THERE ARE TWO RULES TO OBSERVE WHEN CHOOSING A WINE to accompany any meal. Rule #1: Drink the wine you like. Rule #2: If the wine you like “doesn’t go” with the food you’re eating, see Rule #1.
With that said, it must be admitted that the “rules” observed by wine snobs represent the wisdom of centuries of experience. Some regional cuisines really do seem to match up just perfectly with the wines of their neighborhood. All of the so-called rules are based on certain general principles. The rules can run amok, though, when a suggestion or guideline is perceived as a requirement.
What are the reasons that some wines just seem to go better with some foods? Despite the super-subtle sensibilities of your average wine snob, the tongue perceives only four basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Here’s how it works with wines:
Sweet wines seem less sweet when paired with sweet foods. A wine that is only mildly sweet may get blown away at dessert time and taste way too acidic. If, however, the wine itself is a little sweeter than the dessert, it retains its sweetness and is quite pleasant. The great dessert wines are sweet not because they are to be consumed as dessert but with dessert.
Likewise, sour, or acidic, foods match up well with acidic or tart wines. People usually don’t drink wine with their salad because the acid in the dressing can cause the wine to set your teeth on edge. (This isn’t just a matter of subjective personal opinion but chemistry.) That doesn’t mean you can’t have wine with your salad. Try a dry, tart wine like a crisp Muscadet or dry German Moselle.
Continuing with the theme, wines that are slightly bitter tend to go well with similar foods. The tannin in red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon gives them their pucker and helps them match up well with grilled red meats. It is the acidity in wine that makes it go so well with food.
So, what kinds of wine are salty? None of the above. There are, however, wines that tend to go well with salty foods. Choose a wine that is tart (acidic) on the same principle that seafood is served with a wedge of lemon. The tartness of the wine will smooth out the saltiness of the food.
Wine bottles don’t often come with handy labels that clearly indicate that they are sweet or tart or bitter. With the help of your wine merchant and a little experience, however, you can begin to recognize what tends to go best with the foods you enjoy. In the meantime, remember Rule #1. If that doesn’t work, try a bottle of light, crisp red wine that goes with just about everything—such as Beaujolais, for example.
Les Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive!
And just in time, too! Beaujolais Nouveau is released at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday in November. Beaujolais is a light, fruity wine that is intended to be quaffed, not a subtle wine to be carefully savored. It is best served like a white wine—slightly chilled to about 45 degrees F. Like everything done by the French, it must be produced by the book. The grapes must be hand harvested and not pressed. This is to promote carbonic fermentation inside each berry. The wine is not left on the skins very long and, thus, does not pick up much of their color. And, the wine is barely aged.
Strictly speaking, there are two kinds of Beaujolais—nouveau and premeur. Nouveau is released between the third Thursday in November and the following harvest. Premeur is released before the following spring. Technically, all the excitement should be about the premeur, but we’ll agree to do more quaffing and less quibbling.
Beaujolais pairs up well with turkey and with cheeses such as Brie and Edam. There is the possibility that Beaujolais Nouveau may be available locally just in time for Thanksgiving. Check with your favorite wine merchant.
Champagne
This is probably the ultimate Rule #1 wine. Nobody ever objects to having a glass of champagne regardless of the entrée. Champagne is suitable for any special occasion. For that matter, any occasion on which champagne is served becomes a special occasion. Inexpensive champagnes can
Inexpensive champagnes can be a little thin and tasteless. Bubbles may be all they have going for them. That doesn’t mean you have to spend $40 to get a decent champagne, however. Ask your wine merchant for guidance. You probably ought to know that, in the language of the champagne label, “dry” means sweet and “extra-dry” means semi-sweet. If you really want dry champagne, look for a label that says “brut.”
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the grape of the classic French white Burgundies. It has also grown into the premier white wine grape in the US, Australia, Chile, and elsewhere.
Chardonnay comes in a variety of styles, even from the same winemaker. Sometimes the wine is aged in oak casks that impart some of their character to the finished wine. The finest and most expensive wines are aged up to two years in small barrels. Sometimes it is aged in stainless steel, and the result is dramatically different. These wines tend to be fresh and crisp. They go well with seafood and white meat not accompanied by a heavy sauce.
Chardonnay may be fermented until all of the sugars are consumed and the wine is bone dry, or the fermentation may be stopped when just a touch of sugar remains for a more mellow and fruity wine.
Although Chardonnay comes in a wide range of styles, it is probably fair to say that it is so popular that you won’t disappoint your family or guests if you serve it at your Thanksgiving feast.
Go red!
White meat calls for white wine. Is that a rule? Actually, it isn’t so much a matter of matching colors as it is of matching intensity of flavor. Fish and fowl tend to have lighter, more delicate flavors than red meat or pastas with rich, thick sauces. If your Thanksgiving turkey and side dishes tend to be “full-bodied” rather than subtle and delicate, you might want to try a wine that can stand up to the onslaught of flavors.
Consider a West Coast Pinot Noir. (Good Pinot Noir is made as far north as British Columbia.) This variety is the basis for the great red wines of Burgundy. In this country, Pinot Noir tends to be light, dry, and fruity. Serve it to guests who are not quite ready for the full body and more intense flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon.
