Perfectly paired…why it’s worth opting for wine-pairing to accompany your meal

Wine Pairing and food - it actually isn’t as difficult as it may sound, and it can make all the difference to your enjoyment of both.

Many of us will drink wine with our meals - it’s the ultimate way to enjoy spending that time around the table with friends and loved ones. But, sometimes, it can become ‘the norm’ and commonplace and no longer the enlightening experience it could be. For most of us, it’s simply that food & wine go together, without giving it any great thought. So, how do you go about finding a great pairing of food and wine?

It’s always important to think about the ingredients and the way the dish is cooked. It’s actually far more in depth than the standard approach of white with fish, red with meat ‘rule’. Other principles to take into consideration are if it’s raw or lightly cooked - then it’s more likely that the dish will go best with a white wine. If it’s roasted, grilled or braised - it’s probably going to be better with a red wine. However, an accompanying sauce can also make a huge difference. Sometimes the texture of the wine can be brought to the fore too as different wines can take on a whole array of different textures - from smooth or creamy to wine that has a fizz for example.

Bear in mind also whether the dish is sour, salty or sweet. Sharp flavours - that’s sourness and saltiness - generally work best with dry wines with high acidity. Whilst hot, spicy dishes work well with whites that have a touch of sweetness.

A rule of thumb with dessert is to ensure that your wine is sweeter than your dessert - which usually means a dessert wine. Sweet wine can also be used as a contrast to salty ingredients; for example Stilton Cheese and Port.

Seasonality is also likely to be a factor in wine pairing. If eating lighter food in the warmer days of summer or heartier dishes in the chilly days of winter, then you may wish to adjust your choice of wine accordingly … or maybe not! You might just opt to enjoy your favourite wine at any time of the year.

Choosing wine with lunch or dinner can often be a daunting task and, therefore, we offer a Wine Pairing service at The Wildebeest that sits alongside our Taster Menus and which will take you on a perfectly-paired wine journey. Alternatively, all our staff are knowledgeable about all the wines that we serve, so don’t hesitate to ask for advice.