Pairing wine and food is the focus of this part of our wine guide...
The taste of a wine can improve or worsen depending on the food that you drink it with. Although there are only a few combinations which really don't work, learning the basics about pairing them will bring out the best in both.
When pairing food and wine, you can take one of two approaches: pair a wine with a contrasting food taste, like combining a sweeter wine with spicy foods; or use a complementary combination, in which the food and wines share similar characteristics. Either style of pairing will work well; choosing one way over the other is just depends on the type of food being served and your personal preference.
Regional combinations are worth paying attention to as food originating from a particular region or country will often pair well with the local wines, as they have both evolved to complement one another. The foods that are hardest to combine with wines are egg dishes, acidic foods, and hot and spicy selections. There are no specific rules or recommendations for these, and it's really a case of hit and miss. Personal experimentation is necessary if you insist on pairing wine with such foods.
Here are some examples of wine and food pairings: pair beef with heavier reds like Zinfandel, Bordeaux, or Cabernet Sauvignon; most of these wines go well with lamb as well, but this meat can take white wines like Pinot Gris too; for poultry, look for whites or light reds when there is a heavy sauce, Pinot Noir and Beaujolais work well; finally, fish should always be served with whites, and Sauvignon Blanc makes a good choice.
However, though these are said to be classic pairings, that doesn't mean that you'll necessarily like all of them. Keep in mind that your palate is unique to you, so if you don't like a combination, don't use it. It's important to also remember that some people only drink one kind of wine, no matter what food is being served. Therefore, you should always have different varieties on hand when entertaining other people. Make a suggestion to them, but still give them a choice.
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