How to Select Wine

Guide Note

Pairing wine with food is more an art than a science, but that doesn't mean any random pairing is as good as any other. This page will introduce you to the information and resources necessary for selecting the perfect wine to complement any meal.

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Introduction

  • To the uninitiated, or uninterested, the very idea of choosing the right wine to go with your food may sound like matching your gloves to your shoes—an outdated custom kept alive by geeks, snobs and anyone else with nothing better to do. But think about it: Do you drink orange juice with chocolate cake, or coffee with lasagna? Plenty of beverage/food combos are just gross.
  • Wines are as diverse as wine lovers. Every style of wine contains variations from vintner to vintner, region to region. Every wine expert has different opinions. Many of the numerous and contradictory "rules" about pairing wine and food are best left unlearned. The bottom line is to choose a wine that you find to be an appealing combination with a particular dish. If you really enjoy wine, be prepared for a long process of trial and error. Nevertheless, you can give yourself a head start with some basic information and a few practical tips. Follow these steps and you'll not only avoid turning your meal to culinary kryptonite, you may even enhance it.

Mahalo Daily: How to Select Wine

Know Your Wine

  • Differences between wines are sometimes subtle, sometimes drastic, so it's important to have some background before picking wine for your meal. When it comes to wine, though, there are far too many makers, methods, regional labeling laws and obscure varieties to briefly cover everything on the market. If you want to get specific about wine, use some of the excellent resources listed in this article's Consult the Experts section. But for the sake of brevity, let's go through the major grape varieties (or varietals, as they're called in wine speak) and the wines they produce.

Red Wine

A hearty, rich red goes well with a heart, rich meal. (Creative Commons photo by Nick Sieger)
A hearty, rich red goes well with a heart, rich meal. (Creative Commons photo by Nick Sieger)
  • Red wines are made from red grapes and usually fermented with the skin on. The dark grape skins give reds a high level of tannin, the chemical substance in red wine that makes your mouth pucker. Tannin also lends red wine a richness that usually complements rich foods.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon has been shown in medical studies to combat Alzheimer's and hypertension, but it doesn't go with every meal.
    • Its high tannins—from the grape's particularly thick skin—give it a strong "grip," the astringent quality that makes your mouth pucker.
    • Cabernet is a heavy, tannic wine that goes well with heavy rich, simple foods.
    • Cabernet needs strong, rich flavors to complement.
    • Its central aroma and flavor is described as that of black currant.
  • Zinfandel, whose grapes are grown mainly in California, is typically dark, fruity and highly alcoholic.
    • Food usually needs big, succulent flavors to compete, so rich meats are often a good match.
    • Cardinal Zin Cellars in Santa Cruz, California, recommends pairing their zinfandel with "all manner of game and other wild beasts, including sloth."
    • White Zinfandel, though made from the zinfandel grape, is prepared differently and classified as a rose. See Rose, below.
  • Pinot Noir
  • Pinot Noir is a delicate grape that's difficult to cultivate. Perhaps not coincidentally, the light red wines it produces are often prized by connoisseurs.

White Wine

  • White wines, as you might imagine, are made from white grapes. They are more acidic than reds, and generally less tannic, resulting in lighter, often citrusy wines. These attributes typically pair well with lighter dishes. The flavors in fish, for instance, are heightened by citrusy whites, just as they are by a squeeze of lemon.
  • Chardonnay is one of the few white wines aged in oak barrels. (Creative Commons photo by Cheri Murphy)
    Chardonnay is one of the few white wines aged in oak barrels. (Creative Commons photo by Cheri Murphy)
  • Pinot Grigio—a white wine of light to medium body—is not known for distinguished or complex flavors, but can be pleasant and refreshing.
  • Sauvignon Blanc is a livelier white than pinot grigio, and has greater potential to add interest to your meal, rather than serve as background accompaniment.
  • Chenin Blanc is a hearty, weather resistant grape known for wine that's sometimes described by critics as bland, though there are plenty of exceptions.
    • The most acclaimed chenin blancs are produced in France, South Africa and, occasionally, California.
    • In terms of flavor, chenin blancs vary widely according to vintner, but flavors cited often include honey, melon, vanilla, pear and apricot.
    • Typically, Chenin Blancs are dry.
  • Chardonnay grapes produce wine that's among the least characteristic of whites.
    • Unlike most whites, Chardonnay is aged in oak barrels and the skin is left on during fermentation. The result is a wine that's among the richest and most tannic of whites.
    • Chardonnay is the primary grape variety used in Champagne.
    • Chardonnay wines bear a diversity of flavors depending on the vineyard and locale, but typically include soft fruit flavors like apples and peaches, as well as those reflecting its richness, like butter, vanilla and caramel.
    • French Chardonnays (known as Chablis, Meursault, Anjou and Montrachet, after the village of origin) are generally dry.
    • California Chardonnay is usually somewhat sweet.
  • Gewurztraminer wines are said to bear the flavor of lychee fruit. (Creative Commons photo by Aaron Williamson)
    Gewurztraminer wines are said to bear the flavor of lychee fruit. (Creative Commons photo by Aaron Williamson)
  • Gewurztraminer is also an exceptional white, but more because of its flavors than level of richness.
    • Gewurztraminer is extremely spicy and floral (literally smelling like flowers), with exotic fruit flavors such as Asian lychee fruit.
    • It pairs beautifully with heavily spiced Asian cuisines.
    • Other pairings include fatty wild game and salmon.
  • Reisling is the prized wine grape of Germany, also grown with success in California.
    • Though depending on the winemaking method, rieslings can be bone dry, or sweet as candy (see Trockenbeerenauslese), riesling dinner wines are usually just slightly sweet.
    • Typical riesling flavors include peach and apricot.
    • Its sweetness lends itself to dishes with creamy or fruity sauces, as well as cuisines with a touch of sweetness, such as Thai and Indian.

