Pairings (2024)

FAQs

Are wine pairings full glasses? ›

Each course is paired with a glass of wine (good quality red or white, depending on the dish). Not a full glass, about half filled ... as it should be (wine etiquette observed).

Wine pairing involves finding the perfect partner for a dish - a drink that serves as the icing on the cake to make a good meal great. Once the preserve of fancy restaurants, it's now becoming more of a mainstay in everyday eateries, with increasing numbers of customers asking for a tipple to top off their meal.

So if there are two of you, have one person order the pairing, and share it. Nine times out of ten, one pairing is enough for two. 6. Ask if there's a half pairing.

Alcohol and Spice: High alcohol in wine intensifies spices in food. Sweet wines can soothe spiciness, while lower-alcohol red wines, like Pinot Noir, can complement spicy dishes. Salt and Tannins: Salt neutralizes tannic wines, making complementary pairings suitable for dishes seasoned with salt and pepper.

Most food and wine pairings are not perfect. But even if a bottle and a dish do not meld synergistically, they can still enhance one another. The simpler the recipe – that is, the fewer the ingredients – the easier it is to find that beautiful harmony.

A pair of glasses is actually one frame and two lenses. A long time ago, things like glasses lenses, pants, and even undergarments were two pieces held together by something. Before innovators invented the eyeglasses frames, people held the lenses over their eyes by squinting them in place.

A good rule of thumb is to pair red wines with red meats and fatty, hearty dishes. White wines are best with lighter flavors, perfect for fish and poultry. But no matter the wine your dish needs, make sure you check out The Wine Cellar Group's large selection of premium wines.

Matching the power of the wine and the food is crucial. A heavy, flavourful dish can overwhelm a light-bodied wine, while a full-bodied grape overpowers a delicate dish. Pair a spicy dish with a sweeter wine to balance the heat. Similarly, a rich, full-bodied wine may pair well with a heavy, meaty dish.

If you go fancy and require the assistance of a sommelier, especially if they are guiding you on wine pairings for the meal or you need wine decanted, be sure to up the tip accordingly, adding $5-10 per bottle, $15-25 if there was decanting.

For tasting menus, it's very much about working together to see which pairings work best with each dish, as well as what makes sense for the overall menu – even down to the sommelier suggesting shifting the order of dishes so that they flow better in conjunction with the wine, at the same time as better reflecting a ...

Do wine pairings matter? ›

A well-paired combination can uncover hidden subtleties, intensify flavours, and balance out any culinary imperfections. Done right, it can leave a lasting impression on the palate. So, the next time you plan a meal, take a moment to consider the perfect wine pairing.

In nearly every case, the price of the wine pairing includes one pour per course, and depending on the number of courses, that could mean a full glass or it could be smaller than that. I have never seen a wine pairing that was “unlimited,” but I've also never really come across one that was overly stingy.

A food and wine pairing menu is a type of menu that enables guests to easily experience thoughtful food and wine pairings. It can be virtually any type of menu. And how that happens varies. It can mean: Pairing one specific wine with one specific dish.

We usually have two wines per course — one of two whites or sparkling for the first course (salads, for example, and a pair of reds for each of the rest of the courses (our group heavily favors reds). If we have a sweet/dessert wine, we serve that with dessert.

Serve a wine at least as sweet as the food being served

The general rule of thumb is to serve a wine at least as sweet or sweeter than the food being served. Sweet foods make dry wines seem over-acidic and tart. Sweet wines with a good level of acidity, such as Sauternes, are a perfect match for rich foods like pâté.

Generally, you have a wine that is paired with each course. The glass of wine so served should be small, just enough to consume with that course.

The general rule of thumb is to serve a wine at least as sweet or sweeter than the food being served. Sweet foods make dry wines seem over-acidic and tart. Sweet wines with a good level of acidity, such as Sauternes, are a perfect match for rich foods like pâté.

In general, moderate wine consumption for healthy adults means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.