| For some people, learning about wine can seem | | | | tactile sensations in wines. Instead they are |
| rather overwhelming or daunting. Add to that a | | | | suggested in a wine's aroma and flavor or "spice" |
| certain amount of social pressure and it's easy to | | | | notes. Actually, most foods' flavors cannot be |
| understand why many people do not even dare | | | | detected much without the sense of smell. By the |
| take a stab at wine tasting. At home you need | | | | same token, both Cabernet Sauvignon and a |
| never feel self conscious, awkward or ashamed in | | | | Petite Sirah are two types of red wine that tend |
| choosing wines. When enjoying wines in the | | | | to be dark, full bodied, dry, and fairly hard in |
| comfort of your own home, you can easily | | | | tannin; but the Cabernet gives aromas and flavors |
| become 'at home' with your choices. | | | | of herbal, minty, berry/cassis aromas and flavors, |
| There are two ways you can dive headlong into | | | | whereas the Petite Sirah gives ripe berry |
| experimenting with different wines. And why not | | | | blueberry and black peppercorn-like aromas and |
| dive right in? After all, what do we enjoy about | | | | flavors. |
| our homes? At the most basic level, we enjoy | | | | There are essentially two ways foods and wines |
| shelter or comfort, rest, and meals. The rest and | | | | are successfully paired. The first is by the |
| comfort of your home is an excellent | | | | similarities they share. For example: the buttery |
| environment if you choose to select a few | | | | sauce in a fish dish enhanced by the creamy or |
| bottles from various price ranges and styles at a | | | | buttery texture of an oak barrel fermented white |
| time and open them up for your tasting pleasure | | | | wine. The other way is by the contrasts they |
| during your leisure. But, while rest and comfort will | | | | contain as when sensations in a wine contrast |
| aid in the enjoyment of trying out wines, our | | | | with sensations in a dish to positive effect. For |
| meals at home offer the perfect catalyst for the | | | | example: the sweetness of a white wine balancing |
| excitement involved in tasting various wines. | | | | the saltiness of a dish like ham or cured sausage, |
| The pairing of foods and wines is done in the | | | | and vice-versa. |
| exact same way as the way they are tasted: on | | | | No matter what your personal taste, invariably |
| the palate, where it comes together. You match | | | | you will discover this natural occurrence: the |
| wine the same way that you match anything that | | | | easiest foods and the easiest wines to find a |
| tastes good together. Foods and wines are | | | | match for are the ones with their own intrinsic |
| matched with a little common sense, and a lot of | | | | sense of harmony and balance. This is because |
| personal preference. All food and wine matching is | | | | taste buds and sensations of tactile qualities work |
| more easily understood when the taste | | | | for you collectively. This is not to say that a |
| components of wines are thought of in the same | | | | young, overly bitter or hard textured Cabernet |
| way as ingredients in a dish. After all, wine is a | | | | Sauvignon cannot be served with food. But it |
| food. Good cooking involves a balancing of | | | | does narrow your food choices somewhat. For |
| ingredients and technique and good wine/food | | | | example: a gamey meat such as lamb can be |
| matching involves focusing on how specific | | | | made more interesting with a sweet natural plum |
| components in wines interact and achieve a sense | | | | sauce but that would also increase a young |
| of balance and harmony with specific components | | | | Cabernet's toughness and so you are probably |
| in dishes. | | | | relegated to simply grilling the lamb to a slight char |
| Let's begin with how the taste buds perceive | | | | to at least reduce the drying effect of the wine's |
| what you are consuming, whether you are tasting | | | | tannins, and serving it with a more neutral sauce |
| wine or food: | | | | (if any) made with Cabernet and the lamb's own |
| Sweetness pertains to the amount of sugar in | | | | natural juices. |
| your food/wine and is sensed by taste buds | | | | Then again, if the Cabernet is extremely rough to |
| located towards at the tip of the tongue. | | | | the point that it is barely drinkable, not even the |
| Tartness has to do with the acidity in both foods | | | | simplest piece of charred meat will help it taste |
| and wines. The taste buds at the center and sides | | | | better. The same thing for a lamb chop that is |
| of the tongue pick up this sensation. Saltiness | | | | drenched in a sauce or marinade that is too |
| may not be a significant component in wine, but is | | | | sweet, too salty, too spicy hot or sour: the palate |
| important in how a wine relates to it in foods. | | | | knows when a dish is unbalanced, and so even |
| Saltiness is perceived somewhere in the center of | | | | the finest, smoothest, most elegantly balanced |
| the tongue. Bitterness is tasted in many foods, | | | | Cabernet Sauvignon will not make that poorly |
| also in the tannin content of red wines and to a | | | | prepared lamb taste better. When it comes to |
| lesser degree in white wines. The rear of the | | | | food as it relates to wine, it is always easier to |
| tongue is responsible for communicating tartness | | | | match a dish that does not need as much |
| to you. Umami is the term used to describe the | | | | alteration of taste to make it taste better; and |
| flattering, amino acid related sense of | | | | vice-versa in the way a wine relates to food. It is |
| "deliciousness" found in many foods, and to a | | | | simply easier to find matching components of |
| limited extent in wines. | | | | similarity and contrast in foods and wines that are |
| Just as umami is so difficult to define, it is also | | | | already well balanced in and of themselves. |
| difficult to determine just where on the tongue | | | | At this point, it is all a matter of actually tasting |
| we perceive it. | | | | and becoming familiar with the wines you like -- |
| Along with taste sensations we also have tactile | | | | just as we continue to discover delicious, new |
| sensations. For example the density, body or | | | | foods. The nice thing is the variations in both |
| weight of a food is contributed by proteins, fats | | | | foods and wines are virtually endless, and so it will |
| and/or carbs, while primarily related to the degree | | | | always be as much fun as you want it to be. |
| of alcohol content in wines (bolstered by tannin in | | | | And, if you want try the suggestions of others, |
| reds). Soft textures contrast with crisp textures | | | | opinions of good pairings by others are virtually |
| in foods while wine textures contrast in terms of | | | | endless as well. Just know that as you become |
| smooth or easy vs. hard, sharp or angular. Spicy | | | | more comfortable with wine-food combinations at |
| and/or hot sensations as with chilies, peppers or | | | | home, you will have no reservations about |
| horseradishes are found in foods but not felt as | | | | selecting wines while dining out. |