Sparkling Wine

  • Sparkling wine—which is almost always blended from white grapes—is extremely versatile in terms of pairing. Why? Whereas non-sparkling whites tend to be overwhelmed by bold, rich flavors, the carbonation in sparkling wines cuts through rich foods, but maintains the citrusy zip to pair with lighter flavors. Sparkling wines can vary dramatically in terms of sweetness, texture and flavors.
  • Champagne, from the Champagne region of Northern France, is the undisputed king of sparkling wines, prized for its bready, yeasty aromas and minerality. Most others are either closely related, or try to emulate it.
  • Cremant d'Alsace is essentially Champagne from a different region of France, reputed to have a deeper flavor of fruit.
  • Cava is a sparkling wine produced in Spain, varying in sweetness and often moderately rich in texture.
  • Somewhere between red and white is rose. (Creative Commons photo by Colin)
    Somewhere between red and white is rose. (Creative Commons photo by Colin)
    • Internationally, the most popular cava is made by Freixenet.
    • Cava is inexpeensive compared to most Champagne, and has been steadily gaining popularity.
  • Prosecco is Italian wine made from the eponymous grape.

Rose

  • Technically red wine (because it's made from red grapes) rose possesses attributes of whites as well and falls somewhere in between in terms of hue, flavor, body and acidity. Unlike standard reds, roses are pressed without their skins, which contain most of the tannins that give reds their characteristic richness. The result is a mellow compromise between red and white wine.
  • White Zinfandel is a rose, as is any wine labeled Blush.
    • The sweetness of Rose varies, but its unique composition lends itself to dishes that combine lightness and richness, such as duck, or a salad with blue cheese and caramelized walnuts.


Pairing

  • Mixing wine and food is an art, not a science. There are numerous approaches to pairing and it can become very complicated if you let it. Consider the following methods to be loose guidelines for experimentation, not unbreakable rules.

Match Sweetness

  • A first step for practical pairing can be to make sure the wine is at least as sweet as the food. When you eat sweet food with dry wine, the flavors in the wine are obscured, leaving little more than a taste of acidity and alcohol. See the tables below to match sweetness, keeping in mind that these are only generalizations; certain wines that are typically sweet can also be dry, depending on the winemaker.
    • Note: The sweetest wines, of course, are dessert wines, such as Port and Muscat, but those don't concern us here. See How to Select Dessert Wine.
  • Sweet Wine
  1. Riesling
  2. Pinot Noir
  • Slightly/Moderately Sweet Wine
  1. Rose
  2. Gewurztraminer
  3. Zinfandel
  4. Cava
  5. Merlot
  6. California Chardonnay
  • Dry Wine
  1. Syrah
  2. Pinot Grigio
  3. Chenin Blanc
  4. French Chardonnay
  • Sweet Food
  1. Heavy cream dishes
  2. Dishes with fruity sauces
  3. Sweet pork roast
  • Slightly/Moderately Sweet Food
  1. Barbecue
  2. Indian cuisine
  3. Thai cuisine
  4. Some Chinese cuisine
  5. Dishes with caramelized onion
  6. Dishes with caramelized walnuts
  7. Dishes with goat cheese
  8. French onion soup
  9. Chicken with mole
  10. Lobster
  • Non-sweet Food
  1. Steak
  2. Beef stew
  3. Grilled fish
  4. Crab
  5. Oysters

