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Gastronome André Dominé matches his four basic red wine styles with ideally suited foods |
Four easy ways to find the right red
White wine may be perfect for fish, but red is the only choice for hearty suppers and creamy pasta dishes
ACCORDING to many experts, pairing wine with food is a complex and difficult chore. The Good Wine Guide devotes 18 pages to listing a bewildering number of wine and food pairings.
But one expert, André Dominé, has simplified the task. Recognised as Europe’s top food and wine writer, he has identified seven basic wine styles – three white and four red – and compiled a list of matching foods for each group.
Last week, we listed the three white styles. Here we reveal the four reds:
Young, light, fruity red wines, specifically Beaujolais, Bardolino, and Valpolicella or any wine made with Gamay grapes.
High in acidity, they make an ideal accompaniment to foods with a high fat content, particularly sausages, casseroles and dishes containing sauces made with cream and butter. On the other hand, roast meats covered in gravy will not sit easily with these wines.
Elegant, spicy reds. Dry to the taste, they are made from thin-skinned grapes and are low in tannins. Varietals, such as Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Grenache and Pinotage, produce balanced wines.
Often delicate tasting, these wines will clash with dishes containing concentrated sauces. Dairy products such as cream and butter will also cause problems.
Simply cooked meats with light sauces, accompanied by vegetables, make a great match for Pinot Noir and Pinotage. Steak tastes great alongside these wines, while light sauces with added fruit complement Sangiovese wines like Chianti and those made with the Grenache grape.
Strong-tasting fruity New World Pinot Noir wines, pair well with Asian cooking.
Luxurious reds. Merlot and Zinfandel wines are extremely good with food. Merlot – especially wines from St Emilion – and lamb is a wonderful combination. Zinfandel suits salty and spicy foods, as do New World Merlots. Herbs like rosemary, thyme and black pepper also work well with these wines.
However, when consumed with highly seasoned food, wines with a high alcohol content may leave you gasping. But, if you like spicy food and relish a fiery palate, then the higher the alcohol level, the hotter the taste of the food.
Highly concentrated reds. Here are some of the greatest red wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tannat, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Nebbiolo.
These wines taste thick on the palate and are high in tannins. The aromas run from black and red fruits to chocolate, coffee and even leather. They are usually matured in wooden barrels, a process that imparts additional flavours.
Consequently, the current tendency to overdo barrel ageing, coupled with the natural high tannin content in the grapes, necessitates sweetness in the accompanying food.
Roasted vegetables, onions, carrots, parsnips and garlic will reduce the bitterness of the wood and tannin and allow the wine and food to work together. Roasted meats with thick gravy are another good bet.
The level of alcohol in a wine is extremely important. Dishes made with butter and cream heighten the taste of alcohol and this can disrupt a wine’s balance and flavour.
Careful seasoning is also essential – eating salty food with a wine that is high in alcohol can be unpleasant.
Such wines do not make a suitable accompaniment to over-salted ready-made supermarket meals, which should be avoided if you desire an enjoyable wining and dining experience.
The old principle goes that drinking red wine with fish is erroneous – however, this is often ridiculed today. Drink what you like is the new truth.
Nevertheless, the average person drinking a heavily oaked Australian Shiraz with a simple fish dish is unlikely to have an agreeable eating experience.
White wine is the best partner for any simple fish dish.
Heavily sauced or seasoned fish dishes may stand up to one of the light, fruity wines from the first group or even a dry, spicy red from the second, but most people will find white wine to be the best match for fish.
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