THE MATCH GAME

The simple days of pairing wine and food are history, but basic principles still rule in the modern age of matchmaking.

By W.R. Tish

Illustrations by Andrew Powell

Once upon a time, dining was a relatively simple, predictable affair. The best restaurants in town were French. Or Italian. Or at the very least “continental.” Wine lists were European in pedigree, and pairing wine with food was as easy as matching the color: red wine with meat; white wine with fish.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the dinner table. Starting back in the late 1980s, food went wild. Continental cuisine got tossed out with the tossed salad. American kitchens became the stage for experimentation of global proportions (and global ingredients), turning fusion into a household word and blurring the borders that distinguished familiar cuisines.

Wine-and-food pairing underwent a revolution of its own. Epicures retired with relish the red-with-meat, white-with-fish mnemonic, declaring that there were no more rules. “Trust your own taste” was the mantra of the New Age connoisseur.

But not unlike “free love” in the 1960s, “free wine” in the 1990s was never quite as simple as it seemed. Even as the old rules were being buried, experts — led by the book Red Wine With Fish by David Rosengarten and Joshua Wesson — were encouraging diners to apply case-specific matching strategies. Stir in the wave of new wines that appeared in the ’90s, and it’s easy to see why the notion of supposedly rule-free pairing became smothered with potential for confusion.

Despite the fresh layers of complexity, I cannot imagine anyone who cares about food and wine suggesting that we swing the pendulum back to the old days. Fine dining has never been better in America. Moreover, sensible diners understand that pairing food and wine calls for neither carte blanche nor heavy brain lifting. It’s somewhere in between. Matchmaking at the table has always been a matter of gauging the main qualities of dishes and of wines in order to find affinities and complements. The aim of the game is still the same. Nowadays, the trick is in accounting for more elements on both sides of the match, as dishes are more complex and wines more varied.

MEET THE NEW RULES
In fact, many new-school pairing strategies actually derive from tried-and-true principles. Consider, for starters, that the red-meat, white-fish maxim is not so much about color as weight and intensity. Meat is generally heavier and denser than fish. Plus, traditional methods of preparation (roasting, stewing, grilling) tend to make meats even stronger in character. Red wine, being naturally “bigger” (fuller-bodied, fuller-flavored) than white wine, was the intuitive choice. On the flip side, since fish was usually prepared simply (sautéed, broiled, poached), fish dishes called for a lighter wine.

Contemporary cooking, however, does not confine its heady preparations to meat. When you take a fleshy, oily, flavorful fish and grill it, it practically wants to get up and walk on four legs. So in choosing a Merlot or Pinot Noir to go with grilled salmon, for example, the object is to match the weight/intensity of the wine and the dish — same as we always did. The old rule has been adapted, not abandoned.

In that spirit, and in the hope of expanding the comfort zone for anyone who cares about the synergy between food and wine, here are a few more new-school strategies that have classic roots.

1. Find a link. After matching the weight and intensity, try to find a link between the food and wine (creamy risotto with creamy Chardonnay; nutty/salty fino or Manzanilla sherry with toasted almonds or green olives; smoky/spicy barbecue ribs with smoky Syrah or spicy Zinfandel). Probably the most common strategy for pairing, this approach hinges on knowing the prominent qualities in both the food and the wine, which are not always self-evident. Remember that spices, sauces, marinades, and cooking methods can impact a dish’s flavor more than its base. (What does chicken really taste like anyway?)

2. Opposites can attract. Good matches also may be built on contrast. Slice through that creamy risotto, or chicken in a rich sauce, with a crisp, acidic white; set off earthy mushrooms with a simple, fruity red. Contrast is also at play in the choice for oysters; the bracing acidity of Chablis or Muscadet is positively cleansing when chasing down plump, briny bivalves. Some people swear by off-dry Riesling with Asian or chili-infused cuisine, citing the sweet-versus-spicy contrast. I head straight for Sam Adams lager, whose contrast is of the crisp, cooling variety.

3. Acid likes acid. Think of this strategy as a bridge between tangy and tangy. A timeless case in point: red-sauce pasta and Chianti. Or, more generally, Italian food that draws heavily on tomatoes, lemon, vinegar, or capers paired with tart, native wines. On the white side, try pungent goat cheese with a puckery Sauvignon Blanc such as Sancerre.

4. Tannins like protein and fat. Here we go, back to red wine with meat. The reason Cabernet Sauvignon goes so well with steak is that protein and fat neutralize the wine’s bitter, tannic edge. The same principle is at work in the pairing of wine and many cheeses: fat and protein actually coat your palate, making the wine taste softer and better. It’s no wonder the French have a saying: “When buying wine, eat bread. When selling wine, serve cheese.”

