Choosing the right wine a matter of taste

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.