Pair for Body

  • It's a good rule of thumb to match rich foods with full-bodied wines, but these qualities can also be contrasted. A lighter wine can provide a refreshing counterpoint to rich food. As ever, it's a matter of taste, as well as trial and error.
  • Light-Bodied Wine
  1. Sauvignon Blanc
  2. Chenin Blanc
  3. Pinot Grigio
  • Medium Bodied Wine
  1. Chardonnay
  2. Pinot Noir
  3. Cava
  4. Gewurztraminer
  5. Rose
  • Full-Bodied Wine
  1. Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. Merlot
  3. Syrah
  4. Zinfandel
  • Light Food
  1. Grilled chicken or fish
  2. Pasta with vegetables or light marinara
  3. Cous Cous
  4. Rice dishes
  5. Most salads
  6. Most fish
  7. Most shellfish
  • Moderately Rich Food
  1. Pork roast
  2. Salmon
  3. Lobster
  4. Duck
  5. Turkey
  6. Pheasant
  7. Pasta with cream sauce or hearty marinara
  8. Vegetable lasagna
  9. Middle East cuisine
  • Rich Food
  1. Steak
  2. Leg of lamb
  3. Thick stew
  4. Hamburger
  5. Pasta with meat sauce

Pair for Flavor

  • The classic pairing of Champagne and oysters can be enjoyed with or without a shirt. (Creative Commons photo by mr. gold)
    The classic pairing of Champagne and oysters can be enjoyed with or without a shirt. (Creative Commons photo by mr. gold)
  • Now it's time to approach flavor, which is something subtler and harder to quantify than a wine's sweetness or body. A wine's flavors are best thought of as you'd think of the flavors in a side dish or condiment. You'll want to complement or enhance the flavors of food, not ruin or overpower them. When pairing for flavor, it helps to have a broad knowledge of dishes from a variety of cuisines, but if—like most of us—you've been eating food all your life, you should have an instictive feel for it already. Here are some delicious examples:
  1. Syrah with lamb.
    • Lamb is often prepared with savory spices and marinades and is delicious grilled over charcoal. Syrah, which is smoky and peppery, underscores exactly the same flavors.
  2. Sauvignon blanc with fish.
  3. Champagne with oysters.
    • Champagne typically has strong mineral flavors, due to the chalky soil in the region of Champagne, France. This minerally quality is an excellent complement to the minerally flavors of shellfish, particularly oysters.
  4. Chardonnay with lobster.
    • Chardonnays are often described as having an "oaky" flavor, due to the oak barrels in which they're aged. To the average non-connoisseur, this "oaky" quality is more readily described as "buttery." And what goes better with lobster than butter?
  5. Gewurztraminer with curry.
    • It's not just the touch of sweetness in Gewurztraminer that makes for a delightful combination with Indian food. Gewurztraminers are spicy and complex in flavor, a quality that fits perfectly with the array of spices in curry dishes.
  6. Cabernet Sauvignon with steak.
    • Many steakhouses stock nothing but Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-based Bordeaux. Cabernet's typical full-body partly accounts for this, but so do its flavors: bold, simple and juicy, making an excellent match for food with similar attributes.

Pair by Region

  • One time-tested pairing method is to pair wines with cuisine from the same region. This works for two reasons: First, the wine itself is likely to have been developed together with the food, sometimes over hundreds of years. Secondly, if the dish contains ingredients imported from the region of its origin, a regional wine may contain similar subtle flavors from the air and soil (see terroir).



Hold a Taste Test

  • If you can afford it, the best way to learn about pairing is to experiment as much as you can. Once you've decided on a wine/food pairing that appeals to you, just bring a pad of paper to the dinner table and taste away.
  1. If you've chosen a red wine, or a young wine (seven years or younger), you'll want to aerate the wine, or let the wine "breathe", prior to the meal.
  2. Before tasting the food, have a sip of wine, swirling it in your mouth and noting the flavors.
    • Write down your impressions, good or bad, noting the flavors, both with adjectives (juicy, sweet, sour, bitter) and comparisons (citrus, mango, cherry, tomato).
  3. Take a small bite of bread to cleanse your palate and wait a moment before digging into the food.
    • Taste the food and note down your impressions of it.
  4. Now, have some more wine, with the taste of the food still on your palate.
    • Note the following:
      • whether or not you find it to be a pleasing combination.
      • how the flavors of the food may be affected by the wine.
      • how the flavors of the wine may be affected by the food.
  5. If this seems like an uninspired pairing, consider why this may be the case. Do you need a more full-bodied wine? A sweeter wine? One with different flavors? Note it for next time!

Consult the Experts

  • Here's a wine/food pairing that's unlikely to be mentioned in an expert wine review. (Creative Commons photo by Ingrid)
    Here's a wine/food pairing that's unlikely to be mentioned in an expert wine review. (Creative Commons photo by Ingrid)
  • It takes a sharp palate and a head full of culinary knowledge to navigate the world of wine, particularly when it comes to pairing. Not all of us have the time and resources to be connoisseurs, so it helps to tap the knowledge of those who do. The following are some great expert resources.

Resources for How to Select Wine

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