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Wine with food

harmonie de mets et vins (F)
vino e mangiare (I)
vino et manjar (ES)
vinho e comida (PO)
wine and food pairing (GB)

There is extensive literature on the subject of "the right wine for a meal", with sometimes diametrically opposed recommendations. Even professionals such as sommeliers in award-winning restaurants often give very different recommendations. Does this mean that it doesn't matter which wine is drunk with which dish? In principle, the very simple rule can apply: "Whatever tastes good goes". But there are actually a number of dishes that virtually demand a certain type of wine. There are some basic rules for enjoying several wines. However, the following explanations should at best only be understood as a suggestion, because drinking wine and eating is first and foremost a pleasure through the senses and not a purely "objective" and measurable scientific matter.

Wedin zu Speisen - Rotweinglas und Rehbraten

Order of the wines

Basically, the order of the wines is based on their quality level, i.e. you start with simple, light (usually white) wines and work your way up to the "strongest wine". Long-lived wines should ideally have reached the necessary drinking maturity or at best their peak, but this applies in principle to every occasion and not just when choosing the right wine for a meal. It can be assumed that this is the case in a good restaurant, but at home you must of course make the right choice yourself. A noble sweet wine - for example a Trockenbeerenauslese - can then be suitable as the final wine. The four basic rules that almost always apply are

Wine list

When dining in a restaurant, you can get expert advice and be suggested the "right wine". An important criterion for deciding whether a restaurant has the necessary qualifications is the wine list. Because only if there is a large selection available, and not just four or five wines, or perhaps in the worst case only "red wine or white wine", can you assume that a drinking culture is being cultivated here. The following essay on the subject of "the right wine" comes from Frank Bläuel, former president of the "Club der Sommellerie Österreich" for many years and owner of the "Berghotel Tulbingerkogel" in Mauerbach near Vienna (Austria), who possesses this qualification to the highest degree. The hotel's wine list is one of the richest in the country and has already been honoured 22 times with the "Best of Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator magazine and comprises 1,450 items.

The estate also cultivates its own vineyard. The vines were brought here by sommeliers from 30 nations (each from a different grape variety) on the occasion of the 1998 World Sommelier Championships and planted next to the restaurant terrace on the Tulbingerkogel. A cuvée is made from them every year. Now let Frank Bläuel have his say:

Wein zu Speisen - Tulbingerkogel - Vinothek und Haupteingang

Season, occasion and mood

It is not only the selected dishes that influence the harmonising drinks, but also the time of year, the time of day, the occasion of the meal, the number of people and, of course, the willingness to spend money. Last but not least, the mood or state of mind should not be underestimated. Everyone has experienced the phenomenon of holiday wine. What was an extraordinary drinking pleasure with your beloved partner in a romantic restaurant on the beach with soft music, palm trees and sunset, and tempted you to take a box of the fine wine with you, now tastes horrible, dull and empty at home.

Imagine a sunny August day, a terrace or a picnic in the countryside; a white wine that is as light as possible, with a delicate acidity and elegant fruitiness, would be perfect. The opposite scenario is an evening in Advent, where a rather full-bodied red wine with flavours such as dried berries, eucalyptus and a slight sweetness will suit. At daytime, it is almost an automatic rule that lighter wines are preferable at lunchtime than in the evening. The term "breakfast wine" is used for particularly light, low-alcohol wines, although you don't necessarily enjoy a wine with breakfast. In the past, however, wine soups were also popular for breakfast in better circles.

The occasion is an important selection criterion. If Champagne Cuvée de Prestige is seen as an everyday drink, what do you celebrate a birthday with? If wine is not available by the glass, the number of dishes on the menu and the number of people at the table result in reasonable economic quantities of different wines. For two people, you may want to cover the entire menu with one or two bottles of wine, with six to twelve people you can certainly accompany each course with a wine, and with a larger number of guests, one bottle per course will not be enough. You can assume that half a litre (4 eighths) will be drunk per person at a dinner.

