The #1 Wine Pairing Rule

The goal

I remember once reading a Vivino review of an excellent Sauvignon Blanc, written by someone who gave the wine one star on the basis that he had drunk it with a kebab, after a night at the pub. He'd found the wine to be tasteless and acidic. The fact this person was even on a wine platform is slightly surprising, as it seems to me that most of us instinctively know that these two things are unlikely to be a match made in heaven. And context is everything.

But it does serve to show that pairing food and wine is not just a caprice of the connoisseur, but a real way to appreciate and elevate the aromas and flavours of both food and wine in a way that is deeply satisfying. 

The 4 most important factors in pairing wine and food

Acidity

Wine needs acidity to provide structure and freshness, but the levels of acidity in a wine vary enormously according to the grape variety (this applies to red, white and rose wines), the region and the winemaker.

If the level of acidity in the wine does not serve to either cut through the richness of the food, or to complement it, then neither will give you that satisfying hit when levels of both are in balance with each other. The higher the acidity of the food therefore, the higher the acidity of the wine needs to be. Or conversely, a rich, creamy dish may benefit from a wine with enough good acidity to lift the dish and provide balance.

Intensity

As above, some of this is fairly intuitive - except for our kebab-eating friend. The old simple rules about drinking red wine with red meats and white wine with fish can be challenged of course, but it is important to think about the body of the wine and the richness of the dish. So a big hunk of steak clearly needs a wine that is bold enough to stand up to it, and the extra tannins in some of these wines will also work well to break down the proteins in the meat.

If you have a delicate prawn salad in front of you, which has both the richness of the prawns and the acidity of any salad dressing, you'd be advised to pick a light wine that doesn't overpower the food, but has enough acidity to match the dressing. A Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay for example.

See the blog on pairing food and wine with vegetarian food here.

Salt, sweet and spice

When I talk about sweetness in wine, I am not necessarily talking about a sugary, sweet dessert wine - although the wine should always be as sweet as the pudding in this case. Dry wines just do not work with sweet puddings and will do nothing to enhance the flavour of either.

Read more about dessert wines here

In a broader sense, it is helpful to think about how fruity the wine is (even if completely dry), and what makes the best match for salt and spice.

Some wines are considered to have saline or mineral qualities, which generally come from the place in which the grapes are grown.

The easiest way to figure this out is to try different combinations at home, but here are a few classic examples of pairings that work.

• A good Muscadet is the perfect foil for salty oysters and seafood - with the saline qualities of both providing a perfect match.
• A Sancerre from the chalky flinty soils of the central Loire provides both freshness and minerality in a way that is hard to beat, and will lift a local goats cheese to another dimension, cutting through the fat and salt and adding a lift to both.
• A Sangiovese italian red wine has more acidity than many red wines and can stand up to (high acid) tomato dishes better than many other reds

Cumin, coriander, chilli curry combo

There is no point in opening a bottle of something light and delicate with a full flavoured curry as it could end up tasting of nothing much. Here are a couple of my favourite combos:

• Argentinian Malbec has all the body, fruit and spice to stand up to a bean or meat curry without overpowering it. The hint of sweetness also works well.
• I am also extremely partial to a bottle of high acidity, fruity, dry, Riesling which adds another dimension to vegetable, chicken and prawn curries.

Carribbean and Malaysian coconut curries

There tends to be more sweetness in these style of curries and I've written more about that here.

But again, a wine that is relatively full-bodied with plenty of fruit flavour, but enough acidity to cut through the richness of the coconut is ideal.

• I think this is also one of the great matches for Rosé, although not the rather high acidity, pale and insipid variety, rather one that has a little more flavour and elegance.
• A Muscat Sec or a Viognier also work well with these sorts of dishes.
• In terms of red I'd consider a really soft, rich and fruity Primitivo, for example.

Asian stir fries and marinated dishes

The spices may be a little different here, with ginger predominant, but the same rules apply. Think about the richness of the dish (a thai curry is similar to any coconut based dish) but a fresh stir fry may need something a little more complex.

Gewürztraminer is considered to be an ideal pairing

I am very partial to an Austrian Grüner or a good Viognier, or again a Muscat Sec or even a Chardonnay with Asian style food.

Read more about what to drink with sushi and fish in general here.

What grows together, goes together

This old adage still holds true, so if you're in any doubt about what to serve, consider the flavours in the food, and where in the world you might find them.

• I mention Sancerre and goats cheese above, the two are made in exactly the same small area, in the way they have been for centuries, so it's easy to see the connections.
• Tomatoes are hard to pair as they are so high in acidity, but unsurprisingly, many Italian wines work well with tomato based dishes. Montepulciano and Sangiovese for example.

Don't forget to experiment, to think about the impact in your mouth when you pair certain foods with wine and to decide what you enjoy. The whole business of pairing is ultimately one of life's great pleasures and sometimes getting it wrong is as important as getting it right to show us where are personal tastes and preferences reside.

Happy sipping!