It’s Wine O’Clock!

Good Food. Fine Wine.

Just like Batman and Robin, food and wine make the perfect duo…if paired right! Food & Wine Pairing refers to finding the right balance between these two elements by choosing the ideal wine for your meal.  The concept of F&W is that the texture and flavour in food and wine react differently when mixed together. But wait…! It’s not as complex and scary as it sounds, simply think of wine as a complement to your food where the sum is greater than the parts. 

When it comes to choosing your perfect match, there are no ‘die hard’ rules to follow. There are, however, guidelines that can help you enhance your overall dining experience. Here are some quick F&W101 secrets and tips to keep in mind in your journey to becoming an F&W connoisseur.

 

Secreto Número 1: Wine grapes and foodstuffs that are soil bedfellows will marry well. Usually fruits born in the same soil, climate, and same environment are paired greatly together. Although this is not a requirement, it does make the decision simpler. 

Secreto Número 2: Marry dominant flavour of the dish to the dominant grape variety of the wine. In other words, look for flavour links. This tip comes in handy when your meal is complex.  Particular ingredients of your dish (spices, fruits, herbs, etc.) can connect with the aromas of your wine to help you recognize a good match. For example, a pinch of pepper can highlight hints of spices.

Secreto Número 3: Acidity, sweetness, or astringency. When eating foods that have strong salty, sour, or bitter characteristics, wine seems sweeter and less tannic. On the other hand, if your meal is high in sweetness, your wine will taste more tannic, acidic, and less sweet.

Secreto Número 4: Consider the weight of your food and match it with the wine. Weight of food can be described in terms of intensity of its flavours and how ‘heavy’ it is. For example, any dish that is ‘heavy’ to your stomach or your palate goes well with a full-bodied wine and vice versa.

Secreto Número 5: Look for balance. It is good to keep in mind that when pairing your food and wine, one must not overshadow the other.  On the contrary, they should complement each other and be mated for life (Aww, how sweet).

And voilà! Now that you have a slight idea of the interactions between food and wine, the San Ignacio Resort Hotel has prepared a simple chart of your favourite meals from the Running W Steakhouse, winner of Tripadvisor’s Certificate of Excellence 2013, with some of our house wines. Cheers and bon appétit!