5. Rich flatters rich. The voluptuous texture of foie gras is a classic foil for Sauternes or other late-harvest wine. Some would say the pairing works because of the complementary fatty-sweet flavors, but it’s the overall richness that makes the duo so memorable. Ditto the dovetail when Port meets Stilton; the savory-sweet interplay is buoyed by richness. One caveat with sweet wines: When aiming for dessert, make sure the wine is sweeter than the dish. Muscat-based wine (Moscato d’Asti or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise) with an apple, pear, or peach tart is practically foolproof.

6. Wine in the pan, wine in the glass. If you’re using wine in the kitchen, take advantage of the natural kinship by serving the same wine at the table. After all, they don’t call it boeuf bourguignonne because there’s Chardonnay in there. And the wine doesn’t have to be precious; witness a basic Côtes-du-Rhône with coq au vin.

7. Consider a showcase. If you’re uncorking a really, really great wine, have it with simple food. This principle is at the heart of enjoying a complex, layered old Bordeaux with the straightforward savory flavors of lamb. An opposite situation might arise in a picnic or buffet situation. If the food promises an orchestra of flavors, a milder style of wine, such as a French Rosé, Italian Pinot Grigio, and/or California Merlot will provide the best chance for harmony.

8. One wine, several targets. The trickiest aspect of food and wine pairing may not be which wine to pick for one dish, but rather which wine to pick for a table when people are having different things. My experience has been that a good Pinot Noir — with medium body, bright acidity, fruity/earthy character, and soft texture — can be incredibly versatile. For all-purpose white wines, I turn to dry Riesling and Pinot Gris from Alsace; these generous wines have acidity that refreshes, fullish body, no oak, and a pleasant tendency to linger.

In sum, the adage “there’s not much new under the sun” holds up quite well for food and wine. Matchmaking is still a matter of aligning (or juxtaposing) certain qualities. What’s different is that we have a much larger palette of criteria to contend with — which makes it all the more important, if in doubt, to ask about the intensity, sweetness, texture, and signature flavors of specific wines and dishes.

With creativity a prominent ingredient on many modern menus and wine lists, there is certainly more room than ever for interesting combinations. Also more room to get carried away. For grounding, it’s always helpful to remember that there is never a perfect single match. Just look at the wine list at a fine restaurant — the selections usually dwarf the menu offerings. Logic alone suggests that for any particular appetizer or entrée, there have to be multiple good choices of wines.

Fortunately, if food and wine pairing were a sport, it would resemble horseshoes more than skeet shooting. Getting close to the target is not only pretty easy, it’s usually delicious!

To find out more about writer W.R. Tish’s views about wine, visit his Web site at www.wineforall.com.

REAL FOODS, REAL WINES
Red wine and fish appear to be getting along swimmingly in ClubCorp dining rooms across the United States.

At the Buckhead Club in Atlanta, director of operations Chris Mercer notes that 55 percent of the entrées ordered over the first half of last year were fish or seafood, and 51 percent of the wines ordered by the bottle were red. Of course, statistics don’t necessarily have any bearing on specific matches. When asked to select one of his favorite pairings from the Buckhead Club menu and wine list, Mercer chose one that fit the white-with-fish rule perfectly — and with good reason (delicate food, delicate wine).

Below is a small selection of ClubCorp wine experts’ selections for exceptional food and wine pairings from their respective venues, along with their rationale.

Thomas Preuml
Metropolitan Club, Denver
Food: Classic Oysters Rockefeller
Wine: Robert Mondavi 1998 Fumé Blanc, Napa Valley
Why: The crisp citrus and pear character in the wine complements the anise-flavored spinach and hollandaise sauce.

David Fortunato
Rivers Club, Pittsburgh
Food: Grilled Texas Venison with Grilled Potatoes and Succotash of Sweet Corn, Summer Peas, Fava Beans, and Natural Jus.
Wine: Domaine de la Pousse d’Or 1996 “En Caillerets” Volnay Premier Cru (Côte d’Or).
Why: The gamy flavors of the venison pair very well with the earthy “terroir” tones of this red Burgundy … so well it’s a marriage made in heaven.

Adolfo Gomez
Silicon Valley Capital Club,San Jose, California
Food: Pistachio-Crusted Alaskan Halibut Fillet with Dried Cherry Pinot Jus.
Wine: Acacia 1999 Pinot Noir, Carneros.
Why: The nuts and fruit complement the wine, and the soft texture of the halibut gives both a great finish.
 

Richard Dunham
Tower Club Tysons Corner,Vienna, Virginia
Food: Chargrilled Fillet of Salmon with Jalapeño Mango Salsa and Smoked Tomato Relish.
Wine: Rosemount 1998 Balmoral Syrah, Australia.
Why: Plum and blackberry flavors from the wine work well with the smoked tomato relish.

Matthew Higgins
University Club Atop Symphony Towers, San Diego
Food: Grilled Giant Tiger Prawns with Jasmine Rice and Plum Wine Cilantro Dressing.
Wine: Domaine Drouhin 1997 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Why: The sharp Asian sweet and sour flavors are gently offset by this particularly soft and smooth Pinot Noir.