1. Section I: The Fundamentals of Wine Chapter 5: Food and Wine

2. Introduction  The marriage of wine and food can be a mutually beneficial relationship.  In pairing, food and wine flavors complement each other.

3. Historical and Cultural Influences on Food and Wine Pairing  Cultures evolves their own cuisines over centuries based on foodstuffs available in their regions.  Accompanying beverage was wine from their respective countries.  Wines were made with grape varietals indigenous to that region and reflected the terroir of the region.  “Mother Nature” took care of the pairing.

4. Wine Pairing Develops  In the late 17 th century, regional cuisines became more clearly developed.  French were leaders in defining national cuisine. “La Haute Cuisine” (high cuisine) Developed concept of restaurants  People in Europe chose wines from their own countries.  People in countries where wine couldn’t be produced chose French wines.  Concept of matching wines to dishes developed.  “Fusion cuisine” Started in 1970s by chef Wolfgang Puck Blending culinary traditions of two or more nations to create innovative dishes

5. Thoughtful Matching of Wine and Food  “Goal of combining a wine and dish is to provide an arrangement where: The flavors of the wine both compliment and elevate the flavors of the food and vice-versa The whole is greater than the sum of its parts  One partner should not dominate over the other.  A wine can provide two functions: It can act as a seasoning that adds a new flavor to the food. It can compliment the dish so the food’s flavor is emphasized.

6. Food and Wine in a Restaurant Setting  Look at the flavor and richness of the food.  Select a beverage with complementary qualities.

7. Basic Concepts of Matching Wine to Food  Rich foods are complemented by full-bodied wines. (tannic wines complement fatty foods).  Light-bodied foods are complemented by light-bodied wines.  Sour foods decrease the perception of acid in wine and are best paired with tart wines.  Sweet foods accentuate the perception of acid and are best paired with wines that are slightly sweeter than the food.  Foods with fruity flavors go best with wines that also have a fruity character.

8. Basic Concepts of Matching Wine to Food (cont.)  Complex foods with intricate flavors go best with simple wines; conversely, wines with complex flavors go best with simple foods.  Spicy foods bring out the bitterness and astringency in wine and are best paired with tart, light bodied, off dry wines.  Salty foods pairs well with sparkling wine.  A sauce or glaze can be used to bridge the gap between flavors to allow a particular food to go with a certain wine.

9. Basic Concepts of Matching Wine to Food (cont.)  The method of preparation can greatly affect on how the dish will pair with the wine.  The textures and body of the food and wine should complement each other.  The older and more complex a sparkling wine is, the better it goes with heavy foods.

10. How a Wine’s Flavor Affects Food  A wine’s chemical and physical attributes determine: What the flavor of the wine will be How the wine will relate to the food  Components of a wine’s flavor profile: Alcohol level Acidity Sweetness Astringency/bitterness Oak level Body/viscosity

11. How a Food’s Flavor Affects Wine  Method of cooking  Richness  Spiciness  Saltiness  Acidity  Sweetness

12. Special Considerations for Vegetarian Cuisine  Most vegetarian dishes are not as rich and fatty as meat-based entrees are.  Big-bodied tannic wines may not make a good match.  Light to medium-bodied wines would do better.

13. Putting it All Together  These are basic guidelines, not absolute laws.  Cooks and wine drinkers are encouraged to experiment.  Pairing food and wine is a matter of taste.  Everyone has their own opinions and preferences.  Experimentation leads to a greater understanding.

14. Ageing Wines  Majority of wines are designed to be enjoyed when they are released.  Storage conditions are essential to proper aging.  As wine ages, it goes through changes that affect its flavor and body.  As the wine’s flavors evolve, the way it interacts with food also changes.

15. What Happens to a Wine as it Ages  Changes in color  Changes in aroma  Changes in flavor and body  Amount of sediment

16. Which Wines Should be Aged?  Wines that depend on fruity qualities for the majority of their flavor do not age well.  Since acid is needed preserve a wine during aging, low acid wines age poorly.  The additional alcohol and big body of fortified dessert wines helps to preserve them for many years.  Large bottles age more slowly than small bottles.  For a wine to age well, it should have a high level of tannins and acid, yet still be in balance.

17. Matching Older Wines With Food  As a wine ages, it goes through a number of changes that affect how it will pair with food.  Since the wine is becoming softer and less tannic, it will be less likely to go with rich and fatty dishes.  An older wine’s flavors are more delicate/less likely to match strongly flavored or heavily seasoned foods.  Older wines have more subtle and complex flavors that develop over time and do better with foods that possess more subtle flavors as well.

18. Wines and Health  The role of wine on human health is influenced by two contradictory concepts: Wine is a beverage that should be considered a food. Alcohol is a drug and should be regulated and controlled.  Today, scientific studies show that moderate consumption of wine can have positive health effects, and moderate drinkers outlive those who abstain.

19. Negative Effects from Excessive Alcohol Consumption  The harmful effects of excessive consumption can occur chronically over many years, or acutely in a single “binge drinking” episode.  The long-term consequences of over consumption include liver damage, as well as an increased risk of cancer and heart disease.

20. Positive Effects from Moderate Wine Consumption  People who consume wine in moderation have a longer lifespan than alcoholics and those who abstain from alcohol.  Direct link between modest wine drinking and increased cardiovascular health.

21. Special Considerations for Women  Studies show a correlation between moderate consumption of wine and an increased risk of certain types of breast cancer.  Alcohol consumption affects estrogen levels in the body and may encourage estrogen receptor-positive tumors.  Women also have to take into account the effects of alcohol consumption on pregnancy.