Food & Wine Pairing

* Helpful Hint

• When serving foods with sweetness, it is best to pair wines with similar sweetness levels. Otherwise the sweetness in the food can make the wine taste astringent, oaky and/or tannic. This is because sweet foods take the wine out of balance by highlighting the less appealing flavors in wine.
• Obvious food and wine pairings occur when a specific varietal type is used in the preparation of the food, such as in a sauce. The wine chosen should tend to either contrast or complement the dish.
• Most importantly, the food should not overpower the wine, and the wine should not overpower the food. Ideally, the pairing should provide synergy, i.e. the food and wine together are more enjoyable than either would be alone.