Choosing the right wine a matter of taste

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta

Many of us dream of being a great host, but it's the wine that gets us every time. The trick of properly pairing our menu with accompanying wine gives some novice hosts sleepless nights while trying to find the right combination.

We know the rules: The flavor of a dish affects the wine, and the wine also influences the food. And just as the pairing of food and wine can make a heavenly pair when properly matched, it's a nightmare when it clashes.

The old notion that red meat goes with red wine and white meat with white wine is generally still acceptable. The protein of the red meat blends with the mouth-drying tannin in red wine, while light white wine is a refreshing match for a fish dish.

Sometimes, it's also worthwhile to break from the tried-and- trusted rules; carefully planned food and wine of opposite characters can also be a match made in heaven.

"It is possible to serve fish with red wine with a hint of acidity, and some chefs are now trying to associate fish and red sauce made with red wine," said Jean Rene Matignon, director of wine producer Chateau Pichon-Longueville during a recent interview at Riva bistro and restaurant at The Park Lane Jakarta.

But matching food and wine is also about personal taste and liking, he added, and wine enthusiasts should trust their palate and enjoy the whole dining experience.

"Drinking wine that you like with the dish that you like, too, is always a good match," Matignon said.

Encouraging words, but novices also need to know the basics of pairing food and wine to learn about the interaction between the flavors of the food and the wine. Wine enthusiasts can use these basics as a helpful guide to experiment with various wines.

Knowing the elements of wine helps you understand its character. Grape juice contains a certain level of sugar and acidity, and some of the sugar is transformed into alcohol during fermentation. Compared to white wines, red wines have noticeably more of the bitter, mouth-drying tannin that comes from the grape skin, stems and pips. It softens and adds complexity as wine ages.

To create balance, the flavor of the food should not overwhelm that of the wine and vice versa, and a nice match can be obtained by pairing a light dish with light wine and rich, heavy-sauced dish with heavy wine.

Tangy food, like tomato-based dishes, with acidic wine is also another example of a harmonious combination. Moreover, acidic wine, just like lemon juice, goes well with fish dishes, and serves to neutralize oily and salty foods.

Sweet food and desserts require sweet wine, whose flavor is as sweet as or sweeter than the food. Otherwise, the wine would taste unpleasantly sharp.

The main or dominant ingredients, and the cooking method used to prepare a dish, also give clues in picking a good accompanying wine.

"A creamy dish needs heavy wine, while a dish cooked by poaching is best served with light wine," said Gilles Marx, executive chef with the hotel's Riva Bistro and Bar.

The adventurous can break out by matching a dish with a wine of opposite characters, but this should be done carefully to ensure enhancement of the pleasant quality of either the wine or the food.

Maturity of the wine is also a thing to consider. Older wines are complex and delicate in flavor; to better appreciate their fine character, simple seasoned or cooked meat dishes are an excellent match.

"Such a delicate food allows the palate to better enjoy the complexity of elegant wine," Matignon explained.

Every wine and every vintage is unique and this is attributed to the grape variety (cepage), the yield, the climate, the soil (terroir) and the winemaking process as the determining elements.

"It is safe to serve food with wine from the same area because of the long tradition of pairing regional food and wine and because both have absorbed the elements in the area, they share similar characters," Marx said.

A refreshing wine served with an appetizer, such as champagne with oysters, is a good way to start. The rule of the thumb is that as the course gets heavier, so does the wine.

"Light wine can be served first before moving on to heavier ones," said Jason Tay, an executive director of the Singapore- based fine wine merchant Vinum.

Spicy, fragrant Asian cuisines, he added, go well with sweet wine, like German Riesling or fruity, aromatic New World wines.

Marx said New World wines were best drunk young, but the main character of the wines was that they were a little bit fruity and the flavor was a bit stronger, going well with pungent-flavored Asian dishes.

Old World wine, which is more subtle and more complex, will lose its complexity and elegance with spicy dishes.

Obviously, knowing what dish to avoid is also important; any food that numbs the palate should not be part of the menu.

Some items to avoid, Tay said, include a too hot soup/dish, fiery spiced food and minty ones, among others. Before dinner, it is advisable to steer clear of coffee, whiskey and other items which leave an after taste.