Food and Wine Pairing

Body

Body is how a wine feels in your mouth. If you take a sip of an Amarone Valpolicella (made partially with raisined grapes which add depth and a Christmas-cake sweetness) and contrast it to the more ethereal Beaujolais or Pinot Noir, you’ll notice the difference immediately; a fuller bodied wine will feel like it’s coating the inside of your mouth and, once swallowed, leaves that feeling of ‘fullness’ on your tongue. A light-bodied wine might leave lingering flavours, but is much lighter on its feet – more refreshing than cloying.

For a really great food pairing you’ll want to find a wine that essentially matches the body of your food. For example, seafood or salads might be overwhelmed by the richer texture and tropical flavours of a new world Chardonnay but a zingy Albariño, Vinho Verde or Riesling would work perfectly because its body and acidic vibrancy match the lightness of the dish.

A deeply savoury stew would trample the delicate floral notes of a Muscadet, but stand up to the robustness of an Argentine Malbec. So try and match body for body – we have a list of classic and modern food pairing ideas here for inspiration.

Salt

Ask any salted caramel addict and they’ll tell you that the marriage of sweet and salty is king, sending our brain’s hedonism-inducing dopamine receptors into overdrive. You can transfer this principle to food and wine pairing – a dessert wine or very fruit-forward style can make a great match for sodium-heavy dishes – a Sauternes or Tokaji for the cheeseboard for example.

Matching like-for-like can also work – take a dry saline-tinged Fino or Manzanillo Sherry, packed with moreish savoury and nutty flavours, paired with a classic tapas feast of olives, Manchego and Jamón.

Alternatively you might want to contrast the salt – take the squeakily satisfying Cypriot sheep’s cheese Halloumi, and a glass of mouthwateringly fresh Greek Assyrtiko; its coastal salinity and high acidity will cut cleanly through the salt; or the classic Chablis-and-oyster combo, which sees the steely minerality of Burgundian Chardonnay refresh the oceanic tang of the shellfish.

Salt tends to emphasise richness and fruit, and can also flatten out the harsh tannins or bitterness in a young red, so try with a powerful youthful Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec if you want to approach it a little earlier.

Acidity

Ideally your wine should be more acidic than the food it’s paired with – so hold the balsamic vinegar on a salad or the malt vinegar on fish and chips if you plan to serve it with wine. It’ll add plenty of zing all by itself.

Classically, acidic wines are usually recommended for foods that are rich tasting and high in fat, because it acts as a refresher for your palate. Sparkling wine is essentially the most acidic of all, which is why the high-low combination of fizz and fast food can work so brilliantly. Champagne and fried chicken is delicious because the pop of bubbles and jolt of acidity cuts crisply through a salty, crispy coating. The same goes for English Sparkling Wine and fish and chips (of course, any high-acidity sparkling wine will work, but a homegrown fizz feels especially right), or Crémant with savoury pastry canapés.

Still wines do a great job too; Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) and a creamy goat’s cheese; Riesling and schnitzel; a citrusy Italian white (Vermentino, Verdicchio or Pinot Grigio) with a classic Cacio e Pepe; Pinot Noir or Gamay (Beaujolais) with sausages, charcuterie or fattier pork dishes; and a bright Italian red (Nebbiolo or Sangiovese) paired with anything gleaming with olive oil works brilliantly.

High acid white wines include: Champagne, Crémant, English sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Assyrtiko, Albarino.

High acid reds include: Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Nebbiolo.

Tannin

Super tannic wines are among some of the best in the world as they have great potential to age well – think Bordeaux’s great Cabernet Sauvignons, Syrah from the Rhône or Italian Nebbiolo. But if approached young (ageing softens tannins) they're best paired with foods that bring out the wine’s richness and fruitiness as opposed to enhancing the bitterness and astringency that bold tannins can bring.

Rich, fatty proteins have traditionally been the route for these wines, and they’re iconic matches in their own right – it’s no surprise that steak with Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic pairing.

Vegetables can work if paired with creamy or rich sauces (who’d turn down a cauliflower cheese and Cabernet combo?), or when grilled or barbecued to give a little charred flavour that stands up to the power of the wine – and don’t hold back on the olive oil.

More flavoursome cheeses such as Cheddar, Comte and Gouda are great too, with their high fat content and bolder taste standing up to the heft of a tannic red.

If you enjoy highly tannic varieties, but prefer them a little softer, try looking to New World varieties, where the ripening sunshine will help them mellow a little, or examples with a little age - both of which makes them easier to pair with a wider range of food.

Wines with high tannins include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Monastrell, Sangiovese, Primitivo

Wines with medium tannins include: Malbec, Rioja, Bläufrankisch

Wines with low tannins include: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Rosé

Spice

Unless you like sadistic levels of heat, you need to tread carefully with spicy foods, as wines that are high in tannin can pour fire on the flames – and some dishes are so spicy that they’re honestly better paired with a refreshing beer.

But if you do want to try a wine match, look for off-dry or sweet whites (sweeter Rieslings, Gewürztraminer, richer Pinot Gris are a great choice and the aromatics chime nicely with many spicy dishes) and fruity reds (Grenache, new world Shiraz, Zinfandel / Primitivo), which won’t exacerbate the heat as much drier or more tannic styles.

Sugar

Dessert wines exist for a reason – sugar is a real killer for most dry wines, dulling aromatics and making fruity notes taste bitter in comparison.

We like to keep it sweet - chocolate desserts and Ports are a delightful match, with the dark stuff’s inherent richness matching the stewed-fruit charm of the fortified wine, or PX Sherry (which is also iconic over ice-cream). Sauternes and stone-fruit-based desserts (think apple strudel, stewed pears) bring out the honeyed notes in both and cakes can taste fantastic with Madeira, or Italy’s Moscato - a sparkling blossom-scented wine that feels very celebratory paired with a classic Victoria sponge birthday cake.

Cheers!