Wine and Food Guide

Most of us have no doubt experienced perfect moments when the wine became one with the dish, but these occasions are individual, or at least not universal, experiences. Perhaps we should be thinking about the relationship of tastes in a conceptual manner, and then selecting one of many possible wines from a "family" of styles that share fundamental taste characteristics. We may find that attributes such as body, acidity, alcohol content, and barrel aging count for more than grape variety in the realm of food and wine pairing.  The Wine and Style Guide is an indispensable companion to this Wine and Food Guide.

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OLD RULES, NEW PLEASURES: WINES FOR CHEESE, RESTYLED

      Are you a believer in the innate affinity of wine for cheese? For some, there is nothing more satisfying than a glass of red wine, a piece of cheese and a few slices of crusty bread. Cheese has been a dietary staple for centuries in traditional wine cultures such as France, Italy, and Spain as well as in other Mediterranean countries. The classic French meal always includes a plateau de fromage (a cheese plate), and usually a fine old red wine is reserved for that course.

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DEALING WITH THE HEAT

          Spicy food poses distinct challenges for wine: the “fire” of chiles – fresh or dried, sauce or paste – may dominate if not deaden all other sensations. How severely we are affected depends on the type of chile, the firepower of the dose – and, of course, on our individual sensitivities. How hot is too hot for wine? It just does not seem sensible to drink wine with incendiary food that turns you white at the first bite, then bright red!

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