The “grandmother” rule on the subject of “wine with food” is simple, memorable and fundamentally not wrong. It says: “Red wine with dark meat, white wine with light meat”. Or would you drink a Chablis with game and a Chianti with oysters? The “modern cuisine” is more sophisticated in dealing with wines than the mentioned color rule. Greater importance is now attached to the ingredients of wines (residual sugar, alcohol, acidity) as well as the sauces accompanying the food. Basically, the choice of wine is left to the “pleasure” of each individual. For the cultured gourmet, there are optimal combinations and more incongruous pairings.
Some pairs of “harmony”
Rule 1
Light food, as it prevails today, goes with a “light” wine. Light wines are between 10-12% alcohol by volume. In this range, German wines have a very favorable natural starting position due to their climatic conditions. For example, a dry German Riesling or a Chardonnay from northern Italy goes very well with fresh asparagus. A red wine rich in tannins or a voluminous white wine would smother any “delicate food”.
Rule 2
In general, drink dry wines with food. They have an appetizing effect, taste neutral and support the inherent flavor of the food. A semi-dry Riesling, for example from the Rheingau, is also an excellent match for seafood due to its invigorating acidity.
Rule 3
As a rule, sweet wines are not suitable food companions. But exceptions prove the rule, as is well known. Lovely or sweet wines especially enhance the enjoyment of sweet (after) dishes. Note: Sweet wines and sweet foods complement each other, dry wines and sweet foods diverge in taste.
Rule 4
In general, overly fruity wines are not good food companions. They have too much flavor of their own and can interfere with the “food flavor”. For example, very fruity are the wines from grape varieties such as Gewürztraminer or Semillion.
Rule 5
The accompanying sauce determines the wine selection. The cookbook rule says, “Serve the same wine with the meal that was used to make the sauce.” It’s not wrong in principle. More acidic sauces, for example, enhanced by a dash of lemon juice, need a more acidic wine to accompany the food. More savory sauces can be mellowed by wines with some residual sweetness.
Rule 6
Cheese and red wine are considered natural partners. Note here: very strong cheese masks the aroma of the wine. Therefore, you should serve fine wine only with mild cheese. A strong, dry red wine with an earthy taste goes best with baguette and a strong mountain cheese. But white wines can also optimize cheese enjoyment (for example, a Sauternes with a Roquefort cheese).
Rule 7
Ultimately, the “strategy” also determines the wine selection. Should the wine “underline” the dishes or should a “counterpoint” be deliberately set. Counterpoints are set, for example, with wines with a lot of body and great sustainability, that is, with its own personality. How about an older Barolo or high-quality Bordeaux?
