Wine, food, cultures.
No exceptions. All cultures should drink wine and revere their chefs.
Wine and time.
Wine slows down time. At least, I think it does. A fast-food lunch at Five Guys does not invoke an image of relaxation. On the other hand, lunch at Café Milano, accompanied by a frizzante Moscato d’Asti, suggests a scene of enjoyment and the slow passage of time. Slow-food cultures take time to eat, drink, spend time with people, and to eat too fast is considered rude.
Drinking, wine, and food.
I wouldn’t say I like to over-drink. It isn’t good for my soul, and I love mornings as much as I love wine. It has not always been the case, but now I always eat food with wine. If I’m not having a meal, I toast good bread, cut up a selection of cheese, and pour a glass of wine.
It is said by Italians, “he didn’t have enough to eat” when a man has obliviously had too much wine. Italians have learned by experience to integrate food and wine into everyday life. For them, it’s not normal to have one without the other.
Pairing.
Wine is at its best when consumed with food and even better when paired well with food. I’m sure Aristotle was referring to food and wine when he said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Ham by itself is good, and cheese is too, but the pairing of Ham n Cheese is an entity.
Good pairings either complement or intensify food. The classic pairings of sauternes & foie gras, port & stilton, and oysters & chablis are examples of perfect complementary pairings. Both spaghetti bolognese and Chianti Classico are bold and acidic, and they intensify each other.
The components of food and wine.
Food and wine components share sweetness, acidity, bitterness, savoriness, power, and intensity. Food also has salt and fat, the strength of flavors, serving temps, and a preparation type. Use these components to complement or intensify each other when pairing food and wine.
Experiment.
The key to discovering a perfect pairing is experimentation; there is no substitute for it. With a partner to help, use trial and error to reinforce your choices.
Kick-starting.
You can’t go wrong with these ingredients; they pair with almost any wine:
- Chicken
- Charcuterie, cured meats
- Cheese – rich, creamy, strong, or hard cheese
- Garlic and the onion family
Use the above to kick-start a pairing. Set out salami, bacon, and a charcuterie assortment. Serve Brie, Havarti, and Swiss cheese. Toast slices of crusty onion bread and smear with roasted garlic spread. For the entrée, sauté chicken, onions, and garlic with fresh basil in olive oil until browned. Top with chopped scallion before serving. For a side dish, broil whole leeks with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pair this with almost any wine, and your friends will declare, “where ya been hiding this genius?“.
