food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
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unoaked white is preferred when paired with yogurt or lighter creamy sauces. But an oaked<br />
Chardonnay also works well with high-fat, buttery sauces by matching body to body as well<br />
as bringing out the butter flavor in each.<br />
Another strategy to match acidic <strong>food</strong>s with less acidic <strong>wine</strong>s is to mask the acidity in<br />
the <strong>food</strong> item with added sweetness or fat. For example, creamed spinach or savory sauces<br />
made with fruit juices (as in Duck à l’Orange) can take the edge off the acidity in <strong>food</strong>.<br />
Higher-acid <strong>wine</strong>s such as Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, <strong>and</strong> Riesling generally work<br />
well with <strong>food</strong>s containing Asian flavors. The acidity in many Asian dishes cancels out the<br />
high acidity in <strong>wine</strong>, making both the <strong>food</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong> taste sweeter.<br />
Studies have indicated that squeezing lemon on a dish can reduce the perception of<br />
oak in full-bodied white or red <strong>wine</strong>s. 23 But acid in <strong>food</strong> is likely to clash with the tannin<br />
inherent in many red <strong>wine</strong>s. Thus, when choosing reds to go with higher-acid <strong>food</strong>s, select<br />
reds from cooler climates to more closely match the higher level of acidity <strong>and</strong> for their<br />
inherent lower tannin levels. Wines with lower acidity will taste flat when paired with higheracid<br />
dishes. Most rosés are too soft for high-acid <strong>food</strong>s. 24 Also, Chardonnays <strong>and</strong> other oakaged<br />
whites generally have lower acid levels <strong>and</strong> as a rule may not pair as well with high-acid<br />
<strong>food</strong>s.<br />
While Old World examples such as Germany <strong>and</strong> Austria have successfully paired<br />
<strong>wine</strong>s with high-acid <strong>food</strong>s, items such as pickles, sauerkraut, <strong>and</strong> similar <strong>food</strong>s can overwhelm<br />
many <strong>wine</strong>s that have more subtle flavors <strong>and</strong> characteristics.<br />
SUMMARY<br />
This chapter has focused on sweetness, acidity, <strong>and</strong><br />
their interaction in the relationship between <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>food</strong>. For sweetness, the general rule is that the <strong>food</strong><br />
sweetness level should be less than or equal to the <strong>wine</strong><br />
sweetness level. The perception of sweetness can be impacted<br />
by a variety of elements in <strong>wine</strong> or <strong>food</strong> such as<br />
acidity, alcohol, <strong>and</strong> salt. Wines range in sweetness from<br />
bone dry to very sweet. Food sweetness ranges from imperceptible<br />
to highly perceived. A number of other elements<br />
in <strong>wine</strong> can impact the match with <strong>food</strong> sweetness<br />
to increase a perception of match, including forward fruit,<br />
higher alcohol, <strong>and</strong> lower tannins.<br />
Acidity in <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> provides mouthwatering<br />
freshness <strong>and</strong> a spark in taste that would be noticeably<br />
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS<br />
1. What are the foundation elements of <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong><br />
(components)?<br />
2. What sweetness level do the majority of <strong>wine</strong>s fall<br />
into?<br />
3. What is the st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>pairing</strong> rule for sweetness?<br />
4. What are other considerations in the sweetness <strong>pairing</strong><br />
process?<br />
Discussion Questions 111<br />
absent if it was missing. The tanginess in <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> sour<br />
characteristics in <strong>food</strong> cancel one another when tasted together<br />
<strong>and</strong> allow other flavor <strong>and</strong> texture characteristics<br />
to shine. The key when matching <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> acidity<br />
is balance—in acidity levels, sweetness levels, body styles,<br />
<strong>and</strong> flavor intensity (more on these last two issues in upcoming<br />
chapters).<br />
High-acid <strong>food</strong> dishes such as salads with vinaigrette<br />
can be difficult to pair with <strong>wine</strong>s. Some things that the<br />
chef can do are use acids that are less harsh (lemon or<br />
orange juice) <strong>and</strong> not overdo the amount of total acid in<br />
the dish when <strong>pairing</strong> with fine <strong>wine</strong>. Cool-climate <strong>and</strong><br />
unoaked white <strong>wine</strong>s are the most likely c<strong>and</strong>idates for<br />
positive marriages with higher-acid <strong>food</strong> items.<br />
5. What types of acid taste the most acidic?<br />
6. What are the five acidity level descriptions? How<br />
would you describe the sensation of each?<br />
7. What are three examples of higher-acid <strong>wine</strong>s?<br />
8. Describe a classic example of a high-acid <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>food</strong> marriage. Can you think of a New World example<br />
that is relatively high in acid?