Becoming familiar with wine and food pairing

Many of us are not even vaguely familiar with the different varieties of wine that are available for purchase. In fact, some of us probably thought red wine and white wine were the only ones in existence. Most of us don’t have any idea of the number of varieties of wine that are in existence. We have dinner wines, dessert wines, red wines, white wines, dry red wine, dry white wine, sweet red wine, sweet white wine and much more. Before you serve your first dinner that includes wine, make sure to understand something about wines. Know what is proper to serve with different meals.

A general rule of thumb is white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat, but there may sometimes be variations to that. For instance, although chicken is a white meat, red wine is the customary wine of choice because it complements a chicken meal better than white wine.

Another variation is turkey which has both white meat and dark meat. Because of both white and dark meat on turkey, one can choose to serve either white or red wine while some may actually serve both-red to the guests who choose dark meat and white to those who choose white meat.

Another thing that is important to understand is the relationship between red wine and fish. Customarily you would serve white wine with fish but in the event you choose to serve red wine, it’s important to choose one that does not contain any tannins since the presence of tannins in twine you serve with fish may give the wine a metallic taste. Though the taste itself is not going to cause any harm, one drinks wine for the flavor thus having a metallic taste takes away from that. To avoid this possibility either serve white wine with fish or make sure the red wine you serve is free of tannins.

Before you have your first party or even serve your first wine with dinner make sure you know exactly what you should serve with the meal you have chosen. Taking the time to research and learn about how wines complement food, you will be able to make a better selection of wine to go with the dinner you are serving. The more dinners you serve the more educated, you will become about the proper wine to serve.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING THE PROPER WINE

Although many people don’t become overly concerned about what wine they serve with dinner, the reality of it is that the proper wine choice will complement your dinner. If you have a favorite wine that you always have on hand, you are certainly free to serve it with your dinner but if you want to have a great party that is going to receive rave reviews, you want to make sure you have the right wine to go with the meal you are serving.

For instance, even if you don’t care for red wine, if you are having a party and are serving beef, steak or veal, you want to be sure to serve red wine and not white wine. That does not mean you cannot serve white wine to the guests who prefer it, but you want to make sure you have the right wine available to go along with your meal.

If you’re just serving dinner for friends, is your choice in wine really that important? It could be if some of those friends talk to others, especially if you are in the professional field however informal, may make a difference in your professional career.

Wine can add just the right touch to your party and allow your guest to relax and enjoy the meal you, a cook or caterer has prepared. Only in an informal setting that includes only your family should
you fail to adhere to the rules of protocol for serving wine.

In some cases serving the wrong wine with a meal can cause a change in the flavor of the food. Although this may not make a huge difference if you are feeding only your family, it can make a big difference if you are serving guests, especially if there are some you have not met before the party.

What may not seem important to you is of great importance to other people. Look at parties you attend and see what kind of wine is served-you can be sure it is based upon the contents of the meal. Make the choice to be informed about serving wine before you have your first party and you will achieve greater success. When it comes to serving wine at parties lack of knowledge is no excuse-it is too easy to find the answers you need.

CHOOSING A WINE WITH DINNER

Some people don’t see the necessity in choosing a special wine for dinner and may simply serve whatever they have in the house. Others however wish to stay with protocol and serve the proper wine to go with the meals they serve. Except in formal settings, the choice is a personal one for the most part although some foods naturally taste better when they are consumed with the right wine.

That doesn’t make it mandatory although some people do prefer to follow wine protocol even in an informal setting. There are others that will even go so far as to tell you if you don’t drink the correct wine with your food you will become ill. This again equates into personal choice and has no substantiated evidence to support it.

In general the rule of thumb for serving wine is white wine with white meats and red wines with red meat. The exception is chicken which tends to go better with a fruity red wine. The same is true when serving fish-you may prefer to serve red wine with fish instead of white wine. Sweet seafood such as lobster are quite tasty with s sweet white wine instead of red wine. The rules are not always ironclad, and there may be reasons you choose to change the protocol such as serving a White Bordeaux with bluefish. Sometimes you have to make choices that are out of the ordinary realm of things for various reasons, so don’t think you are doing anything wrong.

The rules for serving white wine with white meat and red wine for red meat are not in stone and are therefore subject to change as circumstances dictate.

Another thing to remember when serving wine is to avoid serving any wine when you are serving salad. The reason for this is because vinegar and wine do not mix well together. Even with your appetizers you have to consider the ingredients in order to choose the proper wine to serve. With cheese trays you will find that cheddar is best when it is served with dry red wines while Merlots and Cabernet, Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir are best with Swiss. Camembert and brie go very well with a Chardonnay while the Italian cheeses such as Parmigiano, Romano and reggiano match perfectly with Italian dry red wines. You can serve white or red fruit wines to offset the oil if you are serving fried appetizers.

