Top tips for pairing wine and food

Many people tend to get nervous about wine pairings, especially when it's a fancy restaurant with fancy food and a waitress who knows a lot more about the wines than you do. You probably want to make sure you match the right wine with the right food so they complement each other.

But things are actually not that complicated when it comes to choosing the right wine to pair with your dish. In fact, anything can be paired with anything. Of course, it may not complement the food, but if you’re just looking to have a nice meal and aren’t too concerned about how the food interacts with the wine, don’t pressure yourself.

Let's just try to learn some simple rules.

What to pair with white wine?

If you are going to drink white wine, you will want to choose lighter dishes. For example, if you are serving pork, you will have to be careful about the sauces and condiments you use. But if it is something lighter like salad, chicken, pasta, these go well with most white wines.

How about red wine?

If you are having a large dinner party, then you want to make sure there is a bottle of red wine. People have different tastes. A glass of Pinot Noir might be an option. It will be light enough to pair with just about anything. For a steak, you might want to think about a Cabernet or Merlot.

The five elements of food

If you want to be more thoughtful about your wine choices, you should consider the five elements of food that correspond to wine pairing and you will be fine when ordering your food and wine.

Salty food goes very well with high acid wine. Champagne is one of them. It is a classic combination, for example, with oysters. Even better than oysters is salty fried chicken. You should try it, this combination is definitely underrated.

Savory food also pairs well with sweet wines. As an appetizer, you can try serving some pretzels and a glass of sweet wine.

 Fatty foods also like acidic white wines. A well-known comfort food that pairs great with a more acidic wine is macaroni and cheese. So enjoy a movie night with a simple but tasty combination. Another type of wine that pairs well with fatty foods would be a wine that is high in tannins or alcohol. You can pair it with a steak for a more elegant dinner or you can just invite some friends over, play some board games and order some burgers. You will love it either way.

Fat tends to soften the tannin and really helps enhance the wine.

Acid: You can find it in different foods like citrus fruits or even tomatoes that contain a lot of acids. The surprise here is that acidic foods also go very well with acidic wine. So they will pair very well with any type of tomato-based pasta or with the good old pizza.

The reason these two go so well together is out of necessity. When you eat a food that is high in acidity, you need the wine to match the intensity of the acidity, otherwise the wine will taste a little flabby.

Sweetness is the fourth characteristic to consider when choosing the right wine, especially if you are having dessert. You will also want a sweet and fruity wine. A recommendation would be this (insert wine here*). Go ahead, bake some cookies and try this, you won't regret it.

Spicy is another thing to keep in mind. Even spicy foods need sweet wine, and when we say sweet, it really needs to be sweet. If you want to try something different, try it while eating Thai food. It will be a real yin and yang flavor.

Of course, there are some of us who like to drink wine by itself without necessarily pairing it with a type of food. This is great because you will be able to choose everything you like to drink yourself.

I hope I have made pairing wine with food a little less daunting by providing you with these ideas. In the end, you should just remember that the most important thing is to enjoy the meal and have fun!