Here we're going to talk about chords. Sure, some chords definitely work, but as with any situation, everyone has their own personal tastes. It's up to you to experiment and find out what makes you tick.
Among the small rules, we find:
- The color match : for white meat or fish, it will be white wine. For red meat or beetroot, red wine. For salmon or tuna, rosé. It's general, but you get the idea.
- The regional agreement : it is often said that you should not look too far. A comté will pair perfectly with a Jura wine. A sauerkraut with an Alsace wine. Seafood with a Loire wine, where the vines are not far from the coast...
- The complementary agreement : fat with fat (Comté and Savagnin), sweet with sweet (dessert and liqueur), acidity with acidity (citrus fruits and orange wine)...
- The opposite agreement : acidity with sugar (citrus and sweet), fat with acid (creamy dish and bubbles)...
- The finesse agreement : a very fine dish, such as sweetbreads, duck breast, or poultry, will go with a rather subtle, light wine, with a lot of finesse. A more structured dish, such as beef bourguignon or coq au vin rouge, will go with a more rustic and full-bodied wine.
Let's move on to the type of dish:
The Apéritif: The aperitif. A sacred moment. Festive or serious, simple or elaborate, one-on-one or with others, you need a fresh, light, bright wine that can be drunk with or without accompaniment. White, rosé, red or even (and especially) orange! In short, a wine that sets the mood.
Seafood: Shellfish, crustaceans, these are fine, fresh, iodized products. White wines, still or sparkling, some rosés too (especially for shrimps, prawns etc.), are the most suitable to highlight these seafood products, and give us the impression of hearing the waves and having our feet in the sand.
Fish: White fish, river fish, smoked fish, in oil, fatty fish, raw or cooked. We avoid tannins that are too strong. White, rosé, and even light red, we remain delicate to accompany these delicate fleshes.
White meat: Chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit. These meats have a delicate taste, the wine that accompanies them must be too. No wine that is too full-bodied or warm, white, rosé, light and fruity red, and even bubbles can create a surprising pairing with poultry in cream sauce for example.
Red meat: Beef, lamb, pork. These meats, grilled or roasted, will pair well with a structured red wine. Just like cold cuts and cured meats. For barbecues, a rosé or a fruity and structured red wine will go wonderfully. When they are simmered, in sauce or spiced, a structured or full-bodied red will be a nice balance.
Vegetarian: Vegetarian dishes are complex: they often combine vegetables, legumes, starches, cheeses, and eggs. A word of advice: look for the dominant taste of your dish (a spice, a sauce, a food) and refer to it. In general, it is better to stick to a white, a rosé, or a red but not too full-bodied (with the exception of dishes based on mushrooms, legumes, and root vegetables). For spicy or sweet-sour dishes, an orange wine is explosive.
Cheese: Fresh cheese, soft cheese, pressed cheese, blue cheese, cow's or goat's milk: generally speaking, white wine goes best with cheese. The bubbles will give it a boost. And some orange, sweet or full-bodied red wines will enhance blue cheeses.)
Dessert: A sweet (liqueur) wine is often suggested for dessert; it is true that, to end on a gourmet note, there is nothing better. But bubbles can also be very refreshing at the end of a meal. Orange wine will go perfectly with exotic fruits and citrus fruits. White wine will go well with yellow fruits, creams and cakes. Light red wine will accompany red fruits, while full-bodied red wine will go well with chocolate desserts.
That's it for the pairings according to the type of dish, if you want ideas for dishes according to a type of wine, go to our article "Food pairings according to wine styles".
