Matching

The primary consideration of any match is to weight the flavor intensity of the food to the flavor and intensity of the wine. The more powerful and flavorful the food, the greater the flavor of wine that accompanies the dish will need to be in order for everything to remain in balance.

There are some primary factor in which you have to consider when pairing food with wine. Weight, Body and Texture.

All of these refer to the perception of the food on the palate. Weight, body and texture are present in both wine and food. The lighter dishes will match the well with light, smooth Sancerre, Soave or Vouvray.

White Wines

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio
Match with: Clove, sage, dill, pepper, chives, thyme, white pepper, orange, fennel.

Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Vouvray, Sancerre
Match with: Oregano, garlic, black pepper, ginger, terragon, curry, parsley.

Chardonay, White Burgundy
Match with: Mustard, clove, sage, mint, terragon, ginger, cumin, dill, lemon, thyme.

Red Wines

Beaujolais, Chianti, Nebiolo
Match with: Basil, oregano, chives, ginger, mint, thyme, tarragon, fennel, juniper.

Syrah, Shiraz, Rioja, Zinfadel
Match with: Chives, black ppepr, rosemary, tarragon.

Merlot, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon
Match with: Bay leaf, mint, parsley, dill, fennel.

Similar to sauces and spices certain foods may be combined to extract contrasting flavors. Some examples are chicken cordon bleu, bacon wrapped scallops, florentine seafood and cheese stuffed pasta. As with the previous examples the important aspect to consider is the overall flavor and body of the entree rather than matching its components.

Time away.

It's been a while since I've posted anything I've been away from the office for quite some time. Hopefully this week I can post a couple of interesting facts about grapes and continue on with its classifications.

Grape Classification

On the previous post we saw the several terminologies which belong to wines in general as a continuation we will see the several classification of grapes and the wines in which they help make.

Aleatico (ahl-ih-at-ik-oh) an Italian variety found in most areas, with the largest planting in Tuscany and the Island of Elba.

Also grown in Corsica and it is a minor variety in california. In Italy, Aleatico is used to make a highly regarded sweet, ruby colored muscat wine.

Alverelhao (ahl-vah-rel-oh) planted in Australia with a few small plantings in north-east Victoria and Wales. There appears to be very little of this variety grown outside Portugal.

Alverelhao is suitable for a red wine rather than a port. It has been reported to produce wines with good acidity and balance.

Barbera (bar-beer-ah) the leading wine grape in Italy, grown mainly in Piedmont.

Wines from Barbera have good color, tanning and acidity, and a distinctive character. When aged in oak the wines can be complex and full bodied.

Bastardo (bas-tah-doh) considered one of the better port varieties in Portugal. Very few plantations exist of this outside Europe.

Under most Hot conditions this potentially sweet, full wine is best suited for fortified wines as the fruit ripens early and attains a high sugar concentration.

Bianco d'Alessano (be-ank-oh dal-ess-ah-noh) isa late ripening white wine grape variety from the Puglia region of south Italy. The juice is sweet and neutral in flavor.

The wines tend to be neutral in character and have been given only average scores.

Biancone (bee-yan-kowhn) has the distinction of giving the highest commercial yield f any variety in Australia.

Biancone with its high yields has little character and is soft. Mainly used for distillation or bulk production.

Bonvedro (bon-veh-roh) grown in Spain, Portugal and France.

Wines made from Bonvedro have pleasant varietal character but are soft and lacking in tannin.

Bourboulenc (bor-buh-lahnk) is a recommended variety throughout France and is found maily in the lower valy of the Rhone.

In France, standard dry white wines from Bourboulenc are delicate and lightly aromatic with some varietal chracter developing with age.

Cabernet Franc (ka-ber-nay frahnk) is an important variety of Bordeaux are of France.

Cabernet Franc makes a red wine of excellent color and rich flavor with good tannin.

Cabernet Sauvignon (ka-ber-nay so-vin-yohn) comes from the Bordeaux region of France and is the major variety of some of the best wines in Medoc.

The excellent quality of the wines by Cabernet Sauvignon grapes is widely known. These wines are deep purple and have high tannins and a full rich flavor with a pronounced varietal character.

To be continued in the next post....

Wine Terminology for the Beginner

Since the vast variety of grapes in which wine is made is so extensive it is no surprise that wine tasting has developed somewhat of a large vocabulary. Learning these terminologies is a fun part of the processes in learning wines and its qualities. Below is a list of several terms used to describe wines.

• Acetic : The taste of vinegar
• Acidity: The tarty taste of acid in wine.
• Anthocyanins: The pigment in red wine grapes.
• Appellation: A European legislation of wine quality.
• Aroma: The wine's fragrance.
• Astringent: Sour effect in wine
• Big wine: A rich and full bodied wine, high in alcohol and tanning, improves greatly with age.
• Botrytised: A noble rot which dries the grapes enhancing the flavor.
• Cloying: Excessively sweet.
• Corked: An unpleasant taste or smell caused by a faulty cork or unclean barrel.
• Depth: The measure of fruitiness.
• Dry: A wine whose sugar has mostly been converted to alcohol during fermentation.
• Earthy: A rich and loamy taste or smell.
• Flabby: A dull wine lacking in acid or flavor.
• Grass: Common wines made from Sauvignon Blanc.
• Hard: A wine with extensive tanning in it.
• Jammy : An aroma of stewed fruit.
• Mellow: Well aged soft wine
• Mousy: An unpleasant flat, vinegar taste due to bacterial infection.
• Musky: Pleasant spicy or earthy smell.
• Oaky: The vanillin flavor and aroma of oak, particularly in new barrels.
• Rounded: Full bodied wine with good balance.
• Spritzy: A small amount of effervescence.
• Terroir: The type of soil, drainage and climate affecting a vine growth
• Woody: An exaggerated or excessive flavor of oak.

I hope you learn these so your experience in choosing the right wine for you can be an enjoyable and educated experience.

A Wine Drinker's Guide

Welcome!

Wine drinking and many other things in life can be simple or very involved as the person wishes. It can be enjoying a glass at a family dinner or wine tasting at an International Wine show. The question everyone who drinks wine should ask themselves is "What do I need to know for me to enjoy wine?" A simple answer to that is it's smell and taste. The best way to assess a wine is to look at it, smell its aroma, and then taste it. A quick tip is to use a glass that has the shape of a tulip this way it will retain more of the aroma. Fill it about a third and then look at the color. The younger the wine the more acidic it will be also its color. Wines begin to lose color and flavor as they age, they can ultimately become brown and taste unpleasant. As you come to enjoy the vast varieties of wine you will learn more and more about its appreciation. This blog will help you track your sense of smell as well as have the chance to taste wonderful wines not only from United States but from the World.

Thank you.

The Editor