Food and Wine Pairings for the Best Results
Whether you are having an intimate dinner for two, hosting a dinner party or formal event, the food and wine pairing can make or break the event. Now as I have said before there are certain guide lines to follow, but I do not believe in hard and fast rules that can not be broken. Drink the wine that you like with the food that you think it goes with. And with that being said, you will have an obligation to pair the foods and wines that will please your guests. So what should be your considerations?
Taste Experts
Everybody thinks that they are a taste expert. Everyone thinks that they know the best food and wine pairings. But the host has the responsibility of making the choice. Make sure that the aroma and the taste match up and do not contradict each other. If you close your eyes and smell, the taste should complement the smell.
Flavors
There do exist four distinct flavors. They are sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Interactions of these should be considered. The nose can detect 200 different aromas. The wine that you choose should compliment the food. It should make it taste even better. And by the same token the food should make the wine taste better.
Weight
Take into consideration whether the food is light or heavy. Generally speaking a heavier, heartier entree such as beef should be served with a heavier wine such as a red. And by the same token a lighter entree such as fish should be served with a lighter more delicate white wine.
Other Considerations
When doing food and wine pairings always make notes as to how it worked out for you. So for instance you have the perfect combination. You found the perfect recipe for a fish entree, and the wine that you had with it made it even more perfect. You may want to use that same combination again. Or maybe experiment with the vintage or winery of the wine that you selected.
People are like snowflakes. No two are alike. And this also means that they have different tastes. You will probably never please everyone. Aim for pleasing as many as you can.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Not sure I would do that at a party, unless that was the purpose of the party. But the idea is not to get locked into any hard and fast rules that may keep you from finding the perfect food and wine pairings. Remember, you will never know for sure until you try!
