11 handy tips for wine and food pairings

Wine and food. Pairing them is an art in itself. When it works out, it's fantastic. And I'm talking about a case of one plus one equals three. Close your eyes and enjoy.

The biggest tip is to experiment. Try opening two bottles or eating that piece of salmon with and without the sauce and see how it interacts with the wine. You'll learn so much! You can also try the tips below. Let me know what you make of it!

#1 Know your classics

'What grows together goes together'. An age-old tip: Why are all Italian red wines so acidic? Just think of the most important and widely used ingredient in Italian cuisine. That's right, tomatoes. Pairing tomatoes with wine isn't easy, because: high acidity! The wine needs to have the same characteristics, otherwise it becomes a dull mess. That's why a Sangiovese with a plate of pasta or pizza is a huge hit.

But of course, every region has its own specialty and wine-food pairing. Here are a few examples:

• Gewürztraminer (or Alsace Grand Cru) with a piece of Munster cheese from Alsace. If you've never tried it, definitely give it a try. It'll change your life! Don't be put off by the (stinky) cheese.
• Sancerre with Crottin de Chavignol, a local goat's cheese.
• Zeeland wines with Zeeland Beatitudes, for example rivaner with mussels and auxerrois with sole.
• Riesling kabinett with sauerkraut and sausage.
• Californian Cabernet Sauvignon with a good cheeseburger.
• Malbec and Argentinean steak

#2 Light on light, strong on strong

This sounds obvious, but I still felt it deserved a spot on the list of top tips. With a light dish like a summer salad or a piece of fish, you drink a light wine. Does it have to be white? No, it should be light. A summer salad with goat cheese is perfect with Sauvignon Blanc or a Spanish Verdejo. It works just as well with a piece of tuna, but tuna also pairs perfectly with a light red wine, like a German Spatburgunder or an Austrian Zweigelt. These fruity red wines are delicious served slightly chilled.

Sauvignon Blanc doesn't pair so well with steak. There's no fun to be had with that. It's more fun to serve it with something more robust. Tannins and protein go well together, but an even better way to explain this combination is this: Think of a full-bodied red wine and the drying effect of the tannins in your mouth. How delicious is a juicy piece of meat then? Hmmm... Coarse grains of salt are also fun to play with. Salt softens the tannins. Win!

Examples:

• Chilean Carmenère with spinach pie (because: light)
• Zinfandel with pumpkin pie (because: heavy)
• Champagne with sushi
• Cabernet Sauvignon with lamb

#3 Complement or contrast?

That's the big question in the world of wine and food pairings. Contrast is difficult and rarely successful (read: it often goes terribly wrong). In some cases, for example, sweet with salty, it can create a blissful feeling. This is a tip for fans of the pancake with syrup and bacon category. You can also apply this trick to wine and food. Especially after a meal, for example, a glass of port with Blue Stilton: classic but oh so effective. The example of the Riesling Kabinett (slightly sweet) with sauerkraut and sausage is also fantastic; it creates fireworks in your mouth. Because a good Riesling Kabinett has good acidity in addition to the sweetness, it balances the sauerkraut, while simultaneously cutting through the fatty sausage.

• Creamy & bubbly – Cap Classique with pasta carbonara (because: contrasting, the bubbles cut through the creamy pasta and prepare your mouth for the next bite)
• Sweet & salty – Sauternes with roquefort or this pizza with pear, walnuts and gorgonzola (because: the sweet wine contrasts with the salty pizza, but also complements it a bit because of the pears and walnuts).
• Sour/Sweet & Fat – Riesling Grand Cru or slightly matured Riesling with Scallops, pork belly and mango (because: complementary, you can read that in the recipe).
• Sour & Fat Champagne with smoked salmon is fantastic. Or fried chicken wings (or just chicken nuggets) with Chablis.

#4 Flexible wine is always handy to have at home

Okay, this won't win you the 1+1=3 competition, but it's not a bad idea to have a few all-rounders. Then you'll at least have 1+1=2. Chardonnay, for example, isn't a very flexible wine when it comes to food pairings. Oak-aged Chardonnays, in particular, are difficult; they're somewhat heavier wines, so it's best to pair them with something richer. Crisp whites, the more playful ones: Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, are versatile. The high acidity provides freshness and cleanses your palate, ready for the next bite. Handy at the table!

When it comes to reds, consider Chianti, red Burgundy, Italian Primitivo, Californian Pinot Noir, or Zinfandel. These wines all have good acidity, plenty of fruity notes, and low tannin. These wines are perfect for everyday use. If you're serving something heavy, consider the tips above and choose a more substantial wine.

#5 Fruity wines with fruity dishes

A no-brainer. When you think of meat, you might immediately think of red wine. However, if you serve your meat with fruit, it's a completely different story. Think white, aromatic white. For example, consider Alsace. The aromatic white wines are winners with these kinds of dishes: pork tenderloin with baked apples, roasted chicken with apricots, or duck breast with figs. Flexible reds (see previous tip) also work well, but those aromatic wines definitely make 1+1=3.

• Chenin Blanc 21 Sables (wood-aged Chenin Blanc) from South Africa with duck breast cooked in orange sauce. Amazeballs.
• Riesling Kabinett with pork tenderloin and baked apples.

#6 Think umami

The new fifth taste on the tongue. Well, it probably already existed, but now it has a name. How do you describe umami in Dutch? Literally translated, it means "delicious" (una) and "taste" (mi), so " deliciousness of taste ." A broad concept. It's also often described as savory, for example, how the flavor of a potato changes when you fry or boil it and add a pinch of salt. Big difference.

Umami is also found in cheese, especially Parmesan. Umami in wine is found in super-ripe, rich wines, such as Australian shiraz and white wines aged long on their lees (sur lie), such as Champagne and full-bodied Chardonnays.

#7 Sweet on sweet, but be careful!

Sweet with sweet, so far so good. But be careful, because the dish should not be sweeter than the wine. Otherwise the wine will be flat and Boring. If I ever get married, I'll definitely consider it. When cutting the wedding cake, we'll toast with a glass of demi-sec. Chin-chin.

Last Sunday I finished a wine tasting with Moscato d'Asti. Moscato d'Asti is a very light dessert wine, only 5% alcohol, and has a slight effervescence. Good versions have a lovely sweet/sour balance. Delicious with fruit, but never pair it with chocolate. That's a disaster. Check out the previous tip: strong with strong. Choose a strong dessert wine for chocolate, such as Banyuls or Port. Too heavy? You can pair a light chocolate mousse with a brachetto d'acqui , a lightly sparkling red dessert wine from northern Italy, the red brother of Moscato d'Asti.

#8 Keep it to one showpiece

Finally, stick to one showpiece. Many people associate a luxury dinner with expensive wines and hours spent in the kitchen. That's certainly possible, but not necessary. If you're opening a top-notch wine, keep the food simple, or rather, keep it pure. The restaurant that mastered this trick (sadly, it no longer exists) was Savage in Rotterdam . Let the wine take center stage and choose a dish that doesn't detract from the wine, but instead lets it shine. Leave the brittle, crispy, and meringues at home.

Examples:

• Chablis Premier Cru with fresh oysters
• A classy Barolo with a plate of pasta with fresh truffle and Parmesan cheese

When all else fails: champagne

If you're truly at a loss, Champagne always offers the answer. This is also part of the "choose a flexible wine" tip. The high acidity makes for a lively, fresh wine that awakens your taste buds. The low alcohol content also won't overpower the food. Champagne, always a winner.

Partly based on the article in Decanter.