This week I wanted to introduce all of you new foodies to pairing food with wine. A great foundation to that is to have a general idea on how to pair different wines with different meats. I will try to give you guy a basic idea of how to do that.
Beef
Whether you're serving plain rump steak or a complex casserole, you'll need a rich robust red wine that will pick up the distinctive meaty flavors of beef.
- Bordeaux - Rich, red and full of flavor, this is the classic partner for a juicy steak.
- Burgundy - In a casserole, the texture of beef is much softer, so a lighter bodied, milder red is required.
Pork
Pork can be cooked and served in a variety of ways, and the cooking method will definitely dictate the type of wine that you will need.
- Chianti - For marinated, barbecued pork, choose a wine that will compliment the charcoal flavor.
- Rioja - Roast pork requires a full bodied red such as Rioja.
- Valpolicella - If you are serving pork with sweetened apple sauce, this Italian wine will be delicious.
Lamb
Roast young lamb is far more different in texture and more subtle in flavor than mature lamb. Choose the wine you pair with it accordingly. If you tend to use mint sauce with your lamb you it in moderation, because it tends to clash with most wines.
- Grenache - A blend of Syrah is I=ideal for a roast spring lamb dish.
- Bordeaux -A Pomerol from Bordeaux is best with older lamb. It has a rich, deep flavor but it is relatively low in tannin and acidity.
Veal
You can judge veal by the color of the meat. The whiter the meat the more tender and delicately flavored, in which case it is likely that it will need to be paired with a lighter wine.
- Vonvray - Fine dry and off-dry, white wines are good with white veal.
- Bordeaux -A rich red brings out the more defined flavors of darker veal.
- Souve - This light dry wine works well if the veal is served with a creamy white wine sauce.
Charcuterie
Choose your wine according to the kind of meat and the nature of the sausage mixture. A heavily spiced sausage might prove difficult to match with white wine.
- Shiraz -Very full-bodied and ripe in flavor, this works well with most types of sausages.
- Cote d' Rhône' -A hearty red is the best accompaniment to a good flavorful sausage, cold meats, salami and other preserved meats are often very strongly flavored and are best paired with a rich red. The fat content of meats is more apparent when cold, so you want to choose a more acidic wine then usual.
- Rhone - Aromatic and full-bodied wines from this region are great with all cold meats.
- Pinot Noir -Choose a Californian or a New World variety for maximum compatibility.
I hope these tips help you, if only to understand the importance of pairing wine and food. They compliment each other. So you can achieve the best flavors when they are enjoyed together. Let's face it, what's better than some good friends enjoying some great food with a terrific bottle of your favorite wine.
Food of Love Chef Tre' Donte'
* Wine Essential – (used as a reference)
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