| Wine & Dine Your Valentine:
Becky Chargualaf of Pop & Pour says a basic rule of thumb is to begin with something you like, “Wine and food are meant for each other. They are meant to enhance one another so the two together make a perfect meal. The first thing you should consider when choosing wine with food is, what type of wine do you enjoy?” Even if you’re eating a heavy, meaty meal and you prefer to drink white wine…then don’t feel like you have to necessarily pair it with a red wine just because that’s what most people do…choose what tastes right for you. But, if you’re feeling adventurous and you’d like to pair up according to what’s commonly recommended, Becky says what you might want to consider is the texture of the food itself. More full bodied foods pair well with full bodied wines and likewise, light foods are better with light wines. But what makes a full bodied meal and wine versus a light bodied one? “The more delicately flavored the dish, the more delicate the wine should be. And if it’s fuller flavored then choose fuller flavored wines. Light bodied wines like Muscadet or Pinot Grigio go well with clams and oysters and Chiante or Pinot Noir with roasted chicken. You have medium bodied wines such as Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc and those go good with shrimp or scallops. Merlot pairs well with veal or pork chops…then there’s full bodied wines such as Chardonnay that go with salmon or Shiraz or Malbec which are also full bodied wines and they go great with a sirloin steak.” Another little trick to use when pairing is to remember that light bodied wines are equivalent to skim milk; medium bodied to whole milk and full bodied to cream. So depending on how you’d like to complement your meal, this is also a good way to achieve the right match. Now what about those who enjoy the typical barbecue style meal, but want to jazz it up with some wine? Becky assures that there’s even a wine to pair with your ribs or chicken. “Escudo Rojo from Chile goes excellent with barbecued meats.” How about something user friendly? Something that easily pairs with most any type of meal – here’s a few you’ll want to take note of for that dinner date or when preparing a meal for family and guests: USER FRIENDLY WINES: If you’re hoping to get some advice on how to pair wine with chocolates in order to drop a hint to whomever is planning to sweeten you up this Valentine’s Day, Becky says Cabernet Sauvignon goes with dark chocolates and truffles and Sauvignon Blanc pairs with milk chocolate. There’s also Miscato d’Asti, which goes well with any kind of chocolate. Keep in mind that suggested pairing doesn’t always work for everything or everyone, but it’s worth at least giving it a try. “Drinking wines with your meal should be an enjoyment, it should really make the food taste good and the wine taste good so you’re actually experimenting with both and you decide what is best for you…you’re the ultimate judge,” says Becky. For references, there is a book called, “What to Drink with What you Eat” which is filled with just about any type of food or meal and then lists the types of wine that would go best with it. You can also check out local bookstores for a magazine called Food and Wine. Of course there’s always the internet as well, so…there really is a wealth of resources out there to prepare yourself for the big day and make that meal, whether it’s eaten out on the town or at home…memorable and delicious!
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