When looking to match a wine to a dish, there are two different approaches, the complementary approach or the contrasting approach.

When applying the complementary approach, you try to find a wine that is similar in some way, generally flavour, to the dish you intend to serve. For example, a dish with mushrooms would go well with a wine full of earthy flavours, such as our Vina Amezola, Tinto Crianza, 2001, from Rioja. Alternatively, for a dish with citrus or other fruit flavours, a fruity wine would be complementary, such as our Australian Hugo, Unwooded Chardonnay, 2005.

When applying the contrasting approach, however, one searches to find elements that are not in a dish but those that would enhance it. A rich, creamy dish, for example, would be matched with a white wine of crisp acidity, such as the Duck Pond, Pinot Grigio, 2004 from Washington State, which would counterbalance the heaviness of the dish. Similarly, the earthy flavours of Portobello mushrooms or potatoes would contrast well with the fruit of a Riesling, such as our German Wolf, Riesling, 2005.

While you’re exploring this contrasting approach, however, be careful not to choose a wine which can over overpower a dish or vice versa. A delicate, unadorned fish dish, for example, should not be paired with a rich, complex red wine. Similarly, a simple, easy drinking wine may not be the best match for a dish full of intense flavours.

To help you with applying the complementary and contrasting approaches to wine, here are some common ways that elements in wine interact with food:

High-alcohol wines can overwhelm lightly flavoured or delicate dishes, but can also go well with slightly sweet foods.

Acidic wines can taste less acidic when served with salty or slightly sweet dishes, but also can make food taste slightly saltier. Acidic wines are a good counterbalance to oily or fatty components in food and can provide the best match to rich, creamy or cheesy sauces or deep fried foods. They are also a good match to acidic foods such as vinaigrette on a salad.

Tannic wines can lessen the perception of sweetness in food. Tannic wines taste less tannic when served with protein-rich, fatty foods, such as steak or cheese, because the tannins cut through the viscosity of the fat. They can, however, taste more tannic when served with salty dishes. Additionally, when paired with a high iodine fish, such as cod, haddock or mackerel, an unpleasant metallic taste can result.

Sweet wines taste less sweet, and more fruity, when matched with salty foods or with sweet foods. Sweet wines can also enhance the flavour of salty food. A lightly sweet wine can go well with a very spicy dish, with the sweetness cutting some of the heat.

If you have any questions about food and wine pairing, or any other aspect of wine, contact me at WineGuy@cwjamaica.com.