Partial Draft of Food Matching part of FAQ

We once had a *real* spicy oriental dinner (prepared with the original amount of chili & spices). A fully ripe (14% without chaptalisation) sauvignon blanc from Styria (possibly Austria's best kept secret regarding top white wines) went very, very well, as did a full-throttle Aussie Shiraz.

M.

I concur. As I've mentioned before, one of the best matches I've ever had with spicy Thai food was Manfred Tement's '97 'Zieregg' Sauvignon. Of course, I would gladly eat newspaper with that wine ;-)

Mark Lipton

Loire cab francs (Chinon, for instance) tend to be bright balanced medium-bodied reds with good acidity. Pride Cab Franc is almost a character of bigness: superripe, heavy tannins, heavy oak. A steak would be a better match than fish.

Interesting. That was my experience with the Husch - it overwhelmed the tuna I had with it (I think I'm going to try Merlot instead with tuna), although I've had some light Cab Francs too.

Jose

Mark, how the hell did you know we had Tement's Zieregg, too?!

I was even tempted to add "with just a touch of wood", but then this would have been a little confusing, so I left it out.

Iirc, ours was the 1999.

1997 Zieregg SB is an all-time classic indeed.

M.

V 1.34 (combination of my opinions, suggestions, and some more opinions drawn from old AFW discussions. For desserts I've mostly drawn from Hugh Johnston. I'll also note that I have not including diacriticals, as there seems to be some difficulty with some newsreaders. While technically I think then I should say Gruener rather than Gruner, for clarity I'll stick to latter. ).

There are no hard or fast rules for wine and food matching. No match will be successful if you don't like the wine. This section, however, is intended as a guide to some generally accepted principles, with pointers to matches both good and bad (to most people's taste). The old idea of "red with meat, white with fish" is not all that good a rule- it depends what meat, what fish (and what red, what white!).

There are some matches that are considered classic: Beef and Cabernet Oysters and Muscadet or Chablis

There are some matches that very few people would find successful: sole or other delicate fish with a big red red meat with a light white (basic Muscadet, Vinho Verde, or Sauvignon Blanc) spicy dishes with a big Cabernet

However, the vast majority of dishes and possible wine matches are in-between. There's no way to cover every eventuality here- we can say beef and Cabernet is a good match, but a sauce, prep technique, or side dish might conflict. So please be aware these are very general guidelines, and feel free to ask specific questions on AFW .

Suggestions: Meats Poultry Seafood Vegetables/Sides Cheeses Herbs, Seasonings,and Sauces Desserts Non-European Ethnic Cuisines

Meats

Beef is a classic accompaniment for bigger reds wines. With steaks, especially if rare, one might stick to bigger more tannic reds- young California Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux, Australian Shiraz, or young Northern Rhones. Roasts and braised meat might be more appropriate for mature Cabernet or Merlot based wines (whether Bordeaux, New World, or elsewhere), mature Nebbiolo, or other elegant reds.

Lamb is often associated with Pauillac, but is a fine match for any Bordeaux or Bordeaux-blend ("Meritage") wine. If heavy on the herbs and garlic you might consider a Rhone (or a wine from Rhone varietals such as Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah, etc. from California, Spain, Australia, or elsewhere), Bandol, or Zinfandel. Rioja also is a historic match.

Pork is generally lighter, and does well with lighter reds (Pinot Noirs

that are less heavy, most Sangiovese except Brunello, etc.). Roses also work well. But many people think that pork is best with whites. Try a Gruner Veltliner or a dry to off-dry Riesling.

Ham- roses are often recommended. Cured raw hams (proscuitto for example) do well with whites or sparkling wines.

Veal -recommendations similar to pork

Game- for elk or venison, generally look to powerful wines, Syrah (Rhone or New World) in particular is a good match, as are bigger wines

from Provence, such as Bandol. For wild boar, consider Brunello di Montalcino. Rabbit is great with Sangiovese or Pinot Noir (or Riesling in some preparations).

Individual dishes: Choucroute - Alsace Riesling is traditional Steak tartare- crisp whites Beef Bourguignon - um, Burgundy! Fondue Bourguignonne - Burgundy works again, but full-bodied reds from around the globe will also

Poultry:

Chicken- simple roast chicken is a fine backdrop for fine mature reds, yet can also do well with whites. Coq au vin is typically served with a

wine similar to the cooking wine (though one might use a simple Bourgogne for cooking and a fine Chambolle 1er with dinner- or a California appelation Pinot Noir for cooking and the single vineyard version for the table).

Duck- Pinot Noir is excellent, but this goes also well with mature Nebbiolo,

Syrah, or Bordeaux as well. A vocal minority support Amarone.

