Food and Wine 101:

Simple Tips for Pairing, Sharing and Snacking

Simple tips to ensure wine and food are in sync

I’m pretty sure most wine people are also food people. We love popping the cork on a nice bottle while tooling around the kitchen making dinner for family and friends.

We enjoy sharing the stories of a favorite recipe and how we discovered that just-perfect bottle (at Sip Happens, of course!) to enhance a dish’s flavor. We’re happiest when big smiles follow the first few bites and sips of something lovingly prepared.

For centuries, wine has been the most food-friendly beverage. And while we often stress over finding the perfect bottle, a few simple tips can ensure that wine’s subtle aromas and flavors are seamlessly synced with our gastronomic sustenance.

Tip #1 Keep Wine and Food Complementary

Pair light-bodied wines with light foods such as seafood, simple grilled or roasted white meats, salads and vegetables. Think easy-drinking wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño and Vermentino with simple foods and flavors.

Pair fuller-bodied, more complex reds and red blends with heartier dishes such as grilled or roasted red meats, rich sauces and pasta. There’s a proven reason big, bold, rich wines like Napa Cabs, Bordeaux blends and Spanish Rioja go well with rich foods like steak, chili, ossobucco or pot roast.

Tip #2 Let Opposites Attract

On the contrary, you can also match food and wine that seem to be opposites. Pair a complex dish with lots of flavors, or a meal with lots of components, with wine that doesn’t compete. (Pinot Grigio, Rosé, or Pinot Noir with Thanksgiving dinner; Dry Riesling  with Asian and Chinese food.)

Tip #3 Higher Acid Wines Enhance all Foods

Italian wines, both red and white, are known for their high acidity and savory herbal notes, and pair well with just about any food, especially pizza, pasta, burgers, etc. Similarly, salty and fatty foods like bacon, cheese, potato chips, or a classic charcuterie board, enhance the fruitiness of most wines. Got a backyard pizza oven, smoker, or grill? Keep a bottle of Chianti, Brunello or Barolo at the ready!

Tip #4 Match Sweet Desserts with Sweet Wines

Sweet sauces and desserts can be tricky to pair with wine. Sugar makes dry wines seem more bitter and tart, so pair sweet desserts with wines of equal sweetness. Off-dry Riesling, Sauternes, Port or Ice wine, or Sparkling wine with a higher dosage. Look for the terms Extra Dry/Sec, Dry/Sec, Demi-Sec or Doux on the label which indicate higher sugar. (Zero Dosage, Brut Nature, Brut, and Extra Brut all mean dry).

Tip #5 Start with Sparkling

Speaking of sparkling, Prosecco, Cava, Champagne and U.S. bubbly, provide the perfect zing to wake up your palate along with light bites or a first course. Serve them with apps, grazing tables, brunch or as an aperitif when guests arrive.

Tip #6 Don’t Hate on Chardonnay

Hear me out: Chardonnay is a great food pairing wine because it comes in a range of styles – crisp and refreshing when made in stainless steel like Chablis, more rich and creamy when made in oak like those from Russian River. Chardonnay styles are continuing to evolve around the world, turning much less oaky and buttery to far more balanced. So, if you think you don’t like Chardonnay, ask how it’s made, and try, try again!

Tip # 7 Experiment with Fun High/Low Pairings

Champagne and fried chicken. White Bordeaux with Cheddar Popcorn. Halloween Candy and Girl Scout Cookies with plush reds like Merlot. There’s room for creativity when it comes to pairing wine and food. (Hint: You can have red wine with fish, just keep it light and slightly chilled like a Beaujolais/Gamay, or a light Grenache/Garnacha.)

Tip #8 Reach for Rosé or Orange Wines

To me, one of the easiest wines to pair with any food, and the best of all worlds, is rosé! Made from red grapes with limited skin contact during fermentation, they’re just a lighter version of some of your favorite red wines (Grenache, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir). Rosés and orange wines (white grapes made with skin contact) offer the perfect bridge between whites and reds, are warm-weather crowd pleasers, and compliment a range of flavorful foods.

• Want to learn more about how the flavors of wine and food play together? Come to our Specialty Wine and Cheese Tasting, Take it Cheesy, on Sept. 26! Register HERE.

• And if you’re in the shop sipping from the Enomatic machines or our By-The-Glass selections, try our new snack pack deal ($22.98) which features cheese, meat, salty snacks and chocolate to see how they bring out the best notes in your favorite wines!

– By Alyson Walls, WSET Level 3