In order to provide some insight to you, I’m going to invite various people over time to “guest blog” on topic that I think may be of interest. The first, in what will be come a series of these types of blogs is from Gary Landsman.
I met Gary while I was developing Kosher Advantage over five years ago. At the time, Gary was a partner of Dougie’s Dairy, a restaurant on West 72nd Street in Manhattan. While he’s always been a wine enthusiast, in the years since, Gary has transitioned his love of wine from a hobby to a profession. He’s worked in all levels of the wine industry, and has some exciting plans for the future. I’ve invited him to share some thoughts with you and provide an introduction to wines.
Wine is becoming increasingly popular these days, and chances are you have recently enjoyed a meal at a restaurant with a nice glass of wine. Sadly however, the pretension that was so prevalent within the wine industry, while mostly a thing of the past, still rears its ugly head every now and then.
As a wine lover and enthusiast, I wish I could fire all the snobbish sommeliers in our city and replace them with people who are both enthusiastic and caring when helping people decide on a wine choice to go with their meal. But since that is not realistic I’d like instead to help you to better understand the concept of pairing food with wine.
First, I’d like to share some words of wisdom bestowed upon me before I learned much about wine - “the best wine is a wine that you like.” You are the only one that has your palate and nobody else can tell you what wine you should like. Whether you like a sweet wine, a dry white, or a big fruit forward red, don’t let any “critic” tell you that it is not a good wine. If the wine makes you happy, then it is the best wine you can have. That said, there are some simple food and wine pairing guidelines that can help you order your next glass of wine from a sommelier or waiter without having to rely solely on their advice.
To explain these guidelines, I’m going to divide wine into five categories, provide a list of wines that fit each category, and briefly explain which foods go well with each category and which foods clash with that category.
Red Wines:
Let’s simply divide these into big bodied reds, such as the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon (two of the most common varieties used in French Bordeaux) and Syrah/Shiraz (these are the same grape variety), and lighter bodied reds such as Pinot Noir or many Italian reds like Chianti (which is made from a variety known as Sangiovese).
The big bodied red wines usually contain what are known as tannins (generally, the younger the wine. the more tannins). Tannins primarily come from the skins of the grapes and can lead to that dry, puckering feeling one gets in their mouth when drinking red wine. Grilled meats such as roasts, steaks or even grilled chicken will soften these tannins and be a great pairing for such a wine. On the other hand, the tannins in wine make spicy food feel even hotter, and can overpower more subtle flavors such as those found in light fresh fish or dishes made in a cream sauce.
White Wines:
There are the heavier (sometimes creamy) whites such as Chardonnay or an oaked Chenin Blanc and lighter or “crisp” whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or the increasingly popular Viognier. While not all Chardonnay is made in this big, toasty (from barrels) creamy style, many are. This type of Chardonnay (or French white Burgundy) tends to compliment foods that are smoky or creamy as well. These go well with fettuccini alfredo or any light meat that was roasted, smoked or even Bar-B-Q-ed such as lamb, turkey or chicken.
Light Red and Light White Wines:
These wines generally have more apparent acidity or “crispness” to them. This mouth watering acidity (the acid literally makes people salivate more) allows these wines to hold up to salty, fatty, and spicy dishes where other wines may clash. Fatty fish such as salmon or spicy Mediterranean dishes will go very well with more acidic wines. While a Pinot Noir can still be served with grilled meats, it will also go very well with heavier fish such as tuna or sea bass and as well as a spicy meat sauce. A Sauvignon Blanc or other crisp white is the perfect match for seafood, light flaky fish, sushi, or spicy Asian cuisine.
Sweet Wines:
I include this category as many people I encounter enjoy this style the most. As people experiment with new styles, their palates will likely evolve and the sweet wine drinkers will slowly begin to appreciate a drier style wine. Ranging from an off-dry Riesling or the famous Moscatto d’asti to the dessert wines, you may want to try some sweet wine with melon, berries or other sweet appetizer. They also go very nicely with pie, cream and vanilla flavored desserts, or virtually any fruit.
Gary Landsman’s wine blog can be read at http://winetastingguy.com/. Landsman specializes in Israeli and Mediterranean wines.
