Wine Tasting Profiles & Food Matching
by Ed Young
Frugal MacDoogal's Monthly Guest Wine Letter August, 2006
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From time to time it is appropriate to review some of the basics of wine drinking. If you only recently signed up for this newsletter, or have never tested your palate, or haven’t yet had an occasion to match a wine with a specific dish, then this is for you. Listed below are the most popular red and white varietal wines and the tasting profiles for each. Following that are dishes, meats, or vegetables said to match up with that wine. Please keep in mind that the term “profile” is a very general term in this context. The taste of all wines will vary depending upon the country and region where the grape was grown, and the vintage, the age, and the style in which the wine was made. A French Chardonnay, such as Pouilly-Fuisse, tastes different from one made in California. A Chardonnay made in oak barrels will taste very different from one fermented in steel barrels. A Pinot Noir made in the Burgundy style will be slightly heavier and taste more earthy than a fruity, perfumey one made in Oregon. Same grapes in all cases—just very different results.
Cabernet Sauvignon. Taste: Black currant (cassis), mint/eucalyptus, cherry, red berry, black pepper, tobacco, sometimes mocha. Tannins evident if young or not balanced.
Match: Steak, roast beef, lamb, osso bucco, pasta with tomato sauce, strong cheese, chocolate.
Merlot. Taste: Berries, plums, currant, fruitcake, tea leaf, green olive, rose petals. Match: Pork spareribs, steak, lamb, pizza.
Zinfandel. Taste: Ripe black cherry, creamy spice, hints of dark chocolate, sometimes briar/brambles. Jammy, and can be cloyingly so if not well made. Match: Tex-Mex, barbecue, curry dishes, stir-fry, grilled chicken and red meats, chili.
Pinot Noir. Taste: Raspberry, strawberry, black cherry, violets. May exhibit earthy, woody, vegetal qualities after a time. Match: Salmon, venison, turkey, duck, pheasant, quail, rabbit, pork, spicy red meats, grilled or smoked shellfish.
Syrah (Shiraz in Australia and South Africa). Taste: Black pepper, burnt rubber, toffee, raisins, figs, leather, chocolate, espresso, blackberry, cedar, mixed spice. Match: Pepper steak, seasoned /marinated lamb, heavy Italian dishes.
Chardonnay. Taste: Unoaked may be fruity (green apples, melon and pineapple) and have a mineral quality. Oaked, it exhibits mango, kiwi, vanilla, butter, oak, and caramel. Match: Lemon chicken, duck, pheasant, quail, seafood, shellfish, oysters, clam chowder, mild Asian dishes, vegetables, eggs, quiche, creamy cheeses.
Sauvignon Blanc. Taste: Distinctly grassy, herbal, gooseberry, grapefruit, pear. Sometimes flinty with hints of gunsmoke. Match: Salads, spicy pork, grilled seafood, sushi, goat cheese.
Pinot Grigio (Gris). Taste: Fragrantly floral, spritzy, pear, apple, melon, lemon-citrus. Match: Vegetables, light salads, creamed chicken, egg dishes, creamy cheese, pasta with cream sauce, fish, lobster, sushi.
Riesling. Taste: Powerfully floral, apple-like, steely mineral elements, sometimes a hint of petroleum. Often exhibits residual sugar. Match: Sweet and sour pork, sauerkraut, honey-baked ham, veal, roasted chicken, fish, lobster, Chinese food, Thai food, Japanese teriyaki, smoked salmon. This noble white grape, arguably, makes the most versatile food wine of all.
Viognier. Taste: Noticeably floral, apricots, pineapple, orange blossom, guava, honey. Match: Chicken salad, eggplant dishes (without tomato sauce), plain ravioli, tuna, salad Nicoise. One of the very few wines that matches up with difficult foods like asparagus and artichokes.
There are hundreds of wines and foods we didn’t have room to mention. When in doubt, a good Brut Champagne or a nice crisp dry rose are great for sipping and will match up with most anything. In general, you want to match heavy foods with heavy wines, light foods with light wines, and quality food with quality wine (no $12 Cabernets with Chateaubriand). Most meals will have some clashing flavors. Asparagus is a great accompaniment to pepper steak, but you would serve a Syrah to match the meat rather than a Viognier to match the asparagus. It is difficult to say the least, to find a perfect wine-food match, so don’t worry about it too much. Wine tastes vary, palates vary, and there are often too many conflicting flavors. Don’t worry if you taste one of the wines listed and don’t taste cedar, or spice, or figs. Tasting notes are often highly personal. (Note: See the June 2005 discussion of your palate from the archives).
Most of us would never serve a Pinot Grigio with pepperoni pizza, or a Syrah with scallops, but these are common sense rules. First, learn the tasting profiles of various wines, experiment with various dishes at home, and gain the confidence to use your own judgment. In a successful match, both the wine and the food taste better together than either would separately. The wine guys at Frugal MacDoogal can give you good advice to maximize your wining and dining pleasure. Hope to see you soon!
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