About FoodnVino

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We love food & wine. FoodnVino is here to help guide you on your journey into the world of meal delivery and wine club subscriptions. Discover epicurean delights, enjoy delicious meals, and relax into a glass of bliss. Our reviews examine the quality of wine, food, value, variety, and experience of each club. We've tried them all (someone had to do it) to provide you with the best recommendations possible, and we work directly with the clubs to bring you the best offers available.

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Pairing Food and Wine

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There is nothing more fun than a food and wine pairing. It doesn’t matter if the pairing is for a dinner by yourself or for a lavish multi-course meal with friends. Either requires a basic understanding of how food and wine go together. Once you know these basics, you’re on the road to mastering the art of food and wine pairings!

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Understanding Flavor

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The first thing to understand is what elements a wine brings to the table. Wines offer acidity, bitterness, and sweetness. Knowing just how these components work can help you choose the right foods to pair with the wine. 

 

Let’s break down each element together!

 

Acidity is found in both red and white wines. Typically, you will find more acidity in white wines than red wines (but, there are always exceptions!) You always want the acidity in your wine to match or exceed your food’s acidity. Otherwise, your food will overwhelm your wine and make it taste pretty flat. Think of acidity as a palette-cleanser - it should balance and perfectly wash down whatever you’re eating!

 

Bitterness in wine comes from a funky thing called tannin. Tannins are naturally occurring compounds that are in grape skins, stems, and barrels. These compounds are behind the dryness and bitterness you experience from drinking certain wines, like Cab Sauv or Nebbiolo. The dry bitterness of tannin is the perfect match for salty and fatty foods.

 

Finally, sweetness is something that comes naturally from the wine juice itself. A lot of times, we may confuse the fruity character of wine with sweetness. Yet, sweetness is the actual sugar content of the wine, not the flavors. Sweet wines don’t only match with dessert. They make an excellent match for salty foods for that killer sweet-salty combo. A sweet wine can also mellow out spice if the wine has lower alcohol.

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Food Matters

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A simple way to figure out a wine pairing is to know what food is being served. Will you be having red meat, white meat, or a vegetarian dinner?  Will it be spicy, sweet, or savory? Maybe it's a mix of all the above? Thankfully, there is a general understanding of which wines go with which meat (or meatless) dishes.

 

When it comes to white meats or lighter meats (such as chicken, fish, or rabbit,) white wines are the best go-to. The lighter the dish, the lighter-bodied the wine. The goal is always balance - you don’t want to overpower your wine or dish. It is important to note that there are reds that make great pairings for white meats, especially dishes that are bolder in flavor.

 

Red meats pair well with medium to full-bodied red wines. Red wines typically have more tannin than white wines, which is excellent for balancing out fat in a dish. This is why you often see steaks paired with Bourdeaux or even Chianti wines.

 

The perfect pairing is right around the corner with these food and wine pairing basics. Fortunately, with wine club subscriptions and meal delivery services, you can simplify this process without having to go shopping for all the right pairings. Instead, everything can arrive right at your door, waiting for you to start the wine and food pairing yourself. 

 

Remember: You’re the only one with your palate. Drink and eat what you think is delicious. The only way to learn the art of food and wine pairings is to start tasting!