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Chapter 11 Menu Planning: Horizontal and Vertical Pairing Decisions
Flavor Similarity Contrast Score
Low to Moderate Spice Level Match __X__ _____ __1__
(Food Spiciness = Wine Spiciness: Yes = 1, No = 0)
Moderate Food Spice and Wine Sweetness ______ ______ __0__
(Food Spiciness = Wine Sweetness: Yes = 1, No = 0)
High Levels of Food Spice (Yes = No Match) No Match
Flavor Intensity Match __1__
(Food Intensity = Wine Intensity: Yes = 1, No = 0)
Flavor Type Match ______ ___X__ __1__
(Flavors similar or contrasting: Yes = 1, No = 0)
Flavor Persistency Match __1__
(Food Persistence = Wine Persistence: Yes = 1, No = 0)
Total Score ____6–7___
Figure 11.7
(Continued )
there is a match regarding the sweetness levels and acidity levels. There are no problems
with excessive saltiness or bitterness. Thus, for the components section, this combination
receives 3 points.
For the texture section, this combination receives 2 more points. The beef tenderloin
was not particularly fatty and the Beaujolais has relatively little tannin, so the rule relating
tannin to animal fat is not very relevant here. Since the fattiness in this dish comes mostly
from the olive oil in the vinaigrette, there is a match between that and the acidity level in
the wine. There is also a body-to-body match for the beef salad and the Beaujolais.
In the flavor section, the combination picks up 3 additional points, creating a predicted
match score of 8. The spice levels in the wine and salad are similar, and there is a match in
flavor intensity and flavor types. The flavor types in the salad are mainly smoky (due to the
charred beef) and earthy (due to the garlic and arugula). The smoky flavor creates a contrast
with the fruity flavor of the wine, and the earthy flavor of the salad creates a similarity match
with the earthy flavor of the Beaujolais. The predicted match score of 8 is the same as the
average match score of 8 provided by the fifteen participants.
Collectively, the profiles, the Wine and Food Paring Decision Tree, and the Quantifying
Wine and Food Profiles to Predict Match Level scoring sheet provide some tools and
guidelines for predicting potential matching levels. This process forces you to think about
all of the wine and food elements as you determine the impact of a match or non-match
between the various elements on perceived level of overall match when the food and wine
are tasted together. The exercises at the end of this chapter offer you an opportunity to walk
through this process and to become more familiar with this holistic evaluation method.