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Here are some thoughts on pairing. Generally, the old rule (white=white meats, red=red meats) is pretty outmoded, but there is a reason why it was there in the first place.

Most red wines are high in tannins and generally speaking are fairly dry. Since tannin interacts with fat to clean away fat from the palate (acid cuts fat – tannin is a type of acid) and fat softens the impact of the tannin, it has often been paired with heavier, fattier meats – especially beef. Of course we all know that chicken is so popular because it is lower in fat (or is frequently prepared that way), as is fish. A red wine can be much heavier on the palate than many whites and consequently needs a strongly flavored dish so that the taste of neither is lost. For poultry, this can be easy to do – especially if you flavored it delicately (which is often). Also if you use citrus (like lemon – a common ingredient in many poultry recipes), the acid can destroy the flavor of the wine (actually, it makes the tannins seem more acid, which translates to an unpleasant bitterness). Now if you roast a chicken with a few herbs, no citrus and with the skin on (where the fat is), you could easily pair a lighter red (like pinot noir) without worry. You might (notice, I am not making rules here) choose to avoid big cabernet sauvignons because they would probably overpower the flavor of the dish (after all, you worked hard on that chicken, you want to taste it don’t you?). Happily, most “everyday” reds (under 12 USD) of any kind probably don’t have that kind of body – it is best to choose a wine you know or have had recommended by a trusted source so that you can be more confident about your dinner. This also doesn’t mean that you can’t use citrus, but you must be very careful and know the wine very well. This is so tricky that many chefs have trouble with it and it may take a couple of tries before they have it right (a good chef will try the experiments at home or with their staff before springing on the consumer though).

So heavier sauces can also handle reds – especially if they include fats, cured meats or tomatoes (tomatoes are another tricky ingredient, since these fruits are fairly high in acid).

Fish (and especially shell fish – like shrimp or lobster and bivalves) can make red wines taste of metal (hold a fork or a metal spoon in your mouth for a few minutes – without any food on it – and you’ll get the idea). Luckily, these do very well with bright, high acid white wines. If you must drink red (and I particularly like pinot noir or Villages level Beaujolais with salmon), choose carefully. Heavier or fattier fish, can also do well with a wider variety of reds. Again think about the sauce, if any, and the method of cooking (red for fire roasted or fried fish as opposed to poached for instance – unless you poach with a red wine based marinade).

Pork is an unusual exception. It can make very heavy wines taste metallic as well and is also frequently prepared with a larger amount of salt. It needs the brighter fruit acid in lighter reds and whites, the tannic acid in heavier reds can again taste bitter or metallic (especially Syrah). Of course, again consider your sauce.

Duck, goose, turkey, and game birds also are fatty enough and heavy enough to pair with even cabernet sauvignon and are classically paired with pinot noir. If you haven’t had duck, then find a restaurant that is recommended for their duck (get several opinions from people that know food and wine) and try it. If you get bad or greasy duck then do a little more research. Duck is very fatty, but can be prepared so that it isn’t swimming in grease. It is often served fairly close to rare – don’t be scared of it if it is red inside it doesn’t usually suffer from the same problems of battery farmed chickens. Take the chef’s or staff’s (they should be quite knowledgeable about their list if they serve good duck) suggestion for wine (or ask for one in your price range if the recommendation is too steep). Enjoy!

Many Italian red wines are fairly high in fruit acidity and consequently seem to “break the rules”, but those are dishes and wines that have been developed together over many years, sometimes centuries. If you are interested, then you should get yourself a book on the wines of Oenotria (“land of vines” – the ancient Greek name for Italy). It can take a lifetime to learn everything about them.

Speaking generally, Asian dishes frequently break the “western rules” of cooking (mixing citrus with beef, high in salt and often strongly flavored with soy sauce). This is one reason (the Asian “fusion” or infusion into western cuisine) that reds are often looked to for non-traditional pairings. Generally though, traditional Chinese-American fare, can be very difficult to pair with wine, traditional *Chinese*, however is a different story (although some ingredients and spices can be a problem).

South Asian cuisine can pair well with wine, but it is often very flavorful (not necessarily spicy) and requires some of the very ripe, very intense wines of Australia, California, and often does well with South African wines (where they have been pairing them with South Asian cuisine for some time). Find someone who is familiar with South Asian cuisine and knows wine. In some of the spicier styles, you may find some difficulties (the heat will “steal” your palate). A gentleman who worked as a tea-taster in India told me that they were not allowed to eat curry for two days before they tasted the tea.

Now, not all white wines are created equal. There are many whites that are heavy and sometimes “fat” (lower in fruit acid, from ripeness or the bacterial transformation of fruit [malic] acid to lactic acid [the creamy or buttery flavor] called malolactic fermentation). They are often treated with oak (whether in barrel, stave-lined vat or “tea-bagged” – where toasted oak shavings or even sawdust are placed in a permeable bag and steeped in the wine). These components help build a white wine profile that is suitable to heavier meats. Of course chardonnay is often treated this way (as it sometimes is in Burgundy as “white Burgundy” – often the higher end wines). I have heard that prime rib and filet are particularly well served with Corton-Charlemagne, but I haven’t had the opportunity to explore that particular pairing (the Corton-Charlemagne usually starts at about 100 USD a bottle – I just can’t afford that).

Again, I’m not telling anyone how to enjoy their wine, I’m just saying experiment with the above and make up your own mind.

Contributed by: disquietus