Corey Pierce

You’ve heard the refrain a thousand times: “white wine with fish and red with meat.” Does this old-fashioned reasoning still apply in modern times? It sounds a little too simplistic to help guide us through the myriad of wine options we face today. Clearly, all red wines don’t taste the same, nor do whites — so how can they all be grouped together so haphazardly? How complex do we want to make this whole thing anyway? We shouldn’t need a sommelier certificate just to pick out a wine for dinner.

The fact is, wine and food pairing is not that complex — you just need to understand a few of the basic principles that govern how we taste. First, you need to understand the difference between taste and flavour. Taste is simple: there are four, and they are all perceived in the mouth (sweet, sour, bitter and salty). Flavour is more complex — it encompasses taste as well as the thousands of aromas we can differentiate though smell.

When choosing a wine, it’s best to focus on taste first and flavor second. You need to identify the main taste in your dish and find a wine that will complement it. Very few of the foods we choose are sour or bitter (exceptions include asparagus and salads). Most tend to be on the sweet side (especially sauces) or salty. For foods with sweeter sauces, like a red wine reduction, you should look for a wine with an element of freshness to it — nothing too heavy of flabby. The other main component we need to deal with in foods is fat. Rich, fatty flavours are one of the main elements to address when choosing a wine for a meal.

Next, you can look to other tangibles such as weight, structure and flavour profile. Try to find a wine with flavours that seem appealing with the food you will be serving: citrus or herbs with fish, red berry or earthy spices with meats. Make sure the weight (how heavy a wine feels in your mouth) is not too much for the food. This is the most common mistake made when choosing wines. We often pick wines that taste great on their own but are overbearing and lacking in the acidity needed to balance the dish. Acid is by far the most active component in a wine — it’s what helps cut through the fat, reduces tart flavours and refreshes the palate for the next bite.

When pairing a wine with a meal, you are trying to achieve balance. What exactly does that mean? Balance implies that no one component sticks out and that everything works together to create a sum greater than its parts. You want to ensure that the last bite tastes as good as the first. When a wine is too heavy, it tends to deaden the taste buds and becomes lethargic in your mouth. Think about how good that first beer tastes after the gym or a hard day at work, yet somehow beer number two is a little less satisfying. Food works the same way — it’s the “law of diminishing returns.” By choosing a wine with a little more acidity (it may taste a bit tart on its own) you will help to cut the richness of the dish and refresh your palate for more food.

If you were brought up in Italy, France or Spain you would have little need for pondering over the art of food and wine pairing. In traditional wine-producing areas of Europe, the local food and wine culture has been developed over centuries. Today, these regions provide us with the benchmarks of synergy we all strive towards with our own creations, and although it may seem effortless, they have had the benefit of time to perfect their art.

Food and wine pairing has undergone a renaissance of late, as globalization has introduced a new reality. Fifty years ago you couldn’t walk into a wine store and choose from a thousand different labels, stroll home and order in Chinese, Thai, Italian or a burger. Keep in mind that this whole thing is a work in progress — it shouldn’t be restricted by rigorous rules but instead guided by an understanding of how taste and flavours work. To get the most out of your food and wine experiences, remember one thing — experimentation is the key. Always be willing to try new things.

Here is a list of some food and wine pairings that have worked well for me in the past. Some are traditional, while others are a little less conventional. Bon appetite!

• Trout — Riesling from Germany

• Buffalo — Syrah from California

• Venison — Nebbiolo from Piedmont

• Salmon — Sauvignon blanc from the Loire

• Roasted chicken — Beaujolais from Morgon

• Pasta with sausage and tomato sauce – Chianti

• Quail — Pinot noir from Nuits St. Georges

• Beef stews — Chateauneuf-du-Pape or a Cotes-du-Rhone

• Rack of lamb — Rioja

• Beef steak — Cabernet Sauvignon from California

• Pork roast — Zinfandel from Sonoma

• Shellfish — Chenin blanc from Vouvray