The Art or Science of Pairing

I've written about [near] perfect pairings. I've read about perfect pairings. Is this an art or a science? What makes it perfect?

To be truthful, there is a little bit of art and a little bit of science or perhaps said more properly, it's likely science first, but art follows and follows with a bang.

Let's start out by supposing that it was all science. And, frankly, there are wine clubs out there that purport that science can do it all. [Hint: I don't believe them.] If that were the case, then we could take the chemistry of a dish coming fresh out of the kitchen or the microwave after sitting in your refrigerator or freezer and analyze it. Put that composition into a computer and match it with our near infinite database of wines and apply some algorithms and ca-chunk, vroom, clacka-clacka, out comes the most perfect wines to go with this. 

That's pretty simple, at least theoretically and would do tow things: make it so everyone could do perfect pairings and replace sommeliers.

Bad idea. Really bad idea. While it probably all ties back to science, there is an art involved and great sommeliers as well as people who know how to pair their own wines with their own foods understand this.

It starts with science, but in practice, it ends with art. Just because a wine goes really well with scientifically with a particular dish doesn't mean that you will like that wine. And, that makes it a very perfect pairing -- perfectly horrible, that is. This is where the art comes in. Making the wine and the pairing pleasing to the person or people who will be consuming it is a large part of that art.

Consider someone seeking to find a wine to go with steak. And, let's suppose I want to find a pairing that they will love, not a pairing that I will necessarily love.

What cut of steak? Ribeye or strip, for example, have plentiful fat. That calls for tannins. Tenderloin or filet mignon are much leaner. That calls for less tannin. How will the steak be prepared? On the grill? In the oven? Sauteed? Sous vide? With a sauce? With simply salt and pepper? 

Each of these elements has a real effect. But, if someone is asking me, I always start with questions to understand what the person asking me likes. Tell me some wines you have really enjoyed because I want you to love the wine not just with the meal you are having, but also alone. What do you really not like in a wine? Do you like in your face fruit or something more refined and perhaps a bit earthy? Do you like your Chardonnay more buttery or drier or fruitier?

Bottom line, were I working as a sommelier and I suspect I am too old to start, I would be quite disappointed were I to recommend the same few wines to every table asking what they should have with their dinner. Even if each table were eating the same dishes. We need to adjust for personal tastes. In fact, we even need to adjust for seating. A person sitting near a window will have a slightly different experience than a person in the center of a restaurant and perhaps wildly different from the person sitting outside.

Considering all these things is far more art than science.