Pairing Food With Wine

Finding the right combination of wine and food can bring about a more satisfying and tasteful way to enjoy a meal. But understanding what combination of wine and food, as well as knowing the type of wine and when to serve it can be somewhat daunting given the wide variety of possibilities present. What follows are simple examples of how to incorporate wine tasting, the time of the meal and which combination works best when you have a guest over or just want to create the perfect evening for two.

Wine tasting is a wonderful way to start the evening, bringing about sophistication to the following meal without being heavy or interrupting the main course. You should have a few selections of wine available for your wine tasting today and also have plenty of water to allow the participants to cleanse their pallets between each serving of wine.

You can also provide a few snacks or appetizers when conducting the wine tasting, which can be good for those who may have sensitive stomachs before a meal. Yogurt is an excellent snack as it can coat the stomach, protecting it from any sour feeling the wine may offer while also being good for the health. Plus, yogurt is very light and will not spoil the meal which is to follow. You can be the wine tasting hero by making sure that your guests are well provided for when it comes to supplementing their taste buds with the healthy combination of wine and appetizers.

Now that you have finished the wine tasting, you can focus on which type of meal is best for the wine you are going to serve. The following examples are a few popular wine choices and the general types of meals that they are best served for the combination of taste and enjoyment.

Bordeaux, especially Red Bordeaux wine can be wonderfully served with meals featuring red meats, particularly game and lamb with a strong cheese as a side dish. This is especially true of Red Bordeaux that is part of the "West Bank" varieties of wine. For the "East Bank" types, which generally have more Merlot mixed in, then milder red meats and particularly stews are good choices.