Pairing your Wine with Food

Having troubles picking the best wine to go with dinner? Well the most important rule to remember is that there are no rules with wine pairings! However, there are a few guidelines that might help you make a better choice.

Many people start by comparing the type of meat they are making to the color of wine. For example, red meat goes with red wine and white meat goes with white wine. This is a very antiquated way of looking at wine pairings. When pairing wines, let taste, not color, guide your senses.

Balance. Consider the flavour and texture of your food. You don't want your wine to overpower your meal nor do you want your meal to overpower your wine. Find a wine that will balance out well with your meal so that each can bring out the best in each other.

Tannins, Sugar, and Acid. Consider any acidity, sweetness, or protein in your meal that needs to be balanced. A wine strong in tannins balances well with a strong protein (like a steak). Sweet wines often go well with a sweet dessert. Highly acidic meals, like pasta sauce (tomatos are acidic), go well with a slightly acidic wine.

Spices and Flavouring. It's often best to pair your wine to the dominant flavor in your food, which is often the sauce or seasoning in your meal - rather than the meat itself. Adding some of your wine to the sauce will also enhance the match!

Or, you can just read the back of the wine bottle to see if they make any food pairing suggestions!