Generally, people love to have a glass of wine to go with their meals. But, very few of us actually know, what food go with certain wines. You have to really find a classic wine to complement your food or vice versa. It is also known as pairing of the food and wine.
For instance, we often mismatch a strong wine with a delicate cuisine. It is important to give a fine balance. Acidic wines would go very well with oily foodstuffs, fish items and cream sauces. Whereas tart wines usually complement sharp foods.
But, the pairing is also about personal choice. Every person has individual and unique tastes. But, it is best to get some idea about wine and food pairings for a memorable and pleasurable experience. Generally, Champagne wines go well with starters or appetizers. You can follow it with white wines for your light foods and salads. Heavy main meal courses call for red wines and a port wine may be the best way to end your meal along with a delicious dessert.
Some of the wines and food pairings
- Chablis: These wines are dry and steely. Chablis is produced in Northern France vineyards with mostly unripe grapes. Therefore, their mineral quality is enhanced giving it a sharp crispy flavor. You can enjoy Chablis with sea foods like crab, fish and lobsters or complement the wine with meat dishes.
- Chardonnay: Chardonnay is a typical full flavored white wine. It retains its oak like and fruity flavor. Some of the Chardonnay wine flavors include apple, vanilla, lemon and pineapple. You can enjoy Chardonnay with full bodied foods, which are roasted or grilled. White meals like pork and chicken go very well with Chardonnay. It is best to avoid foods like beef, tuna fish and tomatoes, while having Chardonnay wines.
- Port: Port wine has high alcohol content and some of the quality port wines include vintage port, tawny port and ruby port. They all are fruit based and have brandy content. Port wine is a typical after dinner wine and you may choose to have it with your chocolate dessert or even with cigars.
While having wine, it is essential to balance the flavors, and this should not be difficult when you can buy fine wine online. Mild wines should be necessarily matched with mild foods, while a flavored steak may go well with a Red Zinfandel wine. And a rich Chardonnay wine will best complement rich foods that are made in creams and sauces. Similarly, an acidic wine will be a healthy complement to acidic food items like lobster with tangy lemon or spicy tomato sauce.
Wines with more tannin content are produced by including the grape skin, while making the wines. It also includes the taste of the wood barrel that has helped the wine mature into a vintage quality wine. The crisp astringent flavor of tannin is known to be a good refreshing drink and reports suggest that these wines actually help prevent coronary heart related ailments.
So, hope you enjoy your wine with some excellent gourmet food that complements one another in the right way!