How to Select Wine

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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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
- Red wines are made from red grapes and usually fermented with the skin on. Fermenting grapes with the skins, will produce the various colors of the wine. The dark grape skins also give red wines 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.
- Syrah (sometimes called Shiraz) is a dry red wine made from a grape of the same name.
  - Classic Syrah flavors are commonly compared to blackberry, raspberry, pepper, licorice and olive.
  - It's grown and made mainly in Australia, California and France's Rhone Valley.
- 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. The hazards that routinely ruin Pinot Noir crops include birds, viruses, genetic flaws and an insect called the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter.
  - Though the wine may differ dramatically according to where and when it was made, it's often described with earthy flavors like cherry, mushroom, ripe tomato and oregano.
White Wine
- White wines 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.
- Pinot Grigio—a white wine of light to medium body—is not known for distinguished or complex flavors, but can be pleasant and refreshing.
  - Eric Asimov of the New York Times suggests that its citrusy flavors and minerally overtones take a respectable back seat to a distinctive main dish, and go better with lunch than dinner.
  - Pino Grigios are often described as minerally and ripe.
- 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.
  - Its flavors are said to be highly influenced by the soil in which it is grown, but are usually identified with vibrant fruit flavors like apple and melon.
  - New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are currently considered among the world's best.
  - Dry style Sauvignon Blancs are usually labeled Fume Blanc.
- 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 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.
- - 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.
  - Prosecco is known for its fresh, crisp taste and slightly bitter aftertaste.
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

Riesling
Pinot Noir

Slightly/Moderately Sweet Wine

Rose
Gewurztraminer
Zinfandel
Cava
Merlot
California Chardonnay

Dry Wine

Syrah
Pinot Grigio
Chenin Blanc
French Chardonnay

Sweet Food

Heavy cream dishes
Dishes with fruity sauces
Sweet pork roast

Slightly/Moderately Sweet Food

Barbecue
Indian cuisine
Thai cuisine
Some Chinese cuisine
Dishes with caramelized onion
Dishes with caramelized walnuts
Dishes with goat cheese
French onion soup
Chicken with mole
Lobster

Non-sweet Food

Steak
Beef stew
Grilled fish
Crab
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.

The term "body" refers to the sense of fullness a wine gives as it enters the mouth, or to put it another way, its richness.
- Wine writer Karen MacNeil uses the example of dairy milk to explain the concept of body:
  - A light bodied wine is akin to skim milk.
  - A medium-bodied wine to whole milk
  - A full bodied wine to half and half.
Use these tables as a rough guide only; a wine's body will vary somewhat from maker to maker and year to year.

Light-Bodied Wine

Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Grigio

Medium Bodied Wine

Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Cava
Gewurztraminer
Rose

Full-Bodied Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Syrah
Zinfandel

Light Food

Grilled chicken or fish
Pasta with vegetables or light marinara
Cous Cous
Rice dishes
Most salads
Most fish
Most shellfish

Moderately Rich Food

Pork roast
Salmon
Lobster
Duck
Turkey
Pheasant
Pasta with cream sauce or hearty marinara
Vegetable lasagna
Middle East cuisine

Rich Food

Steak
Leg of lamb
Thick stew
Hamburger
Pasta with meat sauce

Pair for Flavor
- 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.
  - Sauvignon is acidic and citrusy, so it livens up fish, much like a spritz of lemon.
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).
- Here are just a few examples:
  1. The Spanish sparkling wine Cava with the Tapas (Spanish appetizers).
  2. An Italian Pino Grigio with a light, authentic pasta dish, such as Rigatoni with zucchini.
  3. Champagne with Chevre cheese from France's Loire Valley.
  4. Plank-smoked salmon with an Oregon Pinot Noir.
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.
  - See how to aerate wine.
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!
Mahalo Daily: How to Select Wine
- Mahalo Daily: Wine Tasting with Gary Vaynerchuk & Kevin Rose (Time: 7:36)
Resources for How to Select Wine

Categories

Know Your Wine

Red Wine

White Wine

Sparkling Wine

Rose

Pairing

Match Sweetness

Pair for Body

Pair for Flavor

Pair by Region

Hold a Taste Test

Mahalo Daily: How to Select Wine

Resources for How to Select Wine