Pairing Food and Wine - Coursework Example

Your first and sur Your Due Pairing Food and Wine Wine has been associated with romance and sophistication ever since it was discovered. Wine making developed as a craft originally practiced by the country folk in their endeavor to preserve surplus fruits and vegetables. The art of wine making as well as serving has now assumed an aura of sophistication and requires great skill. Quaint and exquisite strategies have been developed on serving particular wines with certain foods. Compatibility between food and wine is associated both with finesse and utmost accuracy, and any aberration is disapproved of by the masters of the art. The best wines are usually made from grapes but a variety of fruits have been experimented upon and wonderful results obtained. Although wine is brewed professionally in some renowned locations in the world, it is also a domestic practice in some regions of the world. Wines vary in nature depending upon their dryness or sweetness. Wines and the associated food repertoire have been developed into a fine skill by the master chefs, with the progress in culinary arts and fine serving skills during the development of modern catering. Wine lovers are very particular and specific in their tastes and the differences in the properties of wines make them particularly suitable to certain kinds of foods (Tritton, 1965). Pairing The old rule of pairing red wines with red meat and white wines with white meat does hold true till today but it has assumed less significance due to the multiplicity of cuisines from around the world readily available in modern day food market and restaurants. People are fond of tickling their palate with varieties of food associated with particular ethnicities from around the world. The opening of food outlets specializing in Chinese, Mexican, Spanish, Japanese, Indian and other regions of the world is a testimony to the fact. This has stimulated the connoisseurs of food and wine to come up with exquisite, elaborate and brilliant new combinations which are the toast of food lovers of this world. Types of Wines For a better understanding of pairing wines with food, one must know what kinds of wine are available in the market. According to (Goolden , 1986) in the ‘Reader’s Digest Guide to Creative Cooking and Entertaining’ , ‘Wines are almost exclusively made from the species of grape, Vitis vinifera which contains all the ingredients necessary for a good wine’. According to the author, most wines are made from the grapes of the harvest from the vineyards in a single year, known as vintage. The wines thus obtained are known as ‘vintage’ wines. Cheaper table wines and most of the champagnes could be blends of different wines from different vintages. The variety of grapes used to prepare a wine also has a strong influence on the character and flavor of the wine obtained. Some wines are prepared from a single variety of the grapes while others are a blend of multiple varieties or different varieties could be used to prepare a certain type or brand of wine. Wines have also been described according to ‘style’ as an important way of categorizing them is according to ‘body’ (Goolden, 1986). Full bodied wines are those in which the predominant characteristic is their ability to ‘fill the mouth with flavor’ which stays for a long time after the wine has been swallowed. Examples of such wines are ‘Californian Cabernet Sauvignons, Italian Barolo and French Cháteauneuf-du-Pape’ (Goolden, 1986). Light bodied wines have flavors which are simple and pure and the prime example is Beaujolais. The white wines on the other hand are not classified according to ‘body’ but are differentiated based on their ‘dryness’ or ‘sweetness’. Dry white wines have a crisp fresh taste and are lighter in ‘body’ while sweet ones have a fuller ‘body’ and are rich in flavor (Goolden, 1986). They have a grading system (1-9) indicating the degree of dryness or sweetness with the maximum value corresponding to maximum sweetness. The major varieties of grapes used to make red wines are ‘Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Carignan, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese’ to name a few and they are grown in particular locations within the wine brewing countries (Goolden, 1986). The white wines are sometimes made from black grapes which have their skin peeled off but mostly they are made from white grapes. Some of the prominent white grape varieties used are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Sauvignon Blanc (Goolden, 1986). However black grapes of the varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are used for making champagnes which are white and classified into a special category of ‘sparkling wines’ which have carbon dioxide dissolved in them during fermentation. Serving and Pairing Serving of wine has some important aspects such as the