The CorkscrewFood and wine pairings: a sommelier’s dos and don’ts, and why ‘less is more’ should be your rule of thumb
It takes experience to create a perfect marriage of food and wine, one with a balance of aromas that bring out the nuances in both; you don’t want a dish with a flavour so strong it overwhelms the wine, or vice versa
Pairing food and wine is a conundrum similar to the age-old chicken-and-egg question. Some oenophiles, let’s call them the “chicken” side of the equation, fear that the food will overwhelm the wine. On the “egg” side, however, are the food lovers for whom wine is just a lubricant to help make room in the stomach for the next dish. But with a well-executed pairing, the chicken and the egg really can both come first.
A sommelier – and any experienced food and wine lover – will have a palate memory. It’s a mental Rolodex containing the flavours of wines he or she has tasted, as well as flavour components from memorable dishes. It’s a palette of colours, sensations and smells that the oenophile keeps in the recesses of the mind.
A perfect wine and food pairing has a balance of aromas that, together, bring out the nuances of the glass and the plate. I define this balance, in wine, as the desire to take another sniff and sip, with the flavours and aromas in the drink coming together as one. A dish to go with such a wine can be simple or complex, but should also have distinct aromas, texture and taste.
In wine, we look for sweetness or dryness; the equivalent in food of sweetness and saltiness.