Food and Wine Pairing

Examples:

1) Key Ingredients: Lamb Chops

Wine Description: Petite Verdot was originally grown in the Bordeaux region in France, and known as one of the five “noble” varieties allowed in the red Bordeaux blend. Now it’s popularity is growing and it's now produced as a single grape wine in countries like Australia and the United States.

It produces purple-black coloured wines with blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum flavours, spice, and often a distinctive smoky/cigar box note. It tends to be quite high in tannins.

Pairing Summary: The strong tannins in this wine are smoothed out by the protein in the lamb, making the flavours of the wine easier to taste and more enjoyable.

The smoky flavour of the wine is perfectly complemented by the smoky oak flavour of the dish, and the hearty, flavourful meat is in balance with the full-bodied wine.

Recipe: Oak Smoked Lamb Chops in a Red Wine Olive Marinade

Recommended Brand: From Australia

Tip: Want a foolproof way to pair the right wine with your meal? Use the wine you plan on drinking as an ingredient! Wine can add great flavour to your dish – so don’t be afraid to experiment.

2)Key Ingredients: Assorted Sushi

Wine Description: This wine is made in a dry style from red Grenache grapes, giving it medium body and crisp acidity, with flavours of juicy strawberry and summer fruit.

Pairing Summary: This dish has delicate textures and a variety of flavours so it needs a wine that can balance these without overpowering them.

The fruitiness of the rosé is a nice contrast to the flavours of the fish and cools the heat from the wasabi, and its acidity cleans your palate from the oiliness of the fish.

The crispness and fruitiness also complement the spicy ginger garnish, and the wine is light enough in body to not overpower the delicate texture of the fish.

Recipe: Sushi

Recommended Brand: Segura Viudas Viña Heredad Rosado (Spain)

Tip: Rosé comes in all sorts of styles, from sweet to dry, light to full-bodied, but it’s almost always fruity and refreshing and meant to be served chilled.

3) Key Ingredients: California Rolls

Wine Description: Chablis is a dry, crisp, tart white wine with citrus flavours. It's made from the Chardonnay grape and is named Chablis after the region where it is made.

It's light to medium in body and is sometimes described as having steely or stony flavours.

Pairing Summary: A crisp, mineral-y Chablis works well with sushi and provides a contrast in texture to the rice and the creamy avocado.

A classic match with the seafood, it cleanses the palate in between bites. As an appetizer pairing, it's always best to have lighter, crisper wines first before moving on.

Recipe: California Rolls

Recommended Brand: From France

Tip: White wine is usually served in smaller glasses to concentrate and have more focus on the aromas and the flavours.

4) Key Ingredients: Mushroom Topping

Wine Description: Baco Noir is a red grape grown in North American cool climates, primarily in Ontario, Canada.

It produces a deeply pigmented blue-black wine that's medium in body, fairly low in tannin, and surprisingly high in crisp acidity.

It has aromas and flavours of blueberries, blackberries, plum, and a distinctive rustic/earthy note.

Pairing Summary: The tomato sauce has an earthier touch with the mushrooms. The acidity of the Baco Noir stands up to the acids in the sauce and the earthier rustic quality of the wine marries with the bright tomato flavour. The robust flavours of the wine complement the pasta and sauce.

Recipe: Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese


Recommended Brand: Ancient Coast Baco Noir

Tip: Red wine is made from red grapes, whose flesh inside the skin is usually pale in colour. The grapes are crushed, but instead of pressing the juice away for fermentation, a period of “maceration” is allowed, during which the juice, skins, seeds, and bits of stem sit together.

Link for Food and Wine Pairing