The delicious tang from your lovely delicacies can only be thoroughly relished with a complimentary glass of burgundy drink. Every meal feels complete when paired with the right choice of wine. The art of experimenting with wine and food is an exciting journey of exploring the in-depth palette found in them both. Paying attention to the intricate flavors that peek from within the food and wine makes all the difference. When you notice this you get to master the art of food and wine pairing.
Embracing the amazing contrast of flavors in your food and drink could take some time getting used to. Using some simple yet significant tips makes it easy to figure out the way to pair the right wines with food. So, before your set the tone for your next meal and set out shopping for the bottle, here are 6 important tips to keep in mind. These will help you pick the right choice of bottles that will pair amazingly with your meal and make you the food and wine pairing expert.
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1. Simplicity should be the key component of your pairing experiments
Most varieties of wine have intricately defined flavors that require delicate attention to enjoy. So the first tip to enjoying wine is starting simple. Pairing wine and food will mean that the choice of flavors that each of them brings to the table should be complimentary so as for you to enjoy it as a wholesome meal. If you are starting to experiment with food and wine pairing, always start simple. Go for wines that do not have a multitude of flavors and layers and choose dishes that have a small range of flavors or ingredients in them. With an open mind pair them and try to understand what makes it good or bad. Instead of going for a straight glass of wine take baby steps and start with cocktail pairing instead. And like Viniq vodka-based cocktails these are a soft and subtle way of introducing food and wine pairing. Some mulled wine and penne could be a great place to start and slowly improve upon it. This way you will know what pairs well.
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Know your food and wine in-depth
Determining whether the combination will be good can be easier if you individually know them well. Before you plan a meal with food and wine take your time to try them both individually. This is especially important in the case of wine because this way you will have a hold of how you can expect the pairing to be. Take your time and analyze the glass of the wine independently. Pay attention to small details and hints of flavors you might experience in the sips and this way you will know your wine better. Now you can explore a large range of food items that might complement these flavors well. Also, this makes the pairing task easier comparatively because now you can choose from the range of foods that will go well with the particular bottle you choose rather than vice versa. Try your food and wine together to understand if the combination preserves the best of both well. If not then you should look for better pairing choices to make sure you enjoy the flavors from both.
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Begin with the basics
Of course, the thought of planning out an 8-course meal with the perfect wine pairing could be amazing. But that would be like rocking a stunt on a KTM on your first driving lesson. The best way to grow up the ladder of perfecting the food-wine pairing is to start at the bottom and slowly progress. This also gives you the chance to try new combinations before you jump to conclusions. Start with basic dishes you cook every day and use general bottles of red, sparkling or white to pair with them. Simply try to feel if the taste blends well instead of looking too much into and enjoy it. With time you will move up to understand the trick to pairing better. Organize meals which aren’t too elaborate with too many dishes because then you will have to make sure every dish matches the wine.
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Watch your ingredients
What you add to your food has a lot to contribute to the way your food and wine pairing will work. So choose your ingredients carefully and make sure they will combine to form a delightful combination rather than a confusing one. Sometimes the main ingredient might pair perfectly with your wine but one small herb or spice you added to the sauce could clash with the flavors form your wine and leave a bad experience. Understand which taste dominates your food and use a wine that enhances this and also offer a complimenting palette of flavors to enjoy a large range of flavors in your pairing. If you are maybe pairing with a sweet sauce stay clear of fruity wines that might make the combination simply too sweet.
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Extremes fit in better
Contrast can be a good way to include a large range of flavors to your meal rather than sticking too much towards the same taste. Your wine should bring out the contents and flavors of your dish and this can happen only when you place extremes together. Avoid combining ingredients that enhance spice such as too much alcohol to ensure you do not have a bad experience during the meal.
6.The pairing pie
Keeping the basic characteristics of wine in mind some simple rules can be laid out to begin the experiments at.
- The acidity of wine can be good when combined with fatty and fried foods. So, for fast food takeouts lookout for varieties high in acidity.
- Salty meals do not go well with acidic wine so you might go for something more refreshing such as a glass of simple champagne if it is at the beginning of your meal.
- Look of wines that have higher alcohol content when you are preparing heavy meals such as with red meat or fatty foods.
- Look for low alcohol and acidity in case of pairing with spicy curries or dips to make sure it doesn’t aggravate the spice.
- Wines with high tannin content are the best choice for sweet food and they make amazing dessert wines. Consider pairing Andre Champagne with sweet bread and ricotta cheese.
- Acid pairs well with acid in case of wine and food pairing. So match the acidity in your food and wine to ensure neither of them flats out the other`s flavors.
- Sweet wines pair well with salty food too so for your next Pad Thai try some outstanding Riesling variety.
A small trick you can use in the beginning is called the regional pairing. Pair Italian cuisine with authentic wines from the country and similar other pairings. These combinations usually work out well. These tricks will help you pick the right bottles for your next meal that will help you create amazing wine and food pairings.
