6 Steps to Pairing Wine

It can take years to master the art of pairing wine, but just a few short minutes to learn the art of enjoying it. Don’t spend hours staring at the endless aisles of mind-numbing, cartoon labeled wines wondering what to serve your in-laws with dinner. Read on to learn the 6 basic rules to pairing wine and impressing even the most discriminating wine snobs…

Step One: Match The Color

This is the most basic rule, and probably the one with the most consistency to it. Match red meats with red wine and white meats with white wines. The tannins found in red wine tend to compliment darker, earthier meats. Those same tannins can leave you with a metallic aftertaste in your mouth when mixed with fish.

Step Two: Match The Intensity

If the dish you are serving is light and delicate, try to find a wine with a mild taste to it as to not overpower the meal. If you are serving a bold or spicy dish, try to pair it with a more robustly flavored wine.

Step Three: Match The Taste

This is another basic but important rule. A dryer wine mixed with a sweet dish such as pie or pudding will make it unpalatable. Likewise, a sweeter desert wine mixed with the main course will likely counteract the flavors in the food rather than compliment them.

Step Four: Match The Region

Another easy way to pair wines comes into play when preparing regional dishes. Nothing really compliments a dish better than a wine that has been a staple in that region for centuries. With the recent wine renaissance, finding imported wines from countries all over the world has become both easier and more affordable to do.

Step Five: Match The Event
Try to think about the setting in which the wine will be served and what people will be doing.

Having an outdoor wedding in the Summer time? Think light white wines and semi-sweet reds or fruit wines.

Having a house warming party? Select a few dryer wines to compliment the appetizers you plan on serving but remember: steer clear of heavier wines that might lower the energy in the room.

Thanksgiving dinner? Everyone is already facing a tryptophan induced stupor so through in a darker, heavier wine to finish the job.

Step Six: Match The People

This rule will save you every time. No matter how well the wine matches the food or any other of the above tips, the fact of the matter is that some people only like certain types of wine. If your best friend only likes that 12 dollar bottle of country red from the grocery store, don’t invite him over for dinner and offer him a merlot.

Nothing compliments the taste of wine like the company of good friends. If they’re enjoying themselves than you’ve found the perfect pair.

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