Goose- mature Bordeaux or softer New World Merlots or Cabernets. A good

backdrop for most non-tannic reds.

Foie Gras- Sauternes or other sweet botrytized wines are traditional and fine, but arguments can be made for Chablis Grand Cru, too!

Turkey- pretty controversial. Advocates for Zinfandel, roses, Riesling Kabinetts, and more.

Game birds: bigger richer ones do well with classic red wines; smaller delicate birds might be better served with a rich white. Gamier birds (from long hanging) tend to go with Rhone reds with some spice.

Seafood:

White fleshed fish (flounder, sole, etc) : Soave, Chablis, unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. If there's a richer sauce then oaked Chardonnay or bigger white Burgundy.

Salmon: many prefer big Chardonnays, but there is a long tradition of reds, especially Pinot Noir with good acidity.

Tuna steaks- soft Merlot or other round reds. Less tannic Cabernet can work.

Lobster- big oaked Chardonnay (buttery California or a white Burgundy like a Meursault) is the traditional accompaniment, but unoaked Chardonnay (Chablis 1er Crus maybe) and Champagne have their adherents.

Try Gruner Veltliner as a dark horse.

Grilled Fish: If you want red, try a Loire Cab Franc Scallops: Chablis, Gruner Veltliner, lighter Chardonnays Oysters, clams, mussels: Muscadet or Chablis Caviar: Champagne or Cremant de Bourgogne Bouillabaisse- White Rhone or Southern French Rose

Vegetables and Sides Mushrooms- one of the great pairings for red wine in general. Many types are a great combo with earthy Pinot Noirs (especially cremini, cepes/porcini, oysters, chanterelle, black trumpet, matsutake, etc). Cremini or porcini/cepes in cream sauces do well with Chardonnay based wines. Creamed morels or morels en croute call out for a fragrant (not big) Burgundy, though others reach for Cote-Rotie and Temperanillo. Grilled portobellos usually are a good match for Cabernet, Merlot, or Nebbiolo based wine. Enokis and straw depend a lot on presentation (true for everything of course), but more about sparkling or characterful white (Loire Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris or Kabinett Riesling).

Truffles, black or white: Best nebbiolo based wine you can find, Barbaresco can be even better than Barolo for this match.

Artichokes- can be a wine killer, but try lighter whites.

Asparagus - for some a strange match, but try NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner. For white asparagus, try Alsace Muscat.

Fresh tomatoes- acidic whites

Ratatouille- fresh whites or roses

Salad- vinegary dressings are a wine killer. Drink water!

Cheeses

When in doubt, go with white.

Goat cheese- Sauvignon Blanc is the classic Munster- dry Riesling Gouda -lighter reds. Aged Gouda -good match for Cabernet based wines Manchego -same as Gouda, depends on age. A tangy aged one is great with

Priorat. Hoch Ybrig -does well with mature but vibrant big reds Parmigiano Reggiano- Amarone, Cabernet Cheddar: If we're talking young moist cheddar, fruity Zinfandel or Merlot. Aged artisanal cheddars deserve a big dry red Triple cremes- Auslese level Riesling. Epoisses - some of us like with red Burgundy, almost everyone likes with white Burgundy. Stilton- Port (or Tokay) Roquefort-Sauternes Gorgonzola dolce needs a bit of sweetness - recieto della Valpolicella maybe. More mature versions, though pungent, can stand up to drier reds

Mimolette -Bordeaux Brie and its relatives- better with whites Cheese fondue- crisp whites. If you're looking for regional matches, more "alpine" wines include Fendant from Switzerland and various whites fromt he Savoie. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner or more acidic versions of Chardonnay might also work. If one really wants red, try a lighter red with good acidity such as a cru Beaujolais.

Herbs, Seasonings, and Sauces

Chiles: off-dry wines (especially Riesling) and sparkling wines are usually suggested, though this is more in the category of "less harm" than complementing.

Dill: Good with brighter whites, especially Sauvignon Blanc

Garlic- a good wine match, if cooked. Raw garlic does better with whites

Mint-better with whites or light reds. A strong mint sauce with lamb is

a wine-killer.

Black pepper- better with big reds. Some find an affinity with Syrah.

Sage: does well with whites with body (bigger Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc based wines), as lighter reds with good acidity, especially Sangiovese based wines, or mature reds that have resolved their tannins.

Tarragon: better with whites than reds

Rosemary: in small doses, very versatile with both reds and whites.

Saffron: bright whites

Oregano: good with Sangiovese, Barbera

Ginger: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris.

Cardamom: Try Rhone or other aromatic whites

Cream sauces- look for whites with good acidity to cut through fat.

