Honest Wine: Pairing With Food
What does yoga have to do with wine and food pairings?
Harmony is the pleasing effect we experience when a few elements come together seamlessly. Yoga practices the art of connecting the mind and body to achieve a peaceful balance. Our meals come to life by pairing the food with a complimentary wine. At the core, these complex practices begin with humility.
I very much appreciate how Karen MacNeill, famous author of The Wine Bible, introduces food and wine pairing with this general rule:
“Pair humble with humble and great with great”
Here are some basic principles for food and wine pairing that take into account this methodology:
Avoid wines that are too oaky, buttery, or high in alcohol: Wines with these characteristics tend to easily overpower your meal. Example: While you may love to sip a buttery Chardonnay at sunset for happy hour, this style is quite tricky to pair when it comes to pairing with a meal.
Consider similar intensity and weight: An easy-to-chew, flaky white fish pairs well with a lighter crisp white wine. A meaty ribeye steak pairs with a richer, full-bodied red wine.
Examples: Let’s say you are grilling Mahi Mahi at home with sliced lemon and butter. Look for a crisp Italian white wine (Pinot Grigio, Soave Classico, Vernaccia, Verdicchio, Grillo, etc). If you are out at a restaurant and featured macadamia-crusted halibut is calling your name, by all means ask the server if he recommends a higher-end Chardonnay. For those who love steak, I find myself pouring value-oriented reds from Rioja, Spain at home. If we splurge on ribeye caps, I opt for a nicer Grenache-Syrah blend from Paso Robles, CA.Acidity in wine: Dishes with acidic components (tomatoes, lemons, vinaigrettes) pair well with similarly acidic wines. Acid also cuts through creaminess in food, like goat cheese with crisp white wines. Examples: A Chilean or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc won’t break the bank and will be an amazing counterpart to any vinaigrette on your salads or cheese boards. If dining out and I order a tomato-based slow simmered lamb shank, I am likely going to be requesting that the server recommend a nice Italian red from Tuscany.
The yin-yang approach: Spicy dishes with an intense flavor explosion pair wonderfully with contrasting flavors in wine. Think fruity, light-bodied wines for these types of meals. Examples: Let’s say you are making spicy Mexican at home, I find great value in a very fruity and light-bodied Oregon Pinot Noir often in the $15-30 range. If we are treating ourselves to an upscale sushi restaurant and I’m layering the wasabi on every roll, I will be seeking a high-end Riesling from Germany most likely.
The wines that nail it every time: Some ingredients are just naturally very potent. Think of ingredients like minced garlic and diced onions. Both Rosé and dry sparkling wines magically cut through some of these intense flavors and also act as a bridge if serving multiple courses. Examples: If I am having friends over for a happy hour and have put out a spread of olives, cheeses, fruits, bruschetta, etc I will mostly have a French Rosé ranging $15-30 on the table. If I am attending a chef’s tasting menu with 5-10 courses, I will for sure have a glass of Champagne to reset my palate between every delightful course.
There isn’t a wrong answer! How you enjoy wine with food is completely subjective and acceptable.
Going further with this philosophy, I have a suggestion. Let the “great with great” pairings be for special occasions or when you go out to a restaurant. Wine pairings you attempt at home weekly don’t have to be overcomplicated and it’s okay to ease the pressure on yourself. Once a week, I attend a yoga class, and I appreciate the instructor’s reminder: “If anything we do today is too much, it’s okay to respect your body and rest in a child’s pose.” This simple phrase allows us to take on an approach grounded in humility. Well, thank you, yoga teacher, because my days of potentially bending into a pretzel or performing a perfect handstand sailed away about a decade ago. Week after week, I practice the basics of yoga during that hour and I feel amazing afterward. Along a similar thread, the modest meal paired with an honestly good wine IS more than enough for you and your dinner guests.
If you look at my dinner recipes, you’ll quickly see there’s nothing overly complex happening in my kitchen. I believe in starting with a few quality ingredients and then combining them to create a refreshing weeknight meal. The preparation is often within thirty minutes. The wines I select often come from small producers who are essentially farmers, focused on good grapes and minimal intervention. Honestly, once everything is prepared and we sit down, dinner as a family becomes the happiest part of my day. We share stories, and the intention put into pairing the wine and food engages our senses. Life seems to slow down for that hour. Setting realistic expectations not only ensures a successful meal but also makes the journey far more enjoyable.
For further reading from Karen MacNeill:
Basics of Wine and Food Pairing: Wine Food & Friends
How Food and Wine Pairing Can Be Overdone: An insightful article she wrote years ago.
Her Masterpiece: The Wine Bible
Stay curious, friends!
Xx, Kris
