Would you like to enjoy your favorite dishes with the perfect wine? I assure you that you do not need to memorize books or eternal lists of pairings. Nor call the sommelier every time they sit at the table. Knowing these seven basic rules, they will be able to choose the optimal wine for each type of food.

MATTER OF WEIGHT

The most important pairing rule says the following: between a wine and a dish there must be a synergy, certain combinations that produce a sense of harmony on our palate. Therefore, before our crucial choice, we have to consider the aromas / flavors and weight / structure of the food and wine.

As usual, the heavier the dish, the heavier the wine should be. A preparation with a lot of fat, such as meat, butter or cream, generally requires a wine with good structure, weight, intensity and concentration.

For example, a classic boeuf stroganoff (beef, cream, vegetables and lots of butter) scream for a red like the Two Owls Special Selection,  the tremendous structure of the wine stands up to the plate and, at the same time, the richness and fat of the meat serve to soften the impact of the wine's tannin.

On the other hand, a fresh and light ceviche we must pair it with a wine with similar characteristics, such as a white  Sauvignon Blanc 2020,  In short, delicate to delicate, heavy to heavy.

WILD CARD WINE STYLES

There are wine styles that are very flexible and allow us to find various dishes that go well together. One of the most versatile is the rosé: with vegetarian dishes, poultry, fish, soups, salads, snacks, etc. Thanks to its fantastic acidity, it cleanses the palate and makes our mouths water.

HARMONY OR COUNTERPOINT

The pairing can be built on similarities or opposites. For example, the magellanic spider crab It has creamy and voluptuous meat, therefore, its natural pairing would be with a wine with similar characteristics such as Vin d 'Orange However, this elegant protein also invites us to work with a wine that offers us a counterpoint, such as a sparkling wine with good complexity and freshness, such as the bubbly Sparkling Pink.

The other trick is carry out a geographical pairing. Nature is very wise and makes the wines from a given region naturally harmonize with ingredients and recipes from the same area.

FLAVORS

• The acidity of the food softens the tannins and brings to our palate the body of the fruit and the sweetness of the wine.
• The acidity of the wines works like a kind of sword that cuts greasy or oily feeling of some foods.
• The salt hides the tannins, but at the same time makes the wine feel less refreshing and more alcoholic. If the wine feels too tannic, just add a pinch more salt to your plate. And if the recipe is very salty, they have to choose a wine with a very rich and pronounced acidity.
• Bitter taste makes wines feel more tannic. Thus, when we eat an artichoke or dark chocolate, the bitter perception of the tannins increases. In addition, bitterness decreases the sensation of fruit in the wine.
• the umami (found in fermented foods, cooked mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and even tomatoes) makes the tannins feel harder. Plus, they push up the acidity and warming effect of alcohol, toning down the fruit, body, and sugar. Many umami dishes are often heavily salted to neutralize this effect. With the umami flavor, a wine also rich in this flavor goes very well.
• Our taste gets used very quickly to a sweet taste. That is why with desserts it is always recommended that the wine be sweeter than the recipe.
• A sweet or semi-sweet wine pairs with spicy foods, such as Mexican, Indian or Chinese. Spicy foods increase the warming effect of the alcohol in the wine.

ORIGINAL SOURCE