Hollandaise: try Sauvignon Blanc

Pesto: bright Italian white (Soave or Fiano)

Aioli: Provence rose, Rhone whites

Bolognese sauce- Italian red with good acidity (Chianti or Barbera for example)

Fresh tomato sauces- while many folks again look to reds, try a white with good acidity as an alternative

Desserts

Chocolate: A controversial one, but candidates include Brachetto d'Acqui or Cerdon de Bugey(sparkling roses), Banyuls, Rasteau VDN rouge, or fortified Muscats from Australia or CA. A few espouse Port or dry Reds, but the latter in particular doesn't seem to do well to most.

Creme Brulee: Sauternes or Muscat de Beaumes Venise

Tiramisu: Moscatel de Valencia, fortified Muscat

Mince Pies: Botrytized Semillon

Baklava : sweet Muscat such as Setubal

Cheesecake: non-dry sparkling wines such Moscato d'Asti

Lemon pudding : Tokay

Fruits and fruit pies: Apple - Sweet Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Apricot: Botrytized wines including BA/TBA Riesling, Sauternes, Tokay. Peach or nectarine: Sweet Riesling.

Non-European Ethnic Foods:

This section will be the most controversial. Unlike European cuisines that developed alongside wine, there are few "classic" matches. So take each of these suggestions with a grain of salt.

Chinese: Saying what red wine matches with Chinese food is impossible. It's like saying which wine pairs with European food. The problem of course is that "Chinese food" is not even one cuisine, but a group of regional cuisines. The wine for a Cantonese dish is not neccesarily going to be great for Szechuan, Shanghai,Fukien, Peking/Northern dishes. And the same wine is probably not best choice for chicken, beef, pork, and seafood dishes. Robert Parker I believe is on record commenting on the affinity of Nebbiolo and dim sum dumplings ith a soy/shoyu dipping sauce. Beef with broccoli can pretty good with a simpler Bordeaux or CalCab. Fiery Szechuan fare is probably best

with water or beer, but if you need wine try sparkling or off-dry Riesling. Cab Franc has its fans, too.

Japanese: With sushi, sparkling wines or Sauvignon Blanc tend to get the most votes. Other stick to sake ("rice wine", though actually brewed) or beer. Of course, it you're ordering mostly grilled eel you might prefer a lighter red. With cooked dishes, many find that Nebbiolo

and Pinot Noir do well with the umami flavors prevalent in some dishes.

Thai: Many people like Gewurztraminer. Others prefer Riesling or Chenin

Blanc. Rhone white varietals (Marsanne and Roussane) have their proponents, too. A touch of sweetness helps if there's a lot of spice.

Vietnamese : Many of the same suggestions as Thai, lemongrass does well

with many aromatic whites (rousanne, viognier, etc). Fusion (French/Vietnamese) can do well with Kabinett or Spatlese level offdry Riesling, as well as dry Rieslings and Gruner Veltliner.

Mexican- like Chinese, really not one cuisine but a collection of regional cuisines. Mole sauce might call for a Zinfandel or Sangiovese,

while huachinango Veracruz(red snapper w/green olives) might call for a

flavorful white. The usual Tex-Mex we often encounter in US defies wine

-beer is the usual answer. . If you absolutely must have wine, then go with Sangria or maybe sparkling or crisp offdry white.

Middle Eastern: a little easier. Does well with Rhone whites or spicier

ripe reds- Rhones, Zinfandel, etc. There are some Morrocan and Algerian

wines available, as well as the famous Ch. Musar from Lebanon, if you wish to stay on theme.

Indian: Again, a collection of regional cuisines. Punjabi cuisine- with

a lot more kormas and cream-based dishes that have a fair amount of spice and flavour to them, aromatic whites with good acidity tend to pair well with Punjabi food, vegetarian or not. Rieslings usually work very well, particularly the more acidic and citrusy ones from Australia.North-west Frontier/Peshawari cuisine: Dry Riesling works very well in conjunction with a lot of these, as it's one of the few wine styles that can stand up to the strong flavours. Gewurztraminer also works quite well.

Malay/Singaporean cuisine: Riesling and Gewurztraminer both go well with a lot of food from this area, but I've found that Sauvignon Blanc (particularly the Marlborough style) works best. Very few combinations in this part of the world work out as well as Singaporean chicken satays with a glass of Sauv on the side.

Korean: lots of kimchi calls out for beer! But kalbi and bulgogi both pair well with aggressive Syrah/Shiraz or other Rhone varietals

Didn't you know that I moonlight as a psychic? It comes in handy for catching cheaters in class, too! ;-)

On the basis of my one encounter, I would agree.

Mark Lipton

Now pasted into the latest version of the FAQ, complete with diacriticals. Check my later post with the new FAQ.

Thanks! Mark Lipton