Wine Pairing Makes More of a Difference Thank You Think
We love great food. We love delicious wine. But how do you make the most of both, together?
A truly memorable dining experience, the kind that lingers in your mind long after the meal ends, isn’t accidental. Think of a Michelin-starred dinner at The French Laundry or Atelier Crenn. Sure, the service and ambiance are impeccable, but what really burns the experience into your memory is the food on your plate and the wine in your glass and the way they interact.
That harmony doesn’t happen by chance. Food and wine, a pairing as old as time, form a symbiotic relationship when done right. But when they clash? It can be surprisingly unpleasant. Think of them like your kids in the backseat—when they get along, it’s peaceful bliss; when they don’t, it’s chaos in a confined space (like your mouth).
Primary Elements of Food
In her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat breaks down the four elements that make food sing:
- Salt enhances flavor
- Fat carries it
- Acid balances it
- Heat amplifies it
For wine pairing, let’s add sweet and bitter to the mix. The goal is to match a wine to the dominant elements in your food, considering the weight, intensity, and flavor of both.
Classic Examples
Pairings can be approached in two ways: congruent (matching similar characteristics) or complementary (balancing opposites).
Cabernet Sauvignon and a ribeye steak is a classic pairing. The steak’s fat softens the wine’s tannins, creating harmony on your palate. Likewise, a big, bold wine compliments the body and intensity of a big, bold dish.
But rules only go so far. The preparation matters just as much as the protein. Consider a spicy fish curry. The dominant flavor there isn’t the fish, it’s the curry. Sauvignon Blanc can’t hang with that much spice, but a slightly sweet Riesling creates a beautiful complimentary pairing, balancing the spice with sweetness.
A great example of a congruent pairing is mushrooms and Pinot Noir, both share that earthy dimension, so the wine and dish enhance each other’s similarities beautifully.
A Taste Test That Might Surprise You
During a recent wine class, our instructor had us taste hot sauce with both Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. The Cabernet turned harsh and bitter when tasted with hot sauce, while the Riesling and hot sauce were perfect together—sweet, balanced, and delicious. (The contrast was so jarring I made my husband get out of bed to try it!)
Try It Yourself
Next time you open a bottle, experiment. Taste your wine alongside a few different bites—hot sauce, cheese, fruit, salad dressing. Notice how each changes the wine.
That’s the magic (and science) of pairing. Wine tastes different with food because you’re creating a chemical conversation between two flavor profiles. Sometimes they argue, sometimes they get along, but when they click, it’s pure joy!