Are there any general rules of thumb?

[abefroman]

Are there any general rules of thumb?

Like
Reisling with this kind of food
Merlot with this kind

Fish with his kind of wine or that kind
Italian with this kind.


TIA

[abefroman]

Another member directed me to this interactive chart:
Food & Wine Pairing Guide

[oldschool1982]

Okay! The following statement might just be considered blasphemous to the wine gods but............................. I've always considered it more important to drink what you like with what you eat. Yes it is important to pick a wine that accents and is accentuated by the food it is paired with then again.................... How many average folks have that finely a developed pallete? This is speaking in generalizational terms of course. I apologize if I didn't answer your question very well.

[abefroman]

After careful analysis of that chart I have found the following general rules of thumb.

#1. For red meats, beef, lamb, veal, you want a red wine. When In doubt a good choice could be Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, or Merlot.

#2. When ordering fish go for a white wine. A safe choice is a Chardonnay
or Sauvignon Blanc.

#3. For pasta, vegatarian, pork, chicken, or turkey, those are often eating with red or white wine, the most common being Chardonnay or Merlot.

#4. A far as flavors, garlic goes well with Chardonnay or Merlot

#5. Onion Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay

#6. Black pepper = chardonnay, Zinfondel

#7. For mushroom, you would want a red wine, like a Shiraz

#8. For mustard its a Sauvignon, like the Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc

#9. Wine sauce would be a red wine, liike Cabernet Sauvignon.

#10. Tomato, red wine, Zinfondel or Merlot

#11. For BBQ you would want a Zinfondel, either red or white

#12. A dish with a lot of herbs would pair nicely with a Merlot or Chardonnay

#13. Parmesen cheese, Merlot or Chardonnay again.

#14. Cream sauce, Chardonnay

#15. Clam sauce, you would want a white wine for this, like a Chardonnay

#16. Italian dressing, white wine, Savugnon Blanc

#17. Stir fry or ginger, have a white wine, like the Chardonnay

#18. Hot and Spicy food, looks like over whelmingly a white wine, specifically White Zinfandel

Does anyone have any other rules, or care to comment on those?

[Risque Cakes]

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

Okay! The following statement might just be considered blasphemous to the wine gods but............................. I've always considered it more important to drink what you like with what you eat. Yes it is important to pick a wine that accents and is accentuated but the food it is paired with then again.................... How many average folks have that finely a developed pallete? This is speaking in generalizational terms of course. I apologize if I didn't answer your question very well.

YOU go on and TESTIFY Old School....Amen Old School...AMEN!

[AllanMcPherson]

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

Okay! The following statement might just be considered blasphemous to the wine gods but............................. I've always considered it more important to drink what you like with what you eat. Yes it is important to pick a wine that accents and is accentuated but the food it is paired with then again.................... How many average folks have that finely a developed pallete? This is speaking in generalizational terms of course. I apologize if I didn't answer your question very well.

Sometimes I think the difference between a developed and undeveloped palate is ability to explain why you like something.

--AL

[Pete]

#9. Wine sauce would be a red wine, liike Cabernet Sauvignon.

Unless that wine sauce is a white wine sauce.

There are hundreds of "rules of thumb" when pairing food and wine. Ultimately it should come down to what you like as for every rule here I can come up with a number of exceptions. Of course these guidelines can help you out if you are a novice or rarely drink wine, but I can't stress enough that these are only guidelines. I don't care if everyone in the world says that drinking a cab with artichokes is disgusting, if you like it, then drink it.

Of course if you are serving wine to friends, etc. then it is more important to follow guidelines a little more closely as they give good advice for general pairings and not everyone may have the same tastes as you.

[cape chef]

Originally Posted by abefroman

After careful analysis of that chart I have found the following general rules of thumb.

#1. For red meats, beef, lamb, veal, you want a red wine. When In doubt a good choice could be Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, or Merlot.

#2. When ordering fish go for a white wine. A safe choice is a Chardonnay
or Sauvignon Blanc.

#3. For pasta, vegatarian, pork, chicken, or turkey, those are often eating with red or white wine, the most common being Chardonnay or Merlot.

#4. A far as flavors, garlic goes well with Chardonnay or Merlot

#5. Onion Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay

#6. Black pepper = chardonnay, Zinfondel

#7. For mushroom, you would want a red wine, like a Shiraz

#8. For mustard its a Sauvignon, like the Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc

#9. Wine sauce would be a red wine, liike Cabernet Sauvignon.

#10. Tomato, red wine, Zinfondel or Merlot

#11. For BBQ you would want a Zinfondel, either red or white

#12. A dish with a lot of herbs would pair nicely with a Merlot or Chardonnay

#13. Parmesen cheese, Merlot or Chardonnay again.

