

WINE 101

The basics of flavor and food pairing

10:49 PM, Sep. 26, 2012  |  Comments
Corinne Gorzo of West Friendship, Md., samples a glass of wine at Winefest in Ocean City.

Wine is derived from a fermentation and processing of grapes. The color grape corresponds to the color wine. Red grapes make red wine, and green or lighter-colored grapes give us white wines. Many wine makers like to mix all sort of grapes to create unique varieties.

The spectrum of wines runs from sweet to dry, from light and drinkable to big, bold and flavorful.

Lighter whites include Pino Grigio and Riesling, medium whites include Savignon Blanc or Champagne, and a full-flavored white is more like a Chardonnay or Viognier.

For reds, the spectrum includes a lighter Beaujolais or Chianti, then a medium Merlot or Zinfandel, followed by a bigger or more tannic Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine isn't just a cocktail. If paired correctly with the right foods, wine can be a delightful experience where both the wine and the food taste better. It should balance, with neither the food nor the wine overwhelming each other's flavors.

Some experts will say the simpler the dish, the simpler the wine, and vice versa. The opposite holds true - a complex meal with a lot of flavors and ingredients goes well with a complex wine, like a Bordeaux.

White wines go well with chicken or fresh fish. A white wine with a buttery or rich flavor is recommended to go with creamy sauces. A Viognier, a unique kid of wine that comes from a specific French grade, goes very well with seafood, especially soft shell crabs.

Red wines with a big, bold flavor are paired well with similar dishes, like a flavorful sauce or a hearty steak, or other red meats.

Lighter reds go well with pasta. Sweet or fruity wines, whether red or white, generally don't go with food and are drunk alone.

Finally, your wine glass matters. Red wine glasses typically have larger bowls but smaller openings, to magnify the aroma but leaving it little room to escape.

Wine glasses traditionally have stems so you don't handle the bowl and impact the temperature of the wine with your bare hands. However, some modern wine glasses are stemless - like tiny goldfish bowls - which makes them less fragile and easier to clean.

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