The best bottle of wine is tough to find. It can be a hard decision. When organizing a social dinner function, having the "right" wine bottle is essential. Not only does a personal preference play a role in wine selection, the food itself should be considered. You may want to try wine coupling. This is when the flavor profile of the meals is accented by the flavor profile that the wine has. One strategy is to select a wine that has similar qualities as the meals, so they "go well" together. Contradicting profiles is an additional option. This makes it so the food is balanced out by the wine. Pairing wine with food isn’t an exact science, however, there are some things that should be looked at when choosing a wine bottle.
When pairing, do you select red or white?
As a general rule, white wines tend to pair better with lighter food, while red wines are typically matched with heavier, entrée type courses. For instance, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay would be good choices for pairing with salads and lighter entrees for instance seafood. There are several heavy red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Zinfandel. In case you are having a BBQ, veal, lamb or beef, these might be better choices.
All in the details
Within these basic "rules" you will find other considerations that ought to be made for instance the spices used in food preparation. A Zinfandel or Chianti would be something you may try with a red marinara sauce on pasta. However, pasta with a white sauce, for instance parmesan or alfredo, would be something you would want to serve a Chardonnay or Merlot with. When making chicken marsala, a Pinot Noir or Merlot would be good choices. However, a lemon chicken might be something to pair with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio instead.
Dinner and dessert
Dessert may be an additional thing to consider when choosing wine. Ice wine and late harvest Riesling pair well with fruit and citrus based desserts. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good choice with chocolate desserts that are darker without red meat. When serving chocolate, you may want to try Port wines or champagne.
Wine pairing is an exhilarating way to make meals more interesting. The thing to consider is that there is no right or wrong mixture. Making up different combinations of flavor profiles is part of the fine with it. Any meal can be enhanced with a nice glass of wine, and of course, wine is best loved with friends and family. What exactly are you waiting for? Get ready to drink!
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