Simple Principles to Consider When Pairing Food with Wine

Whether you're cooking with wine or not, you can think of wine as an 'extra ingredient' to your meal. This is because the wine acts to food similar to the way a spice does – it can either compliment the dish, or offer contrast.

While taste differs from one person to another, there are basic principles that one can follow when matching food and wine. There are some well-known traditional concepts, like the idea that red should be served with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. But today's multinational and delicately flavoured dishes, together with the vast array of wines available, make pairing wine with food far more complex.

To complement the recent release of our very own food and wine matching tool, we thought we'd share some of the most essential components of food and wine matching.

The complementary principle

The complementary principle is the most widely used, with most wine drinkers choosing a light-bodied wine to go with a light dish, a medium-bodied wine to go with a fuller dish, and a full-bodied wine to go with a heavy dish. They may take it a step further by looking for similar flavours and textures, such as:

1. Earthy flavours to go with earthy ingredients like mushrooms
2. Citrus flavours to go with fruity ingredients like pear
3. Herbal flavours to go with ingredients like fresh herbs
4. Spicy flavours to go with ingredients like chilli
5. Soft texture to go with creamy ingredients like lobster

The contrasting principle

The contrast principle seeks to find flavours that aren't within a dish but should be. This works especially well when served with simple foods like lamb chops or chicken and vegetables, with a complex wine adding to the overall meal experience.

When seeking out contrast in food and wine, the basic principle is to create two different happenings on the palate. An example of this could be to pair a smooth and creamy texture with a sharp, crisp wine. Another would be a full-bodied warm wine with a cold cheese platter.

Other principles to consider

Once you have these two (very) basic principles down pat, you can delve further into the world of wine pairing with these other rules.

1. Don't concentrate solely on the meat

Just because you have pork on your plate, doesn't mean it's the flavour of the pork that will stick around. Think about what else is on your plate and what flavours are strongest. Is your pork served with a robust red sauce or is your chicken served with a creamy lemon sauce? Does your fish have a squeeze of lemon or is your pasta sprinkled with cheese? It's these flavours that really count.

2. Acid needs acid

Any food with a high acid level will be complemented with high acid wine. Think Chicken Picatta with a Barolo or Sauvignon Blanc or smoked salmon with Champagne. Tomatoes, citrus and green apples are high-acid foods and certain wine varieties naturally produce high-acid wines. Muscadet is a good example, as is Chianti. Generally, wines from cool climates will have higher acidity than those from hot climates.

3. Heat needs sweetness

Alcohol intensifies the heat in food and if you pair a high alcohol, tannin heavy wine with a super spicy stir fry, you'll know about it in your gut. Instead, look to serve a wine with a sugary twist, such as a Riesling or Gewurztraminer. Even if you're not a fan of sweeter wines, you'll be surprised how much the sweetness is altered once introduced to some heat.

4. Tannins need fat

A tannin is the astringent component in red wine that gives it structure, but without fat, it can leave a bitter taste at the back of your throat. The fat balances the intensity of tannins and gives the wine a softer, smoother feel. If you're serving a bold Cabernet or Malbec, pair it with textured food like steak, duck or lamb.

5. Sweet needs sweeter

Wine should always be sweeter than the food, so that means if you're eating a sweet dessert, you need an even sweeter wine. Sweet foods make dry wines taste over-acidic and tart. If opting for a milk or dark chocolate dessert, pair it with oxidative, fortified styles such as sweet Muscat, tawny port or Madeira. If white chocolate is the choice, try a Prosecco or Moscato d'Asti instead. Lemon flavours love a Eiswein Riesling and simple ice creams benefit from Sherry.

6. Earthy foods need earthy wine

A dish of wild mushrooms, lentils or miso with benefit from earthy wines like Pinot Noir (particularly from Burgundy) and Nebbiolo.

7. Hors d'oeuvres need light, fruity characters

A good rosé combines the fresh acidity, fruity flavour and light body required when consuming pre-dinner treats. Try serving a crudité platter with a rosé Champagne.

For more specific guidelines on which wine to serve with what you're cooking tonight, be sure to check out our food and wine matching tool.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.

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