Understanding how to pair foods and drinks is an essential skill, whether you are a seasoned cook or just getting started in the kitchen. The right pairings can make a meal memorable and elevate it. Knowing how to pair drinks with food, whether you’re hosting a dinner party or opening a new restaurant, is crucial to providing your guests with the best possible experience.
This guide will provide tips, tricks and suggestions to help you create the perfect food and drink pairing. Let’s explore the world of food pairings.
Basics of Food and Beverage Pairing
There are many options when it comes to pairing drinks with food. The goal is to choose the beverage that will enhance the flavour of the food. This can be anything from water, tea or beer to cocktails. It is especially important when it comes to certain types of cuisine, such as food and wine pairings. The right combination can elevate the dining experience. There are several factors you should consider to do this effectively.
Brightness & Acidity
Acidity stimulates and awakens the taste buds. Acidic wines such as Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc pair well with rich food, like chicken alfredo or seafood, like crabcakes, or spicy Chinese cuisine. Cocktails with acidity, like a Mojito or non-alcoholic drinks, such as lemonade, also pair well.
Tannin and Bitterness
Tannins occur naturally in red wines like Cabernet Sauvignons. Malbecs, and Zinfandels. These wines have a slightly bitter taste (which is still pleasant). Tannins go well with fatty meats like ribeye, roast duck or prime rib. Tannins are also found in tea, pomegranate and cranberry juices.
Tannins in reds can intensify the heat of spicy foods. This is why they are not recommended to be paired with Mexican or Thai food.
Sweetness
To balance out the taste of spicy and salty dishes, you should choose a sweeter wine. For dishes such as baked ham or chiles-rellenos or Kung Pao, choose a sweet wine.
Sweet tea is a great non-alcoholic option.
Combining Ideas for Certain Foods
Here are some traditional food pairings. These are only suggestions. You should choose a pairing that suits your taste buds.
Pork
Pork is often paired with a lighter red wine, such as Pinot Noir, or a white wine that has acidity, like Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Beer is also a good choice for pork. You can also try a German wheat beer or a bold stout.
Apple cider is an excellent non-alcoholic beverage.
Fish and Seafood
The white wine goes well with seafood and fish. Chardonnay, the traditional ‘fish’ wine, is perfect with lobster, shrimp, and scallops.
Poultry
White wine works well for most poultry dishes (for turkey, see the previous section). Riesling is a good choice for a chicken dish in a rich sauce or Chardonnay if you are roasting chicken. Dark poultry meats, like dark turkey or duck, are an exception to the rule of pairing white wine with chicken. Red wine is better for these foods.
Beef and Lamb
Red wine is traditionally served with meats like lamb and beef. Reds that are complex and hearty, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec, go well with beef or steak roasts. The less tannic the meat, the better. Pale and amber ales, as well as light lagers, are good beers to pair with red meat.
A lighter red wine such as Pinot Noir or an Italian Chianti is ideal for lamb.
Spicy Dishes
Spiced dishes can be difficult to pair with drinks. It isn’t easy to describe the flavours of Mexican, Chinese and Middle Eastern food. For spicy foods, a good rule is to choose a white wine that’s light and acidic. Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc are both great choices. Beer is a great choice for spicy foods. IPAs or Belgian ales are especially good.
Cheese
Richness in most cheeses requires an acidic wine. The complex flavours of aged Swiss and bleu cheeses require a different wine. The older the Cheese is, the more complex the wine is. Here are some classic pairings of wine and Cheese to illustrate the point:
- Roses and sparkling wine with soft cheeses such as feta, camembert, and brie
- Chardonnays or White Burgundies pair well with young, firm cheeses such as Havarti and Edam.
- Ports, Sauternes, and Sherry with blue cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton.
- With sweet Rieslings or Viogniers and Cabernet Sauvignons, pair hard cheeses such as cheddar, aged Swiss and Asiago.
Desserts
Avoid acidic foods in desserts, as they will ruin the taste. You don’t want to drink anything too sweet, as this will interfere with the sweetness of the dessert. Demi-sec Champagne or sparkling wine are usually good choices. Some traditional dessert pairings are Shiraz and dark chocolate desserts; Moscato and Creme Brulee; Gewurztraminer and apple pie; port and pecan pie; Zinfandel and dark-fruit pies such as cherries.
Turkey
It can be not easy to match wine with Thanksgiving dinner. Many foods are rich in flavour. Beaujolais is the traditional wine of choice for Thanksgiving. It is a fruity red wine best enjoyed in its first year. Beaujolais’ new harvest is released just before Thanksgiving. You can also choose a dry Riesling or Viognier for your turkey dinner.
FoodBeverage
Pork Riesling
Fish and Seafood Chardonnay | Champagne
Chicken Riesling | Chardonnay
Beef and Lamb Sauvignon
Spicy Dishes Riesling | Sauvignon Blanc IPA | Belgian Ale
Soft Cheese (feta, brie and camembert). Sparkling Wine | Rose
Firm Cheese (Havarti edam Jarlsberg). White Burgundy
Blue Cheese(Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola) Port | Sauterne | Sherry
Hard, Aged Cheese(cheddar, aged Swiss, asiago) Riesling | Viognier Red | Port | Cabernet Sauvignon
Dessert Champagne | Sparkling Wine | Shiraz | Moscato | Gewurztraminer | Port | Zinfandel
Turkey Beaujolais | Rose | Riesling | Viognier
