The basics of pairing wine with food to make you a better cook

Many people are confused and intimidated when it comes to wine. Unfortunately, wine experts have taken a lot of the fun out of enjoying wine and have created this atmosphere. The reality is that wine isn’t just for the upper crust to enjoy, anybody can and should be able to get wine they like and enjoy without the pretension surrounding it.

One of the best ways to get the most out of your wine is to pair it with the right foods. This isn’t as complicated as it may seem. And always remember that the best way to pair wine with food is to simply drink the wine that you enjoy the most whether it follows pairing rules or not.

In this post, we’ll go over some of the basics to remember when it comes to pairing wine with food. However, we repeat, you should feel free to break any of these rules.

Acid is important

The general idea is that you pair red with meat and white with fish or chicken but it does go beyond that. The real thing to consider is the acid of the wine and not so much the colour. You can enjoy a white with meat if you follow a certain guideline.

The basic gist of it is that the acid in the wine should be higher than the food. The classic steak and wine pairing, for instance, works best if you choose a wine that’s going to cut through the richness of a fatty sirloin. Instead of trying to find the biggest and boldest red to go with it, look for something whose acid is going to work well with the meat and whatever sauce you pair with it.

Contrasts work too

Wines can be fruity and sweet as well as being acidic. So, pair a sweet wine with something that’s salty, for instance. Think about what makes Thai food so interesting and you get the idea. Thai food very often uses salty, sour, and sweet in the same dish. You can achieve the same result by pairing your wines in a contrasting fashion with your food.

Let’s take a basic salad as an example. The greens may be a little sweet but the dressing is acidic and salty. Sweet wine like a Riesling is a good way to go so you aren’t overwhelmed with acidity.

Match like with like

There are times when you’ll want to match congruent factors. For instance, if you’re eating a creamy pasta dish with rich flavours you can go with a creamy wine to match. If you don’t like acidic wines, then this will still work well in your favour. For instance, a full-bodied and creamy Chardonnay will go well with a fettuccine Alfredo.

A lobster dish with a butter sauce can also handle the creaminess of a Chardonnay. It more depends on your tastes than with a hard and fast rule about using the acid in the wine to cut through the richness of a dish.

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Win a personalised bottle of Champagne

This month, we’re pleased to be linking up with Say It With Champers to offer one of our readers a personalised bottle of champagne.

Say it with Champers can provide bespoke bottles of champagne (or mini prosecco) for every occasion. And wouldn’t winning a bottle at the end of this month really hit the spot in the run up to Christmas?!

After the way 2020 has unfolded – we’d all happily lift a glass of fizz on New Year’s Eve to see this unprecedented year out!

Perhaps you, or someone you know, is getting married next year – a personalised bottle of champagne would be a welcome and fitting wedding gift.

If you’re vegan, Say It With Champers has a suitable bottle full of sparkles for you. The brut Neveux-Rousseau produced in Jonquery is available exclusively from the company.

To be in with a shot at winning a personalised bottle of bubbly, comment below saying what you’ve recently celebrated… or hope to celebrate in the near future. It’s as simple as that!

Just UK-based entrants allowed this month and, for obvious reasons, the competition is only open to adults aged 18 and over. Good luck and cheers!

Personalised bottle of Champagne from Say It With Champers

Price Points: Supermarket Prosecco

In 2016, it was reported that the UK consumed 35% of all the Prosecco produced in Italy that year. The country exports 70% of its total yield – so that means half of what leaves the country comes to these shores.

When it comes to celebrating that special event with a bit of fizz, many people immediately turn to champagne. On some occasions, that can be great, of course. However, a really good Prosecco, Cava or English sparkling white wine certainly beats a mediocre champagne in our book. And it’s usually far more affordable, too.

In recent years, the British public has become much more comfortable shopping in discount high street shops – the likes of Primark, TK Maxx and the different pound shop chains. The same can be said of doing the weekly food shop – and two of these Proseccos are from Aldi & Lidl, whose reputations for an interesting range of products and value for money are now well established.

We can personally vouch for all three of these bottles of supermarket prosecco – sampled, of course, entirely in the name of public service!

Of the trio, we enjoyed the Morrisons bottle the most; crisp and dry with a lovely pear flavour. In fact, it came top in this year’s Good Housekeeping ‘Best Prosecco’ review.

Allini Prosecco Spumante, extra dry: £5.99, Lidl
An easy-drinking prosecco with lovely fresh pear aromas and full of fizz.
Organic Prosecco: £7.99, Aldi (Sweetness: 1)
Pear and green apple are followed by aromas of acacia flowers and honeycomb.
Grown with no pesticides or herbicides used in the vineyard, the grapes are predominately hand picked and gently pressed to ensure only the highest quality of juice is used. The winery is also committed to using renewable energy wherever possible.
The Best Valdobbiadene Prosecco, 75cl: £8.00, Morrisons (Sweetness: 2)
Apple blossom aromas with vibrant green apple and pear flavours.

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

The Best Valdobbiadene Prosecco 75cl
£8.00

Organic Prosecco
£7.99