Wine pairings

Part of how I love to experience wine is with food. Recently I have been fortunate enough to have several dinners with wine pairings and always wondered if it was a bit of a myth. Do certain wines pair with food better than others? 

The history of wine and food pairings is very cultural. Wine, for a very long time, has been a staple at the dinner table across many cultures. Therefore the habit of pairing international wines with their corresponding cuisine became the basis for many wine and food pairings today. However, eventually the act of pairing became an art form – one practiced by some of the most high-end restaurants today. 

But I do still wonder – do some wines actually enhance the experience of eating certain foods.

According to many food and wine experts it does – at least at a basic level. The most basic element of food and wine pairing is the balance between the “weight” of the food and the “body” of the wine. Robust wines, such as reds (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon) would overpower a light, delicate dish, such as a quiche or a fish. Whereas, light-bodied wines, such as Pinot Grigio, would be overwhelmed by a boeuf bourgignon. Basically  – you want to be able to enjoy the taste of both your wine and your food without either one overpowering the other.

It isn’t just food and wine experts – scientists agree too. Findings published in Current Biology suggests that “mouthfeel", the way food feels in our mouths, is responsible for the phenomenon. For example, Astringent wines often feel rough and dry in the mouth, whereas fats are slippery. Eating them together helps balance the two out. In the study’s summary, authors refer to this “balancing” mechanism as “palate cleansing.” As a result, they found that participants in the study provided lower ratings of fattiness and stringency for the food and wine that they were tasting relative to rinsing with water.