Wine & Food
Wine is used around the world to add an extra dimension to our dishes. The flavors of a wine marry with that of other flavors in a dish. In addition, a splash of wine is often used at the end to add flavor to sauces and various dishes. Before talking about guidelines to cooking with wine lets talk about the alcohol factor. Most people assume that after a few minutes of cooking that the alcohol evaporates and is eliminated, not true. Food that is baked or simmered for 15 minutes retains about 40% of the alcohol, after one hour only 25% will remain and after 2 1/2 hours just 5% will be present. Keep in mind that wine does not have a large amount of alcohol in it - most wines contain 12 to 14% alcohol by volume.
Never use poor quality wine. If you won't drink it, don't pour it in the stew! A poor quality wine will leave a bitter or sour flavor to your food. If a recipe calls for a dry white wine, many white wines will do. If you want an American white the best and easiest choice is a good-quality sauvignon blanc. They are moderately priced with a fresh light herbal tilt to it that works for a broad spectrum of dishes. If you are cooking a bold spicy dish, try a white which is powerfully fruity and aromatic such as a gewurztraminer, riesling or viognier. If the dish calls for a dry red think about the heartiness of the dish. A rustic, long-cooked casserole of lamb shanks or a hearty beef stew needs a wine with equal strength. Use a big bodied zinfandel or petite sirah, both of which are packed with fruit flavor. Last but not least, don't pass up Port or the nutty style of Sherry such as amontillado. Both of these have a higher alcohol content, but they pack a bigger wallop of flavor. Once opened they can be used to cook with for several months, just remember to taste them occasionally to make sure that they still have full flavor. Port has a rich, sweet, winey flavor - a good addition to a meat casserole. Sherry's nutty roasted flavors can transform any soup, stew or sauteed dish. Use the amontillado as mentioned or an oloroso. Remembering these simple guidelines can add that extra dimension to your dishes.
Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel $22.75, Bogle Petite Sirah $21.75, Graham Six Grapes Port $30.75, Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado 375ml $14.40
Pairing Food with Wine:
As we can all undoubtedly agree, wine and food belong together and in most cases the pairing of certain wines with food can be absolutely thrilling! With that being said I don't always think that every wine needs to paired with food. People who pair wine and food together don't have a set of rules they go by but have good instincts. And good instincts can be acquired. Here are some simple guidelines to go by when pairing food and wine:
- Pair great with great and humble with humble.
- Match delicate with delicate; bold spicy dishes pair well with big-flavored wines.
- Mirror or contrast a flavor. Lobster in a cream sauce pairs well with a Chardonnay, but with Champagne would be fascinating, which adds a sleek & crisp component.
- Think of flexibility. Chardonnay is wildly popular, and it's one of the least flexible white wines with food. Especially if it comes from California which have so much toasty oak and are high in alcohol that they tend to be hard to pair with food. Instead go with a sauvignon blanc or a dry German or Alsace riesling, both of which have a cleansing acidity. This will leave you wanting to take a bite of food, and then after a sip of wine. The perfect seesaw.
- Flexible red wines either have good acidity, such as a Chianti, red Burgundy, and California and Oregon pinot noir, or they are very fruit forward and low in tannin. For this latter, zinfandel, simple Italian reds, and southern Rhone wines (Chateauneuf-du-Pape) are naturals with a wide range of foods from grilled chicken to pasta bolognese.
- Fruit paired with meat or poultry such as pork with sauteed apples or duck with figs pair beautifully with fruit-driven wines that have superfruity aromas. Gewurztraminer, muscat, viognier and rieslings head up this category.
- Saltiness in food is a great contrast to acidity in wine. Think champagne and smoked salmon or soy sauce based Asian dish with a high-acid German riesling.
- Match rich with rich. A grilled steak and a powerful California cabernet sauvignon or roasted lamb with a Bordeaux wine.
- Finally desserts, consider sweetness. If the dessert is sweeter than the wine the wine will fall short in taste. The best rule of thumb is to pair a not-to-sweet dessert such as fruit or a nut tart, with a fairly sweet wine.
View our wine and food pairing guide
Wine Recipes