right temperature, use of an appropriate corkscrew to open the bottle, letting the wine ‘breathe’ before serving and sometimes decanting of older wines in order to avoid the sediments from mixing into the liquid. Pairing of wine with food should be a balanced affair in which neither of the two should overpower each other. The selected wine should compliment the food with which it is served. The sensation and the character of both if served alone can be totally different from the context when they are served together. The different components of the wine i.e. the tannins, acids and sugars act in such a way that they are complimentary to the food and add to its flavor as condiments (www.inetours.com). The general pattern of serving wines follows the lower to the higher order according to the classification of wines. Low alcohol wine precedes the serving of a high alcohol one, light bodied precedes that of a heavy bodied one and a dry wine precedes the serving of a sweeter wine. Light bodied wines are essentially paired with light food and snacks while heavy bodied wines are served with high fat, rich and flavored food items. Pairing a wine with a food item which is sweeter than the wine served is not recommended. Sheer contrasts are also recommended specially with the spicy, hot foods of Mexican and Chinese origins, where a sweet wine will counteract the hotness and spices in the food. Regional specificity is also important as the wines have been developed over the history according to the food items and patterns of a particular geographical location e.g. the French wines will be complimentary to the French food items. Historically, the food items have been associated with certain classes of wines. Fish is ideally paired with the more acid wines while veal and fowl are paired with more perfumed and less dry wines like Hocks or sometimes slightly sweeter wines like drier Graves or Liebfraumilch (Tritton). Red meat calls for a combination with red wines which are generally dry with a hint of sweetness. The stronger the flavor of meat, the more it will blend with a high tannin dark red wine. A Rosé wine, slightly chilled will compliment any dish which contains fowl, cheese or eggs as their ingredients. Red wines should be ideally served at a temperature slightly above 60° F and should be allowed to ‘breathe’ and come to room temperature before serving. The general rule of the thumb is to serve the more acid wines at cooler temperatures. The most acid wines should be served at 53-54° F (Tritton). Such wines are generally complimentary to any of the fish dishes. In some European countries the best wines are served with the cheese course (www.inetours.com). Red wines usually go well with mild to sharp cheese while sweeter wines are paired with pungent and intensely flavored cheese. Wines high in acidity are ideally paired with rich, creamy, cheesy sauces, rich fried foods and fish dishes. Similarly wines high in tannins will pair better with foods which have a very high fat content as they will compliment by cutting into the fat. In order to accentuate a prized wine it is absolutely necessary not to choose strongly flavored and spicy foods as they will dominate and diminish the effect which the wine is supposed to have on the consumer. The following table (Goolden, 1986, Adapted from Reader’s Digest Guide to Creative Cooking and Entertaining) gives an ideal pairing suggestion of different types of wines with different foods: TABLE I Kind of Food Red Wines White Wines Rosé Light Bodied Medium Bodied Full Bodied Light Dry Full Dry Medium Dry Sweet Pasta* √ √ √ √ √ √ Fish** √ √ √ √ √ √ White Meat √ √ √ √ √ √ Red Meat √ √ Mild Spicy Food √ Cold Meat √ √ √ √ √ √ Salad with dressing √ √ √ Desserts (Except Chocolate) √ Cheese √ √ √ √ √ Cheese Hard/Blue √ √ √ *, ** Depending on Sauce Type √ Recommended The recommended wines (Goolden, 1986) with the specifications given in the table are as follows: 1. Light Bodied Red Wines: ‘Beaujolais, young Chianti, Valpolicella, Gamay, Merlot’. 2. Medium Bodied Reds: “‘cru’ Beaujolais, young Bordeaux, young Burgundy, Rioja, Penedés, Eastern European and Californian Cabernet Sauvignons”. 3. Full Bodied Reds: ‘older Bordeaux, older Burgundy, Barbaresco, Barolo, Dão, Syrah, Californian Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz’. 4. Light Dry Whites: ‘ Alsace Pinot Blanc and Riesling, Bourgogne, Aligoté, Entre–Deux-Mers, Loire White, Soave, new style Rioja and Penedés white, vinho verde’. 5. Full Dry Whites: ‘older Burgundy, Gewürztraminer, old style white Rioja, most Californian and Australian whites’. 6. Medium Dry Whites: ‘German tafelweins and QbA and QmP Kabinett wines, Laski, Olasz and Wälsch Riesling, Riesling Italico, English whites’. 7. Sweet Whites: ‘Barsac, sweet Sauternes, Muscat, Monbazillac, German QmP wines, Hungarian Tokay. 