Food And Wine Pairing

I'm putting together this page about food and wine pairing because I get so much enjoyment from both food and wine. I love experimenting and trying different combination's as well as sharing what I have learned with others.

The great thing about building a lens based on food and wine pairing, is that there are so many people out there who are interested in the subject. Let's face it, we have to eat to survive, so we might as well take an interest in what we eat! And as for wine - well I'm told I don't need it to survive, but I have to say that I'm not quite sure what I'd do if it was to vanish of the face of the earth!

When choosing a wine to compliment a meal, or vice versa, it can sometimes be a little stressful (especially if you are hosting a dinner party). The best advice I could give you is to just relax and don't worry about it. As long as you stick to some very basic guidelines, which I have listed at the bottom of this article, then you can't go too far wrong.

Although to begin with it is a good idea to stick to these rules, they are not meant to be followed rigorously. Once you are a little more experienced at choosing food and wine pairing's, you'll gain the confidence to be a bit more adventurous and won't be so scared to take a chance and try something new. You just mind end up surprising yourself and finding that the combination you like best is something that is generally considered something that "shouldn't work".

As a start though, here are some useful tips:

- Red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat and fish. This is an extremely old rule and in the past it was all that some people took into consideration when choosing a wine to drink with their meal. Although there are clearly many more factors to consider, this is possibly something you should stick to initially if you are completely new to food and wine pairing.

- More hearty dishes should be paired with more full-bodied wines such as a Merlot or Shiraz.

- Foods with higher acidity content will work best with younger more acidity wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

- Sweeter foods are complimented well by sweeter tasting wines such as a Riesling.

These tips are of the very basic variety and are aimed at all those out there who don't know where to start when it comes to food and wine pairing (as was the case with myself only 2 years ago).