Our current situation has surely changed us all personally, as well as professionally. No person or business sector is immune to our country’s unprecedented times, including the beverage industry – vineyards, distilleries, breweries, restaurants and retail stores.
We all find solace in different ways; we must have something to look forward to, to keep us going. For me, preparing, cooking and enjoying food paired with wine or other libations is a passion. Like others, I get jazzed about the pairings and nuances of food and beverages coming together. Whether you are buying ingredients from the grocery or supporting your local restaurants with takeout or delivery, you can still keep the “pairing passion” alive, too.
This may be unusual, but I first decide what beverage I want to pair – maybe a rich white wine, a new cocktail or full-bodied stout. Then I decide what to either cook or order to pair with my selections. I know, for many, pairing food and beverages – wine, beer or spirits – can be a daunting task. I have encountered many times the frazzled person trying to decide what to buy for their meal. Whether you need advice or are in a rush, a few guidelines can help you make better and quicker decisions.
I get jazzed about the pairings and nuances of food and beverages coming together.
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Match weight: Choose a beverage that is of equal weight and body to that of the dish. If you’re eating something rich, such as lasagna, then select a beverage that’s hearty enough to stand up to the weight of the food. Lasagna needs a pairing that won’t get lost in the richness of the pasta, meat and cheese. A light-bodied wine – pinot grigio – or a light beer wouldn’t stand up to its weight. You need heft – barbera, primitivo or brown ale. Same with burgers – meat burgers need a choice with weight – cabernet sauvignon or a double India pale ale. Turkey or veggie burgers often need lighter options.
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Match sauces: Delicately flavored foods – i.e., poached – pair best with milder selections, and the reverse holds true. Sauces are even more important than the actual main dish. The dominant sauce is often the deciding factor with which to pair your favorite beverage. With meat, consider its protein and fat content. Generally, it pairs best with a red wine high in tannins (i.e., cabernet sauvignon or nebbiolo). Tannins bind with the meat’s fat and protein to create a creamy, roundness in the mouth. With beer, many options exist but a black lager stands up and marries well with meat protein.
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Balance acidity: High-acid foods – such as tomato-based dishes and dried, cured meats – pair best with beverages of equal acidity. If not, the beverage choice won’t hold up to the dish. Your salami board with a fig onion spread affords you the best time to serve your favorite cocktail – maybe a Negroni – a Pilsner-style craft beer, Côtes du Rhone red, sangiovese or Orvieto wine, all with higher acid contents.
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Match sweetness: If sweetness is in your dish, your beverage should also have some sweetness. If there isn’t, then the food-beverage combo can create a harsh taste. While you may love dark chocolate with your favorite vodka, the two together don’t mesh, unless it is a chocolate espresso martini that you gives you sweet. For example, a fruity lambic-style beer marries nicely with fruit tarts or Italian cookies. Dark chocolate is great with the sweetness of ruby port wine.
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Match opposites: Opposites in pairings also attract. Spicy foods, often in Asian, Indian or barbecue cuisine, pair best with a fruity red wine or craft beer lower on hops, such as a lager. These cool down the spice. This concept also works well for oysters and sparkling wine – a go-to pairing. But oysters also match stunningly well with a stout beer. A stout’s creaminess and bitterness counteract the oyster’s saltiness.
Jessica Norris Granatiero is the founder of The Savory Grape, a wine, beer and spirits shop in East Greenwich.
