Art form: Pairing the right wine and food
The general rules behind food and wine pairing used to be relatively straightforward: Red wine went with red meats, white wine went with white meats.
But these days, the rules are a little more complex, more nuanced. Wine choice depends not only on the kind of meat, but how it is prepared, and there are exceptions to every rule.
“Fish is almost always going to be paired with a white wine like a symphony or a viognier. But if you are cooking it, say, Cajun style, then you’ll want a red wine,” said Katie Rauser, tasting room employee at the Lodi Wine and Visitor Center.
“It really depends on the characteristics of the food you are eating,” she added.
The right wine will bring out the flavors in your food. The wrong wine will overwhelm or overpower your dish.
“You want to look for things in balance,” said Julio Camberos, executive chef of Black Tie Catering in Lodi. “If you have a spicy dish, you want to go with a sweeter wine because they compliment each other.”Hence spicy cuisine like Mexican, Indian, Thai or Pakistani, goes well with a rosé or a gewurtztraminer, or a drier, more acidic white like a riesling or a sauvignon blanc.
However, a chardonnay with buttery, oaky notes can also be served with something spicy or it can be paired with an alfredo sauce or with fresh Japanese food like sushi or sashimi.
Reds, on the other hand, go well with roasted lamb, game meats like duck or pheasant, barbecued ribs or a good old-fashioned steak.
“If you have a steak, there is nothing better than a zinfandel,” said David Lucas, owner and winemaker at Lucas Winery. “Not an over the top one but an elegant, straightforward zin with a little bit of age that brings out the nice clove, cinnamon and spice flavors of the wine.”Other combinations can surprise, like the pairing of grilled salmon with zinfandel. “It’s a magical combination,” said Lucas.
Trisha Akiyoshi, owner of School Street Bistro, said that people in her restaurant are starting to become more adventurous when pairing wines with food.
“We encourage people to experiment. Each wine has a different personality and food does too,” said Akiyoshi.
But the greatest rule is to select a wine that you will enjoy.
“When I’m pairing food and wine for a customer, what is most important is what the customer wants,” said Joe Hargrave, the director of food and beverage at Wine & Roses.
“If you love zin and halibut, then you should have it regardless of the rules because that is what is going to please you,” he added.