Food and Wine: The Balance of Power

Ever wondered why that sweet dessert wine just doesn't taste right anymore after a bite of that gooey fluffy pastry? Does your medium rare steak just overpower the sweet taste of your favorite Riesling? There can only be one problem: the weight. It's not a matter of ounce to ounce, but weight with regards to density, texture and flavor. This is the most important aspect of being able to successfully pair your favorite wines with your favorite foods.

So how do you know which wines to pair with which foods? You do not have to be a wine connoisseur, not by far! As mentioned before, it's the weight that needs to match. For heavier foods such as sirloin, prime rib and beef stew, the most popular wines to accompany those foods would be such wines as a cabernet sauvignon for example. If there is big flavor, you need a big wine! Heavier foods compliment the taste of the wine; they have to go hand in hand with each other. If you have chosen to drink a dry Riesling with your steak meal, the taste of the steak will easily overpower the softer taste of the Riesling. The perfect combination for a sirloin would be a cabernet franc or a merlot if it is plain, but if it is topped with a mushroom sauce or has a marinade on it such as a sauce with pepper corns in it, a cabernet sauvignon would compliment it. Red wines are usually higher in alcohol, classed as a medium wine with eleven to fifteen percent alcohol per volume.

For lighter foods such as clams, oysters, goat cheese or some lighter fish such as snapper, your wine pairing should be more directed in the way of Pinot Blanc, a Riesling or a Vidal. Seafood's are very commonly paired with white wines that have a sweeter taste and lower alcohol content, usually between seven and a half and eleven percent alcohol per volume. Of course, heavier fish and other shell fish, such as lobster, salmon or a pan fried trout will pair better with a wine of similar body, such as a Cabernet.

Spicy dishes such as Thai or Indian food have their own specifications for wine pairing. For these kinds of foods, the best pairing would be a low alcohol, slightly sweet wine such as Gewürztraminer, or an off dry Riesling.

There are four factors that come into play when considering which wines are the best to serve with your food. They are sugar, acid, tannins and alcohol. If you are not familiar with the term 'tannin', it is a naturally occurring component of the wine making process, most commonly found in red wines. Tannin is found in the skins, seeds and stems of the wine. When red wine is made, the skin stays on the grape even after it is crushed; the longer the skin sits in the distiller with the wine, the darker the wine will be, and the stronger the tannin, that makes your mouth pucker.

Wines that contain a lot of sugar are the best as dessert wines. They have low alcohol content and usually have light, fruity flavors such as apple. Acidity goes hand in hand with slightly acidic food, such as fish with lemon juice on it, or anything that is cooked using acidic products. Tannin goes great with fatty foods or foods that are high in protein like steak. The same can be said for alcohol. One tip is to not serve high alcohol wines with anything salty, as it will make the wine taste bitter. The higher the alcohol content, the heavier the food should be, with the exception of fortified wines. These wines have been strengthened with grape brandy and are between fifteen and twenty percent alcohol per volume. These include port, sherry, vermouth and Madeira. So, if you are ever unsure about the 'balance of power' take a tour of a winery; not only will you learn a lot about the production of the wines, but you will get to taste and you will be able to tell the weights of the wine you taste. Remember, red wines should be served just below room temperature, whites should be chilled but not cold, and sparkling wines should be served cold.

Sources:
The Wine Regions of Ontario; an Introductory Course for Ontario Colleges and Ontario Wineries; Second Edition.