Wines & Wines
Wine and Dine
Ever go to a fancy restaurant and see that mile long wine list? If you are like me, all you know about wine is that there are red ones and white ones. I have always wanted to be able to order from that list and know exactly what I am ordering. Most wines are an acquired taste; to a virgin wine drinker they can be very bitter and consequently, ruin a perfectly good dish. I am going to give you a quick tutorial on what wine compliments each dish. This is a brief tutorial, offering advice on how to math wine to the four most common dishes; beef, pasta, chicken, and of course dessert! I have also included links to more wine savvy websites for those of you that would like to go more in-depth into the wine world.
One of the most common beef dishes is a good hearty steak with flavorful mashed potatoes. An easy rule of thumb to remember is that red wine goes with red meat. You will want to go with a dry red wine versus a sweet one. Sweet red wines are usually paired with dessert food, whereas dry wines go with the main course. Simply look on the label of the wine bottle to figure out whether it is dry or sweet. Another common question about wine is, when to serve it a room temperature and when to serve it chilled? The answer: red wine is to be served at room temperature.
Just as the rule applies to red wine with red meat, the same goes for white wine and white meat. You would want to pair most white meats, such as chicken, to a white wine. For instance, a delicious Italian baked chicken would go great with a Moscato, which is an Italian white wine that comes in many different brands. It also happens to be one of my personal favorites, because it is served chilled, which I find much more satisfying with a hot meal. Another goo rule to follow is, pairing food with wine from the same physical region, like Moscato with Italian chicken.
The final main course we will pair a wine with is pasta. To pair a wine with pasta you would simply follow the two rules we have just learned. Your pasta should be paired with a wine that matches its sauce. If your pasta were being served with a dark sauce, such as a savory, red tomato sauce, you would want to pair it with a dark red wine. Alongside a creamy Alfredo sauce you would serve a chilled white wine.
Most everyone’s favorite part of a meal is dessert. Pairing wine to dessert is easy. Sweet wine goes with sweet food. Sweet wines come both in red and white wine; there is really no rule to be applied here. Although, there is something to remember about pairing wine with dark chocolate dark chocolate tends to be bitter like most red wines. So, when pairing with dark chocolate you may want to steer away from the red wine and lean toward a sweet white wine. Other than that, dessert can go with almost any sweet wine.
Though experts say there are rules to be followed when drinking wine with certain foods, it all comes down to your own personal preference. If you feel like drinking an ice cold Moscato with your bloody red steak, then do it! Ultimately, it is your taste buds that will be the deciding factor, and no taste buds are alike! Life is to short to follow the rules. Eat and drink what tastes good.
Ever go to a fancy restaurant and see that mile long wine list? If you are like me, all you know about wine is that there are red ones and white ones. I have always wanted to be able to order from that list and know exactly what I am ordering. Most wines are an acquired taste; to a virgin wine drinker they can be very bitter and consequently, ruin a perfectly good dish. I am going to give you a quick tutorial on what wine compliments each dish. This is a brief tutorial, offering advice on how to math wine to the four most common dishes; beef, pasta, chicken, and of course dessert! I have also included links to more wine savvy websites for those of you that would like to go more in-depth into the wine world.
One of the most common beef dishes is a good hearty steak with flavorful mashed potatoes. An easy rule of thumb to remember is that red wine goes with red meat. You will want to go with a dry red wine versus a sweet one. Sweet red wines are usually paired with dessert food, whereas dry wines go with the main course. Simply look on the label of the wine bottle to figure out whether it is dry or sweet. Another common question about wine is, when to serve it a room temperature and when to serve it chilled? The answer: red wine is to be served at room temperature.
Just as the rule applies to red wine with red meat, the same goes for white wine and white meat. You would want to pair most white meats, such as chicken, to a white wine. For instance, a delicious Italian baked chicken would go great with a Moscato, which is an Italian white wine that comes in many different brands. It also happens to be one of my personal favorites, because it is served chilled, which I find much more satisfying with a hot meal. Another goo rule to follow is, pairing food with wine from the same physical region, like Moscato with Italian chicken.
The final main course we will pair a wine with is pasta. To pair a wine with pasta you would simply follow the two rules we have just learned. Your pasta should be paired with a wine that matches its sauce. If your pasta were being served with a dark sauce, such as a savory, red tomato sauce, you would want to pair it with a dark red wine. Alongside a creamy Alfredo sauce you would serve a chilled white wine.
Most everyone’s favorite part of a meal is dessert. Pairing wine to dessert is easy. Sweet wine goes with sweet food. Sweet wines come both in red and white wine; there is really no rule to be applied here. Although, there is something to remember about pairing wine with dark chocolate dark chocolate tends to be bitter like most red wines. So, when pairing with dark chocolate you may want to steer away from the red wine and lean toward a sweet white wine. Other than that, dessert can go with almost any sweet wine.
Though experts say there are rules to be followed when drinking wine with certain foods, it all comes down to your own personal preference. If you feel like drinking an ice cold Moscato with your bloody red steak, then do it! Ultimately, it is your taste buds that will be the deciding factor, and no taste buds are alike! Life is to short to follow the rules. Eat and drink what tastes good.