Wine And Food Pairing

Part 1

general guidelines a winery chef follows

Understanding wine and food pairing can be a very daunting task.  There are varying schools of thought on the subject.  Following, I have outlined a philosophy of creating a wine and food experience that first and foremost highlights wine and hopefully begins to demystify the process.

which came first, the chicken or the egg? 

We may never come to a consensus to this age old question.  Similarly, there are divergent philosophies on how to choose a wine and food pairing.  What comes first, the food or the wine?  For consumers, the food usually comes first.  For example, in a restaurant setting, the consumer will order food and then choose a wine.  Dining as a large group can often complicate the wine ordering process.  This is when the sommelier works their magic, suggesting a wine to compliment the variety of food choices the consumer has made. 

Winery chefs and wineries operate differently.  For them, the wine always comes first in the pairing process.  Once a winemaker chooses to bottle a wine, it cannot be altered.  However, food and the components that make up a dish can be.  This is when the winery chef works their magic, adjusting the balance of a dish to compliment the chosen wine.

the progression of a meal

Meals always have a progression, whether it’s a family style picnic, three-course lunch, a dinner with multiple hors d’oeuvres and courses, or even a buffet.  The order of these meals goes from lightest to heaviest.  The order in which wine is consumed usually follows that same progression: light body to medium body to full body, whites to reds, dry to sweet, old before young.  There are exceptions to the rule, but that’s another post altogether.  Once the wine selection is made, the menu planning begins.  In the Napa Valley most meals start with Sauvignon Blanc and end with Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is, of course, a generalization because each winery is different in the varietals and styles they produce.  But, this helps you get the big picture.  Choose the wine first, and develop a progression with the choices of wine and courses to follow.  Please visit the menu section for examples.

seasonality

There are other aspects to creating a perfect wine and food pairing.  Seasonality plays a central role.  If you are eating outside on a hot August day, the last thing you want is a hearty beef stew and glass of Syrah.  Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t sound too refreshing either, right?  In the same way, Pinot Gris isn’t warming on chilly evenings.  To this end, the style of meals prepared at a winery change with the seasons.  Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc will always be favorites during warm weather.  Warmer months also offer the opportunity to showcase a seasonal light red wine or rose.  During cold weather, we opt for wines like Merlot and Syrah, which compliment hearty meals centered around heavy root vegetables, stews and deep rich wine sauces.  Varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have a lot more flexibility within the seasons and can be paired year round.  A Chardonnay can pair with a salad in summer or a soup in winter.  Similarly, Pinot Noir can work with salmon in summer or coq au vin in winter.  Always keep the weather in mind when creating a perfect pairing.

learning from the old world

The old world (Europe) is rich in culinary history and tradition.  By simply looking to the old world and its cultures, a winery chef can learn much about successful wine and food pairing.  Centuries of cooking have produced classic dishes that pair perfectly with old world wines, and as a result, wine and food pairing is intrinsic to the cultures of the old world.

Many new world wine varietals are actually old world varietals.  It’s no coincidence Italian and French foods dominate the landscape of Napa Valley.  It is very easy to create successful wine and food pairings with these styles of food.  For example, if you have a Pinot Noir, think beef bourguignon.  If you have a Pinot Gris, think fritto misto.  The roadmap to successful wine and food pairing runs through the cultures of the old world.

bridging the gap

Just because you have a balanced dish and a balanced wine does not mean they will automatically pair well with one another.  More often than not, an element must be added or changed to ‘bridge the gap’ in balance between the wine and food.  A skilled winery chef can successfully bridge this gap by altering the balance of a dish, a potentially complicated process. 

The elements most often changed to bridge the gap are the dressing, broth or sauce.  How a chef chooses to alter these elements can help create compliment or contrast to a wine, giving emphasis to its qualities.  For example, a rich creamy sauce can compliment and accentuate the full body and buttery mouth feel of a Chardonnay, while the saltiness of an Asian dipping sauce can bring contrast to an off-dry (semi-sweet) wine.  Whether bringing contrast or compliment to a wine, the goal of a successful bridge is to bring harmony to a wine and food pairing while ultimately highlighting the best qualities in that wine.

have fun!

My bottom line to the discussion of wine and food pairing is simple…have fun, don’t over think it.  It doesn’t really matter what meal you pair with your wine, as long as it’s done in good company and you take the time to savor what you’re having.  That being said, as a winery chef, there is a science to what we do.  We make sure the wine is the focal point of the meal, because at the end of the day, my job is to sell wine.

Cheers,

Richard Haake

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