When it comes to food and wine, most people are brought up with the rule stating “red goes with red, white goes with white”, which means red wine goes with red meat while white wine goes with fish and poultry. Then came the “postmodern” maxim which says that ‘if you like the taste, the match is perfect'.

The bottom-line with food and wine matching is that the food should have an equal fighting chance with the wine and vice versa. Simply put, one shouldn't dominate the other. When you bite into food, its tastes and pleasures should be enjoyed. When it is the wine's turn to be sipped, it should evoke an equally pleasurable sensation. Now, when it is time to bite into the food again, it should be the star of that moment. And finally, when it's time for the wine to draw, it should rise up to prominence once more.

To achieve this, you have to take in consideration the dominant tastes found in both the food and wine. Sweet food, such as dessert, goes with sweet wine. Food with hints of bitterness, such as charbroiled meat, would go better with a bitter wine. Acidic foods or those foods that go great with a dash of lemon or vinegar, go with acidic wines.

How To Play Matchmaker with Food And Wine

I like to keep a list of some of my favorite wines that way when I'm planning a dinner party I know what to purchase at the store.  Now familiar with some of the wines?  Join a wine of the month club to get new wines delivered to your home and quickly become an expert!

Acidic white wines usually go well with seafood because of their delicate flavor and acidic red wines go well with tomato based dishes and grilled seafood. Acidic wines include:

• Sauvignon Blanc (white)
• Riesling (white)
• White Bordeaux (white)
• Pinot Noir (red)
• Red Burgundy (red)
• Sangiovese (red)
• Gamay (red)

These red wines that have a hint of bitterness usually go well with steaks and roasts:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Red Bordeaux
• Red Zinfandel
• Merlot

Sweet wines usually go well with dessert or by themselves and include:

• Vovray (white)
• Asti Spumante (white)
• Chenin Blanc (white)
• most German wines (white)
• Lambrusco (red)
• Port (red)
• Sherry (red)
• Vermouth (red)

Matching wine with food doesn't have to be complicated. Happy matchmaking!

This post contains affiliate links