Wine pairing involves selecting a wine that, when combined with a certain food, will enhance the overall experience and create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Wine pairing can be tricky, so it is often a good idea to seek advice from experts. John Jackson has a level 4 wine certification (DipWSET) from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and has extensive experience with wine pairings. John enjoys sharing his insights regarding food and wine pairing on his popular Instagram page (@AttorneySomm) as well as his YouTube Channel (Attorney Somm).
You can get a number of helpful wine pairing tips from John. Here are three examples.
- Spicy Foods Make Wine Seem Higher in Alcohol
Spicy foods can be especially tricky to pair with wine because spice tends to make the alcohol in wine seem more prominent. The solution? Pick a wine that has some residual sugar or sweetness such as a German Riesling (Kabinett or Spatlese). These wines are generally lower in alcohol and also have some sweetness that will help to offset the heat from the spicy foods.
- Match the Intensity
Every wine is made with different concentrations, which is why it is important that when you pair foods with it they should match the intensity. If you pair intense wine with light food, it can overpower the taste. For example, you would not pair an Australian Shiraz with Chilean Sea Bass as the Shiraz would dominate the dish and overpower the flavors.
- Acidity is your Friend
Just like intensity, the acid content is also very important to consider when pairing with foods. Many dishes are acidic that can go well with acid wine. For example, wines made from Sangiovese (e.g., Chianti) pair perfectly with dishes that have tomato sauce.
For more helpful food and wine pairing tips, you can refer to John’s YouTube channel and Instagram page (@AttorneySomm), which has more than 17k followers.
Gerilyn grew up in Snoqualmie; a small town in Washington DC where she completed her education and obtained a degree in Global and International Journalism. She works as a columnist for many top tier publications including The Daily Mail, The Washington Post etc. When Gerilyn Thrasher isn’t busy writing, she spends most of her time volunteering in animal shelters and orphanages.