Wine 101

There are a few ways to think about this. Our in-house wine expert Isabelle likes to think of the wine as an ingredient. What does the wine taste and smell like? And would you put this on the dish?

For example, Pecorino wine from Italy tastes like lemons. If you’re having fish, a squeeze of fresh lemon across the top would be delicious. So the wine acts like that squeeze of lemon and the two pair really well together.

Pork goes with apricots, mushrooms go with cranberries and cheese goes with apples. You can mix all of these up and add in your own favourite combinations.

 

Then there are the characteristics of wine. These are the acidity, tannin and body of the wine. Get the balance of these right and you’ll reach another level of food and wine pairing.

 

Acidity

Acidity is when you bite into a green Granny Smith apple and your mouth waters. The acid is reacting with your taste buds to make this happen.

All wine has acidity, it’s just about what level. Acidity cuts through a dish. You can either match them up – high acidity wine with high acidity food eg. sauvignon blanc with goats cheese. Or you can make a contrast – high acidity wine with big round fatty food eg. Champagne with fish and chips.

 

Tannin

Tannin is the drying sensation you feel when you drink red wine. Does it feel like dry paper on your tongue? It’s high tannin.

Tannin goes so well with salty, fatty foods. They dry them out, balancing each other perfectly. Cheese, roast meats and creamy sauces.

 

Body

Body is about the weight of a wine. You can ignore all other sensations and just think about how full it feels. Light wine goes with delicate dishes. Cod loin and a light Gavi di Gavi. Oysters with crémant.

When your wine is weighty and full, it can stand up to big flavours. The creaminess of a Sancerre stands up to aged brie. Big, round Valpolicella can take on a hearty winter stew.

 

The most important thing to think about is how much you enjoy the wine. If you love sparkling wine, then sparkling wine can be your perfect pairing to every meal you have. Always have fun with your wine.

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWLkW9bIYaW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link : Tap to watch Laura, our partner and co-founder of Laylo share her favourite food and wine pairing.