Berghotel Tulbingerkogel - kulinarische Zeitreise „Diner Historique“

Harmony of wine and food

Harmonie de mets et vins" refers to the mutual support of the flavours of food and drink without overlapping flavours. In principle, you should have tasted the wines before deciding what to serve them with. The host or sommelier knows the wines in his cellar and can certainly give good advice. This "art" can be worked out empirically or you can rely on traditional combinations. This includes the well-known rule that "white wine goes well with light-coloured meat and red wine goes well with dark meat", which is generally correct, although there are exceptions. Strong, flavoursome red wines go particularly well with game dishes (i.e. dark meat), especially hare, venison, deer and wild boar. However, white wines, such as a Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris with wild duck or a Riesling with pheasant, also go well with game birds with somewhat lighter meat.

Particular attention should be paid to the balance between sweetness, acidity and bitterness. Sugar in any form makes an acidic wine more aggressive. Sweetness and bitterness, on the other hand, harmonise; they do not add up but cancel each other out. The tequila effect is interesting, because salt and acidity go together in terms of flavour. Sugar and salt complement each other, because residual sugar in wine and salt in food (especially in cheese) balance each other out perfectly. On the other hand, bitter substances such as those found in various vegetables and tannin-emphasised wines should be avoided, as they add up, whereas bitterness and residual sugar in wine go well together. Foods with a high fat content are more digestible with wines that are rich in acidity, tannins and alcohol. (Source: A. Kohnen, International Wine Institute).

Wein zu Speisen - Hummer und Austern

Seafood

A Sauvignon Blanc or a Muscadet sur lie from the French Loire Valley are classic accompaniments for fresh oysters on ice. The Piedmontese DOCG white wine Gavi and white wines made from Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay go perfectly with mussels and snails. Lobster cooked naturally harmonises with white Burgundy, lobster in nage (French nage = floating, a broth of foamy butter) or au gratin with Chardonnays rich in extract. The well-known rule of "white wines with fish and red wines with meat" requires a little more attention to the food. For many dishes, the accompanying sauce plays a decisive role in the choice of wine.

Meat dishes

There are many meat dishes that are better accompanied by white wine. Light-coloured poultry with sparkling wine or champagne is delicious, but this combination is no longer ideal for pheasant breast in a bacon shirt. A light red wine with few tannins or a strong, fruity white wine with a high total extract, as is the case with veal, is a better choice. However, red wines are preferable for meat dishes with roasted flavours (grilled or dark sauce). Goose liver goes well with strong, flavoursome white wines such as Chardonnay aged in barriques, as well as from Auslese Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer or noble sweet wines. And wine jelly is an excellent accompaniment to pâtés and cheese.

Wein zu Speisen - Steak und gebratene Ente

Salads

Mixing salads with wine is a very tricky subject. As far as vinegar is concerned, great care should be taken, as acidic wines can cause an "acid explosion" in the mouth. There are also problems with artichokes (a strong Rotgipfler is suitable) and with curry (wines are only suitable if used sparingly).

Fish dishes

Most fish, especially when steamed or lightly fried, require white wine. Various fish dishes, especially those served with a red wine sauce, but also preparations in which meat stocks are used, harmonise better with light young red wines. Smoked fish such as smoked salmon goes perfectly with full-bodied, dry white wines such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, or for particularly festive occasions a Chablis (Chardonnay), white Hermitage (cuvée of Marsanne, Roussanne), Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) or, to top it all off, a champagne or sparkling wine.

Wein zuz Speisen - geröstete Heuschrecken und gegrillter Fisch

Insects

In Asia and Africa, insects have been on the menu for thousands of years and are a valued source of protein and vitamins. Unimaginable just a few years ago, they have now also arrived in Europe. In many European countries, there are already places that serve them. There are around 2,000 edible insect species worldwide. The protein content of grasshoppers is around three times higher than that of chicken. Insects have been covered by the EU regulation on novel foods since 2018. For wine lovers, the question arises as to which wine to serve with grasshoppers (pictured left), mealworms and crickets. Roasted insects have relatively little flavour of their own. Therefore, white wines that are not too aromatic and not too acidic, such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chasselas, are a good match. Red wines, on the other hand, cover too much, especially those matured in barriques with a tannic flavour.

Mushroom dishes

As with many other dishes, the right wine always depends on the preparation and the type of mushroom. Mushroom dishes, such as mushrooms, generally go well with delicate, fruity white wines or elegant, low-tannin red wines. If porcini mushrooms are prepared on their own, they harmonise very well with grape varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay. Acidic white wines or tannic red wines destroy the delicate mushroom flavour and can produce an unpleasant, metallic taste. Mushrooms with intense flavours such as truffles tolerate strong, fine red wines, but also sweet wines such as Trockenbeerenauslese.

