Pairing food and wine is nothing but matter of Taste
It is very easy to create a special occasion to throw a dinner party, it’s all about your wish to enjoy and celebrate with your close friends and relatives. However, whenever you will plan to arrange for a dinner party, you will have to think about the wine that should be served with the dinner. Pairing food and wine in a proper manner is certainly important. The right pairing will not only add to the taste of the food, it will also make sure that your guests may enjoy a healthy wine party. The basic rule of pairing food and wine is to go with your preferences or taste; however, you need to keep a few rules in your mind.
In general, it is considered good to mix white wine with lighter meals like fish and white meat. Red wines are preferred with pastas and red meats. However, it is not prohibited to mix it up. You are free to experiment with your tastes.
The following guidelines will offer help for pairing food and wine to attain appropriate taste.
Pairing wine with appetizers:
If you have arranged to serve appetizers like half shell oysters and crab cakes, it would be better choice to pairing them with a fruity light Chardonnay. It is a North American white wine which is very popular. It is an excellent choice to drink with light seafood. You can also taste this wine on its own even before the meal, however, to avoid any chances of a bad hangover the other morning, avoid drinking wine on empty stomach.
Pinot Noir will suit best with appetizers like antipasto or chicken wings. It is a spicy red wine which tastes well with both white and red meat and it is an excellent drink at the start of the meal.
Pairing wine with Dinner:
A Pinot Grigio is considered as the best drink with fish or shellfish dinner. You can also enjoy this excellent wine with pork, ham or veal. Shiraz is an Australian red wine that will suit nicely with both red and white meat. This wine is peculiar because of its sweet flavor which adds the taste of any meal. While Shiraz is best known for its versatility, your guests will love it if served with prime, herbed chicken, rib, pork tenderloin or duck.
Pairing Wine with Desserts:
Madeira is a light wine with excellent taste which will suit well if served with angel food cake, soufflé, or similar desserts with lesser sweet content. On the other hand, if you have planned to serve rich sweet cheesecakes or chocolate desserts, pairing it with Port wines will be a better choice. A Sherry wine is an excellent pair for peanut butter desserts or mousse.
Above mentioned are general preferences of pairing food and wine. However, the taste of different wines can vary from region to region and brand to brand. Thus, before serving food and wine to your guests, it would be better to taste the pairing combination by your own to confirm that the taste is excellent enough to make your wine party a huge success. Your ability of pairing food and wine in a perfect manner will be highly appreciated.