#14. Cream sauce, Chardonnay

#15. Clam sauce, you would want a white wine for this, like a Chardonnay

#16. Italian dressing, white wine, Savugnon Blanc

#17. Stir fry or ginger, have a white wine, like the Chardonnay

#18. Hot and Spicy food, looks like over whelmingly a white wine, specifically White Zinfandel

Does anyone have any other rules, or care to comment on those?

This is a poor example, I will have to spend sometime on each bullet, but at a quick glance it's a bit misleading and vague

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by cape chef

This is a poor example, I will have to spend sometime on each bullet, but at a quick glance it's a bit misleading and vague

So far I am finding it to be true, have you thought of any differences for the bullets?

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

Okay! The following statement might just be considered blasphemous to the wine gods but............................. I've always considered it more important to drink what you like with what you eat. Yes it is important to pick a wine that accents and is accentuated by the food it is paired with then again.................... How many average folks have that finely a developed pallete? This is speaking in generalizational terms of course. I apologize if I didn't answer your question very well.

I tend to agree with this...there is a general rule of thumb of white wine w/white meat and red wine w/red meat, but it doesn't always hold true. For instance, I love the taste of a good Pinot Noir with salmon or roast pork. In fact, the right Pinot Noir could go with almost anything or stand alone beautifully (I like La Crema, or the best one I've had lately was from Acacia...I also really liked a Hahn Cabernet Franc I had recently.)

Reisling is a sweeter white, almost a dessert wine...I like it better before the meal or after rather than with.

And yes, there are complicated rules to all of this (and my friend who is a somalier knows them all and feels free to talk ad nauseum to me about them regularly a la Stephen on Top Chef Season 1), but ultimately what it comes down to is taste. Sometimes people get so caught up in the logic of exactly which flavor profile goes with what that they forget that wine isn't about logic...

And now I just cross my eyes at my somalier friend and they understand it's time to just shut up, and let me enjoy the wine, lol.

[Bazza]

I agree Cape Chef this is not only misleading, it is vague. For example #5 for onion drink Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. How many dishes contain onion? A basic rule of thumb should be kept simple, a lot of people would say red with meat and white with fish but remember this is not a hard and fast rule, it is a flexible one.

It is all about individual taste and opinion. Old School says that the average person's pallate is not so finely developed and that is also very true, the only way to develop it is to keep trying things and decide for yourself what you like with what. I have only been a chef for four years, yes I started late in life, yet I know the difference in my pallate is a million miles away from when I started, and the longer I pay attention to it the better it will get. What I am trying to say is try a Chianti with lamb and a rich dark sauce but also try it with pasta and a light creamy sauce. If you like one better than the other then you are getting there. If you have any affinity with food and wine you will know what tastes good and what does not. Another rule of thumb I use is this, If a dish contains wine, always try and drink the same wine with the meal or at least a wine from the same region, and never use poor quality wine in the food or you will have to drink it with the meal.

Keep trying and have fun, this is the greatest job I have ever had.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by Pete

Unless that wine sauce is a white wine sauce.

There are hundreds of "rules of thumb" when pairing food and wine. Ultimately it should come down to what you like as for every rule here I can come up with a number of exceptions. Of course these guidelines can help you out if you are a novice or rarely drink wine, but I can't stress enough that these are only guidelines. I don't care if everyone in the world says that drinking a cab with artichokes is disgusting, if you like it, then drink it.

Of course if you are serving wine to friends, etc. then it is more important to follow guidelines a little more closely as they give good advice for general pairings and not everyone may have the same tastes as you.

If your using a white wine sauce you would look at what wine the meat goes with. By wine sauce I mean like a marsala, port, or Madeira.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by Bazza

I agree Cape Chef this is not only misleading, it is vague. For example #5 for onion drink Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. How many dishes contain onion? A basic rule of thumb should be kept simple, a lot of people would say red with meat and white with fish but remember this is not a hard and fast rule, it is a flexible one.

Those are listed in no particular order, and you should go by how prominent the the item is in the dish, for example if your having leek soup you can be safe with a Chardonnay, if you having a steak with grilled onions, or a filet migon with some fried onions on top you would do well with a Cabernet Sauvingnon.

[FR33_MASON]

A general of a rule of thumb as I know with wine pairing is as follows:

Red wines go best with heavy, robust foods such as red meats, stews (beef stew, chilli, gumbo, etc.) lasagne, spaghetti, jambalaya, etc.

White wines go best with lighter foods such as poultry, fish, salads, cucumber sandwich, etc.

[Cookaholic]

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

Okay! The following statement might just be considered blasphemous to the wine gods but............................. I've always considered it more important to drink what you like with what you eat. Yes it is important to pick a wine that accents and is accentuated by the food it is paired with then again.................... How many average folks have that finely a developed pallete? This is speaking in generalizational terms of course. I apologize if I didn't answer your question very well.

I would have to agree with oldschool1982. I like white wine more than red. I'd rather drink a white wine that I like and enjoy it than a red wine, even it the red wine went with my meal. I think it's all in a matter of taste and who likes what. There's my 2 cents. Enjoy!