sauce. With this we enjoyed a "Two Rivers" 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Houdini and I shared and I swear he was smacking his furry little lips... LOL!

Our fourth course was a Fromage ... an assortment of delicious imported and domestic cheeses accompanied with honeycomb, raisin walnut bread, grape and fig compote. Served with Penfolds Tawny port ... can you say YUMMO?

Now, for our fifth and final course ... a Belgian chocolate souffle served with a Gran Gala orange liqueur sauce. Now really ... what's not to love about this?

Chef Joachim Splichal is a leading figure in America's evolving food and restaurant industry. In 1995 he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, was named "Best California Chef" by them in 1991, and has twice been nominated "Best Chef of the Year" in 1991 and 1994. He was named in 1996 "Treasure of Los Angeles" by the Central City Association and Los Angles Mayor Richard Riordan. In 1997 he was voted Restaurateur of the Year by the California Restaurant Writers Association.

Wine Club

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Wine Food Pairing - Weingut Hans Tinhof

Wine food pairing once again traveled to the Burgenland region of Austria ... this time to visit our friend and vintner Hans Tinhof. Located in St. Georgen, this heuriger is one of the best!

Hans was there to offer us tastings of his latest Zweigelt, one of my favorite Austrian red wines, as well as a Rose which was light and fruity ... very thirst quenching!

BigAl and I shared a "house plate" filled with all kinds of wursts and meats along with a cabbage and Austrian potato salad which paired well with the early red wine ... take a look ...

Wine food pairing ... when you look for a Burgenland heuriger don't forget to stop by and see Hans and his family. CHEERS!

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Adventures in Wine Food Pairing

Wine Food Pairing is an adventure, not an exact science. It is important that you do not take yourself too seriously, but to experiment and enjoy the wonderful tastes and textures of wines that are available to us today!

I have enjoyed wine food pairing since I was a youngster up in the Pacific Northwest where my parents made wine from berries that we picked. They teamed up with a neighbor, recently transplanted from Austria, and came up with some delightful combinations of flavors! With any wine food pairing, personal taste comes into play. Everyone has different body chemistry. This plays a big role in what tastes good to us. In addition, flavors that we grow up "loving" enter into the combination. When we grow up loving a wine, our palate makes exceptions to the normal rule of wine food pairing. I simply MUST drink inexpensive Chianti while eating pepperoni pizza! All of my friends at the table enjoy a cold pitcher of beer, but old habits die hard for me! The entire meal tastes even better if the table has a lighted candle placed in an old wine bottle....get the picture?

Even though sometimes I use my "heart" instead of my head in wine food pairing, I do have some general guidelines I follow when I entertain:

If I start with an appetizer of crudit?s I might pair with a Chardonnay or a Beaujolais I usually pair red meat with a wine that has a stronger taste, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon Dishes rich in fat content I pair with a wine with a higher acidity

Food rich in protein work well with tannic wines. They combine well and decrease the tannin taste. If you were to drink this same wine with a seafood dish you might notice a strong metallic taste or bitterness with salty food.

For desserts, I go with a sweeter wine. Hot chocolate souffl? with a California Cabernet Sauvignon is simply to die for....YUM! Ice Wine is something that I enjoy with most cakes or pies. My European friends really taught me the delightful taste of cheese as a dessert and of course paired with right wine it is even better!

Cheese plates really run the gamut depending on the flavor and texture of the cheese being offered. I serve Champagne with a Brie or Camembert, but on the other hand I might go with a Cabernet Sauvignon if I serve the Camembert with a Sharp Cheddar and a "stinky" Blue. The bottom line in any wine food pairing is that not everyone will enjoy your exact tastes, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go forward. Never let anxiety rule pairing choices. Wine is an adventure and a challenge that should be embraced.....so go out there and experiment and enjoy! CHEERS!

Denise Clarke

http://winefoodpairing.blogspot.com

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