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The challenge of pairing wine and food seems to be one that preoccupies and overwhelms many people needlessly.
There is only one key rule to remember: eat and drink what you like.
Beyond that, there are a few basic guidelines to help.
1. It is far more important to pair wine with people and situation, not food. Humble pairs with humble (think casual BBQ and friendly, fruity reds).
2. Match weight with weight. Hefty foods pair well with big wines. Lighter dishes pair well with more delicate wines.
3. What grows together, goes together. The foodstuffs of a region will often pair well with the local wines, as they have evolved to complement one another. Shellfish and Muscadet, tomato-sauced pasta with Chianti, malbec with asado, fino with anchovies, chevre and Sancerre (transferred to most goat cheese and sauvignon blanc, for that matter).
4. Fat, so? Many foods have fat; wine does not. When pairing to a fatty food, you have to balance that fat with acid, cut it with tannin, or match its richness with alcohol. Juicy, grilled steak with cabernet sauvignon works so well on many levels.
5. Complement flavours ... Fruity dishes like glazed ham or duck with cherries go beautifully with fruitier wines like gewurztraminer or viognier, while creamy and buttery dishes work magic with creamy and buttery chardonnay. Earthy mushroom dishes are a natural partner to forest-forward pinot noir, while saline mineral foods, like oysters, pour perfectly to saline and mineral wines, like Chablis.
5A. ...Or Contrast flavours. Sweet and spicy works so well in many different occasions. Think off-dry riesling with spicy Thai food, or tawny port with salty blue cheese. Opposites attract.
6. Salt loves acid. Salty foods can turn electric when partnered with high acid wines. There's a reason why Champagne (acid) and Caviar (salt) is so special. And any dry sparkling wine goes with any type of salty snack (crisps + Cava = fab).
7. Accessories matter. Think about the sauces and cooking preparation more than the protein on the plate. A grilled chicken breast with spicy teriyaki sauce will pair much differently than a poached chicken breast.
8. Think Pink. Dry rosés combine the best of both white and red, with the acidity and freshness of the former, with the tannins and berry fruitiness of the latter. Thus, pinks work beautifully with many different foods, and with numerous textures.
9. Competing Sweets. Always serve a wine sweeter than the dessert, otherwise both the wine and the dessert will feel flat. A sugary dessert can easily overpower the wine, and overtake the palate.
10. Bubbles. In my opinion, sparkling wines are the best all-around wines for pairing. They keep the palate fresh, can handle a wide variety of foodstuffs, and they make any event or food, seem more celebratory. Bubbles go with everything, every time.
The most wide-reaching food-friendly wines are ones with ample, cleansing acidity, and moderate fruit, tannins and alcohol. Here is a supersized and handy list of twenty wines that you can stock up on and use often to pair to multiple foods, occasions, and people.
