The Ultimate Wine and Food Guide by Corked.PH
You’ve got an amazing bottle of wine – now what? You’ll need to pair it with great food, of course! The main principle when it comes to food and wine pairings is “if it grows together, it goes together.” This adage is more easily applied to certain food types such as cheese where you can easily pair cheese and wine that originate from the same region together. But what about for other dishes like pork or fish?
We’re here to make sure every food and wine pairing you make is superb by discussing foolproof combinations you can replicate time and time again – whether you’re alone or with the company of friends and loved ones.
Wine and Cheese
The main things you have to remember when pairing wine and cheese are:
- If it grows together, it goes together
- Fatty cheeses like Swiss and Roquefort pair well with tannic wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
- Acidic and salty cheeses go well with acidic wines like Pinot Grigio
Wine and Salad
The key thing to remembering when it comes to pairing wine with salads is you need something that can cut through the acidity that many salad dressings have due to the vinegar that is used to make them. Just remember: acid needs acid. So, for a high-acidity dressing, go with a crisp acidic white wine to balance it out. For salads that contain tomatoes, acidic wines may not be your best options. In this case, go with something off-dry to give it some sweetness.
- Acidic vinegar-based salad dressings should be paired with an acidic white wine like Pinot Grigio
- Salads that are heavy on tomatoes, choose an off-dry wine to refresh your palate
- Fruit salads go perfectly with Muscat or Moscato
Wine and Salmon
Most people think that pink wines (such as rosé) should go with pink meats. While this is true to a certain extent, you should also take into consideration how the food was prepared and what flavors are being put into the salmon to make an even better pairing.
- Simple salmon dishes work well with sparkling wines, especially rosé
- Salmon salads need an acidic wine like a sauvignon blanc to balance out the salad dressing
- Salmon dishes that have been seared or blackened go well with a light fruity red like Gamay
Wine and Squid
A delicious and well-cooked melt-in-your-mouth squid dish is traditionally paired with something light and bubbly like a Prosecco or Cava. However, squid can go with many different types of dishes and sauces. Just like salmon, to find squid’s best wine pairing, you need to take into consideration the seasonings and method of cooking used for it.
- As a general rule of thumb, squid dishes require an acidic white wine to balance the natural seafood saltiness
- Lighter squid dishes will work best with sparkling whites like Prosecco or Cava
- Squid dishes with strong flavors like garlic, cayenne, and chili should be paired with a medium- or full-bodied white wines like Gewürztraminer or a Riesling
That's it! Stay tuned for our part 2.
- Uncorked.ph -
