7 Don’ts in Wine and Food Pairing

Any beverages will shine when paired with the right food. But, instances are, we sometimes do mistakes when pairing the two especially the beginners.

Food and wine pairing have been used century. Festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebration, we usually pair these two for good reason. The right foods can bring out the hidden flavors of a certain wine.

Giving the fact that it will enlighten your mood, the wrong combination will completely turn you off. Thus, always make sure to pair the wine with the right food.

Wine and food pairing is an experimental process. Hence, it takes time and experience, but no worries for beginners. You can find perfect recipes online that can help you.

To further assist you, read these following wine and food pairing mistakes that must be avoided at all cost.

Champagne with Chocolate Cake

We already know that champagne is one of the most expensive bottles. Therefore, we should always make sure what would be the perfect pair for it.

Wine enthusiasts know what is the best pair for it. If you will ask them about its worst pair, they will surely respond to chocolate cakes. Any type or brand of chocolate cakes.

The sweetness of the cake fights against the Champagne’s tartness. The two will never work on the table. Better find another food to pair or save you Champagne for future occasions.

Syrah with Glazed Chicken

Syrah is one of the all-time favorites of most wine lovers because of its certain character of juiciness. It is perfect on its own and one of the prominent wines that are present in many homes.

However, when Syrah is paired with heavily sauced items like glazed chicken, the table will turn upside down.

The two will overwhelm your palate too much, causing the meal to not taste good. Better pair your glazed chicken tropical white wine like Sauvignon Blanc to balance the taste.

Pinot Grigio with Roast Beef

In order to treasure the taste of perfectly roasted beef, the particular wine must be on the table too. The beverage will balance the taste of roast beef. Without it, it will be too much to eat.

However, people often commit mistakes by pairing roast beef with Pinot Grigio. They pair these two as a method of cutting the fattiness of beef which is a very wrong method. The wine will just spoil the entire experience.

Pair your roast beef with sturdy and tannin type of wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon for a better experience. The taste of Cabernet will match the richness of the beef.

Chardonnay with Goat Cheese

Goat cheese becomes more alive when paired with the right wine. This cheese is known for its extremely powerful and astringent flavors. When you planned to pair it with Chardonnay, better change your plan.

Chardonnay can destroy the delicacy of the goat cheese. Although it is one of the well-known pairings in restaurants, it never works well. The high level of acidity in goat cheese should be paired with Zinfandel or Cabernet Franc that also has a high level of acids.

Pinot Noir with Vinegary Dishes

One of the reasons why wine enthusiasts love Pinot Noir is its fruity flavor. The fruitiness of the wine makes it versatile in the kitchen. One area that makes Pinot Noir not shine is when its matches to any vinegary dishes.

The fruitiness of Pinot Noir will never be a perfect match for the vinegary type of dishes. Its fruity flavor will just diminish after tasting it with the vinegary dish on your plate.

Pinot should be served with mild dishes with a touch of spice such as crispy duck pancakes, and grilled quail. These certain foods will allow the true flavor of Pinot Noir to come out.

Cabernet Sauvignon with Fish

We often feel exhausted after a very busy day. We open our wine cellar and grab one bottle of wine we usually drink regardless of what type of food that can be matched for it. But, that is not the case for Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you pair the Cabernet with a fish, the tannic bitterness of the wine will just destroy the whole meal, upsetting your stomach. Seafood dishes should be paired with lighter red wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon with Caviar

For a certain reason, there are people who believe that truly fine caviar should be paired with Cabernet Sauvignon. The truth is, this is a wrong perception.

Cabernet is a rich and bold wine and when pairing it with caviar will just result in an awful experience. Caviar will much be better served with a bottle of Champagne blend, one of the popular white wines.

Takeaway

As I said, wine and food pairing is an experimental process. It needs your time, effort, and money. But, making yourself aware of the basic pairing makes your entire experience worthwhile.

If you already know the basic pairing rules and tips, make sure to make yourself aware with the don’ts. We cannot avoid mistakes, but at least we are making ways on how to prevent it at first.