Food and Drink

Wine and dine

Above: Sherry goes well with seafoods

One of the most daunting aspects of wine has always been the traditional obsession with serving precisely the right wine with any particular dish: of only ever drinking red with meat and white with fish and shellfish. Travelling to wine regions rapidly reveals how wrong these rules can be. In Portugal for example, fisherman like to wash down sardines and salt cod with a glass or two of harsh red wine. In Burgundy they even poach fish in their local red.

On the other hand, the idea that a platter of cheese needs a bottle of red wine can be trashed in an instant. Just take a mouthful of Bordeaux immediately after eating a little goat’s cheese or brie. The wine will taste metallic and unpleasant because the creaminess of the cheese reacts badly with the tannin – the toughness – in the wine. A dry white would be far more successful (its acidity would cut through the fat), while Bordeaux would be better alongside a harder, stronger cheese.

The difference between an ideal and passable food/wine combination can be very subtle. Most of us have happily quaffed red Bordeaux with our steaks, but just as an avid cook will tinker with a recipe until it’s just right, there’s a lot to be said for making the occasional effort to find a pairing of dish and wine that really works. Some foods and wine simply seem to bring out the best in each other.

A sense of balance:
The key to spotting which relationships are marriages made in heaven, and which have the fickleness of Hollywood romances, lies in identifying the dominant characteristics of the contents of both the plate and the glass. Then, learn by experience which are likely to complement each other, either through their similarities or their differences.

Likely combinations:
It’s not difficult to define particular types of food and wine, and to guess how they are likely to get along. A buttery sauce is happier with something tangily acidic, like a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, rather than a rich buttery Chardonnay. A subtly poached fish won’t appreciate a fruit-packed New World white, and you won’t do pheasant pie any favours by ordering a delicate red.

What to avoid:
Some foods and their characteristics, though, make life difficult for almost any drink. Sweetness, for example, in a fruity sauce served with a savoury dish seems to strip some of the fruiter flavour out of the wine. Try fresh strawberries with Champagne – delicious – now add a little whipped cream to the equation and you’ll spoil the flavour.

Marriage guidance:
Below are a few suggested wines to go with a wide range of dishes and ingredients, taking the dominant flavour as the key point. Don’t treat any of this advice as gospel – use it as a launch pad for your own food and wine experiments.

Meat

Roast beef: Côte Rôtie, good Burgundy.

Steak: Pinot Noir and Merlot from New World; Australian Shiraz; Châteauneuf-du-pape; good, ripe Burgundy

Barbecued chicken: Rich and tasty white, Chardonnay.

Duck: Pinot Noir from burgundy, California or Oregon, or off-dry German Riesling, Sauternes

Roast chicken: Reds or whites though nothing too heavy. Burgundy is good, as is Barbera, though Soave will do as well.

Roast turkey: Beaujolais, light Burgundy and rich or off-dry whites.

Pheasant: Top-class, red Burgundy, good American Pinot Noir, or mature Hermitage.

Venison: Pinotage; rich red Rhône; mature Burgundy; earthy Italian reds.

Lamb chops: Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, Chilean Cabernet.

Roast lamb with thyme: New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon or Bourgeuil.

Shepherd’s pie: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Minervois, Zinfandel, Beaujolais.

Bacon: Rich Pinot Gris or Alsace Riesling.

Barbecued spare ribs: Fruity Australian Shiraz; Zinfandel; spicy Côte du Rhône from ripe vintage.

Honey roast ham: Riesling.

Pork sausages: Spicy Rhône reds, Barbera.

Roast pork: Rioja reserve, New World Pinot Noir, dry Vouvray.

Indian (general): Gewurztraminer (spicy dishes), New World Chardonnay (creamy yogurt dishes), New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Tandoori).

Fish pie: Manzanilla, Chablis, Muscadet.

Cod: Unoaked Chardonnay; good white Burgundy; dry Loire Chenin.

Oysters: Champagne or Chablis

Prawns: White Bordeaux; dry Australian Riesling; Gavi.

Tuna: Alsace Pinot Gris, Australian Chardonnay, Beaujolais.

Brie: Sancerre or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Roquefort: The classic match is Sauternes or Barsac, but almost any full-flavoured, botytized sweet wine will be a partner for strong, creamy blue cheese.

Stilton: Tawny port.