The Chemistry of Pairing

August 8, 2008 | by Lorrie LeBeaux | Entertaining, Pairings

For all the wine enthusiasts, foodies, and avid home entertainers, the pairing of wine and food is a serious issue. How can one feel truly credible if the wine does not pair well with the food? Well, it can make or break a great meal, and leave the hostess feeling a little incompetent in an area in which they relish competency. I’ve come to realize that there are some very simple rules to success in the concept of wine and food pairings.

Rule #1
Don’t experiment on guests. That’s what family and close friends are for. They will tell you the truth, and this will give you an opportunity to re-vamp or even scratch a recipe and wine pairing.

Rule #2
Avoid pairing food with hard-to-find wines and wines that may be costly. This can discourage others from trying to replicate a great dining experience.

Rule #3
The old rules of wine pairings are a foundation for great pairings, basically due to color, texture, and taste affinities. For instance, tomatoes paired with red wine is favorable because the color of both is similar, as is the acidity; hence, tomato-based dishes pair well with Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Other major things to consider are the herbs, marinades, spices and other ingredients that you incorporate into the main course. I like to pair pork roast with Pinot Noir. In my preparation, I like to stuff my roast with garlic cloves wrapped with sage leaves, while my gravy contains sage, thyme, sliced mushrooms and other herbs. So, the earthiness of the herbs is also found in the Pinot Noir.

Rule #4
Be creative with left-over wine.  I bought a bottle of Castle Rock Pinot Noir which is very fruity. It’s a great wine to let novice wine drinkers to experience an approachable red wine. The residual sugar is what makes them love this wine. I took the left over wine and decided to make a glaze with it to pair with pork or chicken. To do this, I reduced the wine with a bay leaf, a few chopped sage leaves, a few thyme sprigs, a pinch of dried ginger, and about 2 cups of brown sugar. I also added a bit of prepared yellow mustard, and other small ingredients to make a tasty glaze to put on some baby back ribs and grilled pork chops. I even think it would be great on chicken on skewers on the grill.

I guess you get my point that wine and food pairing is a fun, creative, and rewarding experience. Try making vinaigrettes with leftover wine or marinades. Once the wine is open for a few days, it sometimes loses its value as a sipper, but it can be transformed into another food product.
My philosophy is to drink what you like and have fun with food. Don’t shy away of experimenting with different herbs when cooking. Another thing to consider is winery websites. They provide guides for wine and food pairings, which include suggestions in all food group categories for the main wine varietals. They include things like what goes well with cheese/nuts, meat/fowl, seafood, veggies/fruit, herbs/spices, sauces, and desserts. Kendall-Jackson has a simple guide at kj.com, as do other winery websites.

And don’t forget, when you have an idea for a new recipe, food preparation method, or wine pairing, jot it down. When you sample a wine, make a note of what meal will pair well with it. Wine to me is a lifestyle, and boy, do I enjoy it!