RED OR WHITE: MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION

When it comes to wine, choosing the right one can sometimes create a challenge:

Should you choose red or white?

When and why?

Certainly there is protocol such as red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat, but is that always necessary?

Some people prefer to simply serve their wine of choice without worrying about choosing a wine to go with a particular meal and though that may be fine in most cases, there are times when it might not be acceptable. For instance, a red fruity wine with fish may cause a metallic taste if the wine includes tannin. That means if you want to serve red wine with fish you have to make sure you choose one that does not include tannin.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to serve any kind of wine with your salads because the vinegar will not mix well with it. The choice is yours of course, and if your guests insist on wine with the salad course, you want to accommodate them as much a possible. In that case you may want to choose a dressing that has less vinegar such as French, Russian or Ranch instead of Italian.

Though there is still a small amount of vinegar it is not as much as you will find in Italian, garlic or other oil-based salad dressings. You want to accommodate your guests but you also want to provide drinks that are going to go well with the food as well.

In cases where you are in doubt about what goes well with a particular food, you may find that a fruity white or red wine is a good choice. The sweet taste will go well with most food choices, and if you choose a red without tannin, you can serve it with any fish dishes you may be serving as well.

It isn’t so much etiquette or protocol that lends its hand to a particular wine being served with certain foods but rather how the combination of ingredients in the wines will combine with the ingredients in the food. You are certainly welcome to experiment with different wines, but do it on your own rather than with your guests. Do not use a party as a place to test wine and food combinations although you may ask any of the guests if they are willing to try it outside of the party.

RED WINE AND RED MEAT PAIRING

One of the easiest choices people can make in wine is when serving red meats such as beef, steak and veal. Unlike some other meat varieties, red wines are fairly standard for red meats and the varieties are limited only by the choice of the party host. The red meats fall safely into the wine protocol of serving red wine with red meat and though some people choose to serve a white wine with these meats, they still remain part of the wine protocol.

If you stay with the red wine varieties you can be certain your wine will complement your food. The choice you make is a personal one and with red meat you can choose either a dry wine, fruity wine, Italian red or another variety. If you are serving pasta or another Italian dish you may want to choose one of the Italian red wines to complement your meal.

Keep in mind that if you are serving a salad you don’t want to serve wine with the salad because of the vinegar content though you may serve wine with cheese and fried appetizers.

A good rule of thumb is to plan your party menu in enough time to allow for some research on the type of wine you should serve. This is especially important if you are the type of person who only buys wine for special dinner parties instead of keeping it in the house all the time.

Planning ahead allows you enough time to find what you need and purchase it ahead of time instead of having to rush on the day of the party. You also need to make sure you know how to store and serve the wine. If you choose a wine served cold, you have to make sure you purchase it in enough time for it to chill thoroughly before you serve it. The quality of the wine you choose will affect the meal you serve.

If you can find the right wine at a cheaper price then you should do it but do not sacrifice flavor for price. Sometimes cheaper brands of red wine do not have the varieties you want to serve to your guests, so you want to make certain of that before you choose. If you are the type of person that serves wine with dinner on a regular basis, it probably doesn’t matter greatly but when you are serving red wine to your guests you want to choose something of higher quality.

HOW TO CHOOSE A RED WINE WITH FISH

Although customarily one would choose a white wine to go with fish, there are some people who might want to have red wine instead. A person’s personal preference for red wine may lead him or her to make the wrong decision when it comes to serving wine with fish, especially some of the white varieties. It’s important to know what you can and cannot serve with fish when it comes to red wine. If you do not choose properly, you may find the flavor of the fish negatively affected by your poor choice.

The most important thing to remember about serving red wine with fish is to choose a red fruity wine that does not contain tannins. If your red wine contains tannins it may cause a metallic taste with some varieties of fish. If you are serving it just to your family the problem may not be very high in priority but if you are hosting an important dinner party, it can make a big difference in the success of your party. It is important to make sure you choose the right wine to go with your seafood dinner, especially if you have made the decision to serve red wine.

No one knows everything there is to know about serving red wine with fish or even white wine as is the custom, so you want to consult with food experts if you aren’t certain. Of course, with the internet today, the answers to your questions are at your fingertips. With so many different varieties of fish, it’s difficult to define each and every one and attempt to provide advice on wines to serve in just a few paragraphs.

Making certain you know exactly what you plan to serve will make it easier for you to find out the best wine to serve with your meal. Never make the mistake of thinking because a particular red wine worked well with the fish you served at your last party it will work again. If you are serving a different type of fish you may have to choose a different wine for this party.

Certainly if you are choosing white wine the problem is of less importance but serving red wine with fish requires some knowledge and ingenuity concerning the right variety and blend in order to provide the most complementary pairing possible. If you are in doubt about the right red wine, choose a white wine instead.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Cheers!

Albina Fabiani