Pairing 101

There are lots of schools of thought when it comes to pairing wine with food or food with wine. To some extent, they are all correct, but the most basic one is really not. 

What is that most basic school of thought? Drink what you like with whatever food you're having. Why do I say it's not really correct? Read on. We're going to put you through some basic pairing exercises that you can do even while you are sheltered in place.

Here is what you need:

• A highly tannic red wine, perhaps a young Cabernet Sauvignon produced at high altitude;
• A brut sparkling wine, perhaps something labeled as Champagne or some less expensive label, but the brut part is important;
• A buttery Chardonnay;
• A highly acidic Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio or Albarino;
• A port wine, or if you prefer white, a Sauternes or Barsac, or an eiswein, or any sweet, white dessert wine.

And, 

• An ounce or two of arugula with a vinaigrette dressing;
• A lemon;
• A glazed donut, preferably not with chocolate;
• Some neutral crackers like oyster crackers;
• A piece of a fatty, red meat (salami or pepperoni will be great);
• Some table salt; and 
• Some sugar.

No matter what you are doing whether it is in these exercises or just in your life in general, there are a few simple rules to follow:

• Sweet foods need sweeter wine;
• Acidic foods need more acidic wine;
• Eat foods that you like' and 
• Choose the right wines that you like.

Now let's get started. 

Take a sip of your acidic white wine. If you're not generally a fan of acidic whites, that may not be good. Now take a wedge or slice of lemon. Rub the pulp briefly on your tongue. Before the lemon dissipates, take anothe taste of your acidic white. Notice the difference? The acidity in the white wine has calmed down, hasn't it?

Now that we know how that works, take a bite of your arugula. Wash it down with your acidic white wine. They complement each other very nicely, don't they? Try it again with your Champagne. That works wonderfully, too. 

Now cleanse your palate with a cracker. Take another taste of your arugula. Wash it down with Chardonnay. It doesn't work as well, does it?

Let's move on. 

Taste your Cabernet. Maybe you like it, maybe you don't. In particular, pay attention to the "bite" whether you like that bite or not. Now, put just a little bit of salt and place it on your tongue. Taste the Cabernet again. A lot of that bite has disappeared, hasn't it? The salt calms the tannins and the tannins likewise calm the salt. And, now, before leaving the Cabernet, try the same exercise with salami instead of salt. Again, the tannins cut through the fat in the meat while the fat serves to calm the tannins.

Now let's move on to the glazed donut. Take a bite. It tastes good, doesn't it? Now, take another bite and wash it down with your dessert wine (hopefully, if you've chosen a dark glaze, you've chosen port and with a light glaze, you've chosen a white dessert wine). That's really good, isn't it. The residual sugar in the wine allows for the pairing with even the sweet glazed donut. Try the donut with all your other wines. None work, do they?

Finally, let's end badly. Put some sugar on your tongue. Try any wine to wash it down. Even the sweet dessert wines aren't sweet enough to calm pure sugar. 

Which was your favorite exercise? Which one gave you the greatest pleasure? Have a cracker and then do that exercise again so that you can end on a positive note.