I need help matching food and wine. What goes best with what?

[TF]

I am working on a college problem and I need to know how to match wines with food and why those particular wines go good with those foods. Can someone help me?

[VRVixen]

There is an article on the basics of food and wine pairing at http://www.vineswinger.com/wine/wine_pair.html.

I don't know a lot on this topic so I am interested to hear what everyone else has to say.

Cheers!

[Innkeeper]

There is much less rigidity regarding wine selection these days than in yesteryear. Basically it is: have want you want or what you like. You should know that wine is divided into four large categories: red, wine, rose, and bubbly. Red and white table wine can have light, medium, or full bodies. Think skim milk, whole milk, and heavy cream. Body has to do with heft in your mouth. Additionally all wines have different degrees of acidity which is important when matching with food. Some say you should try to match the heft or intensity of the food with the wine, or at least be conscience of it. Some like to go the opposite way here, having light wines with heavy meals and vice versa. As you can see, this can become quite difficult, which is why you should start out just experimenting on your own. If someone questions what you are serving with a certain food, just say, "You mean you haven't had this wine with steak before?"

[mrdutton]

A lot of the internet sites and books I've looked at discuss wine and food pairings but don't discuss the reasoning.

I've found one book that attempts to do that. It is called "Wine with Food" by Joanna Simon.

I got it at Barnes and Noble. You might find it interesting.

[Zinner]

Simi's chef, Mary Evely, has a terrific book out called The Vintner's Table Cookbook: Recipes from a Winery Chef. It's divided into chapters by varietal--Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose and Blush, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet/Merlot/Meritage, Wine and Dessert.

There's recipes for each with comments on pairing, as well as general advice at the beginning of the book. For each varietal, there's also a chart of food affinities and food conflicts.

I've eaten at the winery a few times and Evely is masterful at food and wine pairing.

Check your favorite bookstore or call Simi Winery at 707-433-6253. For those who are traveling to Sonoma(Simi is in Healdsburg), it might be fun to check with the winery and see if they're continuing their Vintner's Table educational food and wine program.