"The Distinctive Life" presented by the Distinctive Collection

GOURMET CUISINE

PERFECTLY MATCH MEALS WITH THE RIGHT WINE Before you begin playing with food and wine combinations, keep three ideas in mind. Perfect pairing matches weight with weight. Food and wine intensities should be in harmony. Aromatics of properly paired food and wine agree with each other. Depending on a food or wine, one of these ideals may need to take precedence over another. The goal, however, is to achieve overall balance. As an example, you might pair a full-bodied pasta dish with an un-oaked full-bodied chardonnay. Oily plates should have companion wines with heavy tannins. Spicy dishes go well with sweet wines, bringing both flavors toward neutral. Harmonizing the meal is key, and sometimes it takes a bit of practice to get it right. PAIRING WINE WITH SPICY FOODS Spicy foods like curries, intense Thai dishes, gumbos and kimchi require a low alcohol, sweet wine. Think of a Riesling, gamay Beaujolais, chenin blanc or petite sirah. If you pair spicy dishes with high tannin wines like a merlot or cabernet, you’ll experience a dry palate with too much alcohol and heat. A sauvignon blanc is a superb wine to pair with Asian foods, as is a great Gewürztraminer.

8

9

| THE DISTINCTIVE LIFE®

bhgrecollection.com |

Volume 1