REFINING YOUR DINING (1 of 2)

I recently undertook an accredited wine course with an exam at the end which I hopefully passed and will thus be fully licensed to drink wine.

I thought I would pass on some tips about matching wine to food which you might find helpful. I have suggested wines to go with certain food types but of course you can find a wine below and reverse the process to see which food to serve with it.

I would stress that these are merely guidelines and ultimately, it's all down to what works for your personal taste.

Acidic foods:

If the food you are serving is acidic e.g. fish with lemon or pasta with tomato, you need an acidic wine to balance it. The food will make the wine taste fruitier and a bit sweeter but less acidic. Example wines would be a Chablis or if you prefer red, a Sangiovese.

Salty foods:

These will make wine taste fruitier and richer so if the food is bacon, nuts or crisps for instance, uncork your favourite rich red wine, a Shiraz perhaps. If you prefer white, try an oaked Chardonnay.

Sweet Foods: 

We all know that a 'pudding wine' will go best with a pudding but what if the food is a sweetish tasting main course like some Asian or creamy dishes? These will make wine taste less sweet and more bitter unless of course, the wine is sweeter than the dish as it is with pudding wines. Try an off-dry Gewurtztraminer or Riesling wine.

Oh and the best wine to have with fish and chips? Try champagne - it works a treat!

More to follow...

I hope you found this helpful. Don't bother to thank me, just send a nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec - my favourite.