8. Rosés: ‘Anjou, Provence and Tavel. The wines can be paired with the listed food items after consulting Table I and selecting any of the appropriate wines from the above categories with a few exceptions marked with an asterisk (*, **) in the Table. * When Pasta is served with a fish sauce, only Light and Medium Dry Whites are recommended. On the other hand if it is served with a meat sauce, the wines to be paired range from Light, Medium to full bodied Reds. When served with cream sauce, pasta should always be paired with Medium to Full Dry Whites. ** Similarly when Fish is the main course, the sauce determines the wine type to be used. Shellfish should only be served with a Light Dry White wine or a Rosé. Plain Fish or if combined with a bland sauce calls for a combination with either a Light Bodied Red or any of the Light/Medium/Full Dry Whites. When Fish is served with a strong sauce, it could be combined with Light to Medium bodied Reds or Light to Full Dry Whites. The method of cooking both red and white meats also has a bearing on the pairing with the right wines although the simple recommendation is ‘white meats-white wines and red meats-red wines’. When a white meat (chicken, turkey, pork or veal) is grilled, fried or poached, a Light bodied Red or any of the Light to Full Dry wines can be chosen. When white meat is roasted, then the ideal wines would be Light/Medium bodied Reds or Light/Full Dry Whites. Dry Whites are recommended when white meat is served with a bland sauce. If a strong sauce is used then the wine choice should be Medium bodied Red, Full Dry White or a Rosé. Red meat when roasted should be served with medium to full bodied Red Wine. When it is served as a component of stews or pies, a full bodied red Wine is the sole recommendation. It is not recommended to serve any wine at all with egg dishes as eggs like chocolate have a tendency to stick on the palate and coat the mouth which masks the taste of any wine. It is recommended to serve a full bodied Red with mild spicy food and none with strong spicy foods which are better combined with a lager beer. Chinese food usually goes well with any of the dry Whites and Rosé. Desserts with the exception of chocolate go well only with sweet wine. Salads are best served alone and should be paired with appropriate wines only if they are accompanied by additional dressings. In such cases any wine ranging from a full bodied Red or a Light dry White to Rosé could be served depending on the dressing used. Traditions of Wine Service Numerous wine festivals are held all over the world in prominent wine producing areas. Tours and travels are planned to such destinations where wine tasting as well as wine parties are an essential ritual. Wine lovers also have a tendency to have collective parties where each member brings his own wine and the food is selected with care to match the class and type of wines brought. Celebrations and special occasions usually call for Sparkling wines like Champagne where it dominates the food. While planning for an event it is advisable to arrange a professional bartender and assistants who are well versed with the art of serving wine. The usual standard of measuring the quantity of liquor required is one drink per person per hour if the party is of short duration or two drinks per guest per hour if the party extends well into the night. One alcoholic wine based drink is equal to five ounces. (www.theepicentre.com). The age group attending the party also determines the type of alcoholic drinks to be used as wines are usually preferred by younger people, women and connoisseurs of wine. Magnums or large containers of drinks, especially Champagne displayed aesthetically at the centre of the table are a great stimulant to the party. Glassware should be selected with discretion and proper etiquette of wine serving should be followed. Wine tours are an interesting way to gain more knowledge about wines by visiting the most prominent breweries in Europe and rest of the world and they are an enlightening and invigorating experience for the lovers of wine. One gains first hand experience about how wines are made by visiting such locations. The major wine making companies of the world have well orchestrated programs for the international tourist and wine connoisseurs. Works Cited Food and Wine Pairing, Online Article available at: http://www.inetours.com/PagesWT/Food_and_wine.html Goolden Jill, 1986,Wine, Pgs 181-188, Readers Digest Guide to Creative Cooking and Entertaining, second Print, 1986, Published by the Readers Digest Association Limited, London Tritton S.M., Trittons Guide to Better Wine and Beer Making for Beginners,1969 Edition, First published 1965, Faber and Faber Limited, London ISBN 0 571 06345 4. Wine and Drink, Party and Event Planning: Wine and Bar Tips, A professional caterers guide to help you plan your next soirée, online article available at: http://www.theepicentre.com/Drink/partybarplanning.html Read More