Wein zu Speisen - Käseplatte und Champignons

Cheese

Wine and cheese can provide a great flavour experience when combined correctly. A question that is often asked is whether to serve the (sweet) dessert or the cheese first in a "big" menu with several courses. It is important to know that the statement "cheese closes the stomach" only refers to the fact that cheese is served after the main course and not perhaps as a starter - but it does not have to be the last course. The correct order "cheese first, then the (sweet) dessert" is logical for reasons of flavour. After every sweet dish and a sweet wine served with it, every cheese tastes bitter and every dry wine with cheese tastes sour. White wines are to be preferred first and foremost. Red wines are problematic and have a negative effect on the flavour of almost every cheese to the point of being unrecognisable. Depending on the cheese group, the following wines are suitable as examples:

As mentioned, you should not choose fine or complex red wines to accompany cheese, as their flavours are almost completely drowned out. However, red wines and certain types of cheese can make very good combinations. This was investigated by analyses at the University of Bordeaux. The researchers produced mixtures of fat compounds and phenols, which were then analysed in more detail. Tannins, which have a bitter and astringent effect in the mouth, usually attach themselves to fatty compounds and enlarge them. As a result, the tannins can no longer react as strongly with salivary proteins and therefore have a less astringent effect. By combining the tannins with fats, such as those found in cheese, they lose some of their astringent effect and the wines taste less bitter. This also brings out the fruit flavours of the wines better. This was confirmed in subsequent laboratory tastings.

Dessert, sweets and ice cream

Sweet desserts harmonise particularly well with noble sweet white wines, which also have fruity acidity and bitter tones as a contrast. Wine ice cream made from varietal wines, for example Chardonnay ice cream, is a particular speciality. Sweet wines such as Ruster Ausbruch or Malvasia delle Lipari go well with chocolate.

Wein zu Speisen - Süßspeisen (Tiramisu und Speiseeis)

Cigars

Enjoying wine and a cigar can be a perfect combination, for which there are a few rules, as with the current topic of "which wine with which food". The flavour of the cigar influences the taste of the wine. The temperature also plays an important role; wine that is too cold usually makes the cigar appear very sour. As with wine, the origin of cigars also plays an important role. See under cigars.

Wine enemies

With certain foods, spices and fruits, you have to be particularly careful when choosing the right wine to go with them. Some of these can even be described as true "wine enemies" because they do not go well with wine at all. In such cases, a wine, no matter how good, may not come into its own or may even be disappointing. These include above all dishes or ingredients with a high acid content or that are very strongly flavoured, fatty and oily. These include pineapple, artichokes, chicory, chilli, curry, egg dishes, ice cream, vinegar, fruit sorbets, herring, blackcurrants, mayonnaise, oil sardines, oranges, cranberries, salty dishes, sour salads, chocolate, spinach and citrus fruits.

Weinfeinde - Sardinen, Speiseeis, Eier, Artischocken

Wine lovers

In contrast, however, there are relatively many foods, spices and fruits that harmonise particularly well with wine and can therefore be described as "wine friends". These can be combined with a suitable wine relatively easily and without any problems. These include, for example, oysters, bananas, pears, strawberries, all types of meat, blueberries, raspberries, lobster, all types of cheese, mango, all types of seafood, pâtés and smoked salmon (end of quote from Frank Bläuel).

Wein zu Speisen - Auster, Steak, Käse und Hummer

Further information

Under the keyword wine enjoyment, there is a description of storing and opening bottles, decanting, selecting the right wine glasses and pouring. The term food pairing refers to dishes that harmonise particularly well with each other (e.g. white chocolate and caviar). With regard to alcoholic drinks "before the meal" and "after the meal", see aperitif and digestif. A cooking wine must never be of inferior quality and certainly not faulty. The collector François Audouze organises special dinners for wealthy lovers of old, exquisite wine rarities. See also under cooked wine, wine toast, wine rating, wine list, wine cellar and wine temperature, as well as drinking culture.

Wein ZTu Speisen - Berghotel Tulbingerkogel - Familie Frank Bläuel - Mauerbach bei Wien - Gesamtansicht

Glass of red wine: by Christine Sponchia on Pixabay
Food pictures: pixabay
Source: Frank Bläuel - Berghotel Tulbingerkogel

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