It’s about understanding how different red wines interact with food, and how to enhance the overall taste experience through clever pairings. Here are some key principles and specific pairing suggestions:
basic principles
Principle of similar taste:
Match strong with strong, light with light: heavy-bodied red wines (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) are suitable for food with rich flavors (such as beef, mutton, smoked meat); while light-bodied red wines are more suitable for light food.
Match sourness with sourness, sweetness with sweetness: red wine with high acidity (such as Sauvignon Blanc) and acidic food (such as sea fish with lemon juice) can complement each other; sweet red wine complements sweet food.
The principle of complementary flavors:
Pair acidic, bitter, and high-alcohol wine with greasy food: red wine with high acidity can dissolve the greasiness and make food more refreshing; while wine with high alcohol content can add complexity to food.
Sweet and salty: Pairing sweet red wine with salty food can balance the taste and bring a unique flavor experience.
Color principles:
Red with red, white with white: Generally speaking, red wine is more suitable with red meat food (including Chinese food with soy sauce); white wine is more suitable with seafood and white meat food.
Specific matching suggestions
Red wine and red meat
Cabernet Sauvignon and Steak: The rich fruit aroma and tannin structure of Cabernet Sauvignon can neutralize the fat and protein of the steak, making the taste more refreshing.
Syrah and BBQ Kebabs: The fruity and spicy flavors of Syrah blend with the aroma of barbecue, bringing a rich taste experience.
Merlot and roasted chicken: The rich fruity flavor of Merlot can bring out the aroma of roasted chicken, while its moderate acidity can also add layering to the taste.
Red wine and seafood
While red wine is traditionally paired more with red meat, some light or fruity red wines, such as Pinot Noir, can also be tried with seafood, especially those with a lighter flavor.
Wine and Desserts
Ice wine and dessert fruits: The sweetness and rich fruit flavor of ice wine complement the dessert fruits, bringing fresh and interesting taste enjoyment.
Chinese food pairing
Sichuan cuisine: Sichuan cuisine is generally spicy and can be paired with sweeter, refreshing white wine or sparkling wine. But if you are a red wine lover, you can also choose some light-bodied, fruity red wines to try with them.
Local dishes: Local dishes are rich in sauces and rich in aroma. They are suitable for pairing with heavy-bodied and rich dry red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.
Western food pairing
Red wine: suitable for pairing with cheese, ham, eggs, beef and mutton chops, poultry, beasts, game, offal and other foods.
White wine: Suitable for salad, cheese, chocolate, foie gras, seafood, snails and other foods.
