Many articles and books are written on pairing wine and food. The most important factors in creating the best partners are flavors and the weight of the wine, the flavors and texture of the food and its accompanying sauce. Tasting the wines is an invaluable asset to the chef in terms of matching weights, textures and flavors. The chef should be able to finely tune the course to the wine. Your chef may also review wine-tasting notes from various publications or even over the internet. These tasting notes serve as a guide to the primary keys in creating a match.

Note that there is a delicate balance between food and wine. One should not overpower the wine with too many combinations of flavors on the plate. In trying to serve many masters, you would serve none. Concentrate on the primary characteristics in the wine and food. The pairing should also favor or emphasize the wine. Attached with this article is a guide to food and wine pairings covering classical food and wine matches as well as some more contemporary accompaniments. Some general keys to wine and food matching are listed below and are based on taste components of sweet, salt, sour and bitter.

• Official" rules do not exist. Many people will drink what is good without formalizing the process.


• Young white wines tend to have higher acidity. Acidity allows these white wines to cut through richness or fat while complimenting flavours in lighter dishes.


• Young red wines have higher levels of tannins as a result of their skins, seeds and stems incorporated in the winemaking. Tannins, a preservative, add firmness and weight to wine and direct its use to heavier food groups.


• As lighter wines are typically served before fuller bodied wines, later courses should correspondingly increase in weight. The density of the food is the primary consideration in matching to red or white wines. Food flavours then allow the closure to a final match.


• Drier wines served before sweet wines have greater ranges to support food matches. Off-dry wines such as those made from Riesling or Chenin Blanc support food matches because of the sweetness or saltiness inherent in many foods. Alternately, a sweet wine can cause difficulty with matches because their sugar content tends to mask lighter and more delicate flavours. The differences between wines in a single variety may be immense and should cause consideration between individual winemakers or vineyards. Take chardonnay, for example; the wine made from growers in Chablis is a light style with stone, flint and crisp apple flavours. Burgundian vineyards yield wines of immense richness built on layers of pear, honeycomb and almonds. A California chardonnay may have the rich vanilla and toast nose followed by exotic pineapple, mango or apricot. We are not even touching on the ways individuals treat their wines after harvest.


• The sauce plays a role in choosing the wine. Follow the stock base as a guide such that use of a beef base equates to a red wine and matches especially with a single variety wine as an ingredient of the base.


• Wines paired with food from their respective regions are generally ideal.


• Dessert wines go well with cheese, apples or nuts but less well with sweet desserts unless plain or cake-like.


• Great wines will be impressive regardless of the food prepared.


• Note that as with many "rules," exceptions can be made and, in many cases, merit becoming "rules" themselves. The myth of fish requiring white wine is one such "truth".