Choosing the Wine to go with the Food:
It's difficult to find just one wine that pairs with a whole dinner party, it can be done but for the most part you should be looking at 2-3 different wines.
It's pretty easy to reverse the logic written above.
Here's some pointers:
Cooking Method:
Can dictate what wine you choose
Steaming, poaching, stir-frying = lighter wines
Braising, roasting, frying - heavier wines
Dish Make up:
Dish make up can alter what you think will work
Weight, intensity, texture, region, ingredients all need to be taken into account
Try to find a couple of things to focus on that the wine you choose will pair well with
Temperature:
The wine's temperature can alter it's profile so decide how you want to drink it
Not all wine should be drunk at textbook temperatures
Sauce, Rub, Marinade:
It's one thing to figure out what the main ingredient of the dish is but it's another thing if the sauce, rub or marinade out shines it.
Be careful with spicy marinades, spice needs either spicy reds (Shiraz, Malbec) or fruity whites (Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling) to counteract it.
Creamy sauces need creamy wines - full bodied whites
Balance:
Sweetness in the food needs to be balanced with sweetness in the wine or one will outshine the other.
White Wine with Fish?
Doesn't have to be so.
Light wines and fruity wines pair really well with fish, especially oily fish
Just be careful with salt and red wine
Be careful with oaked wines and salmon or tuna
Don't be afraid:
There's nothing wrong with drinking fizz (especially vintage fizz) with a main course
Fizz cuts through the mouth coating effects of eggs
Sherries pair really well with Japanese food
Sherry (a sweet one) also cuts through the mouth numbing effects of ice cream
Try a lightly chilled Pinot Noir with your Chinese next time
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