Balancing the Relative 'Weight' of Wine and Food
The first step in food and wine pairing is deciding which wine to serve with which food. You can break away from the old rules about serving white with fish and red with meat. Instead, try a more fundamental approach:
Take a taste, and decide if your wine is heavy, light, or somewhere in between.
Both
food and wine have relative
weights. In food, 'weight'
is determined by the base
ingredients - salad greens,
for example, have a light,
crisp quality, while beef
is relatively heavy. The
basic weight can be further
defined by the richness of
sauces, the presence of umami (tastes
that are earthy, meaty, aged
or savory), and the style
of preparation. Fats, textures,
and even the strength of
flavors can also make a difference
in the relative weight of
food.
 Francesco Tonelli
In
wine,
'weight'
is
part
of
its
basic
character
-
a
young,
fruity
Pinot
Gris
is
much
'lighter'
than,
say,
a
big,
bold
Zinfandel.
Serving
temperature
can
influence
the
weight
-
when
a
wine
is
chilled,
its
aroma
and
flavors
are
muted,
it
tastes
less
sweet
and
less
alcoholic,
making
it
seem
lighter.
Take
a
taste,
and
decide
if
your
wine
is
heavy,
light,
or
somewhere
in
between.
Great pairings take the relative weights of food and wine into account. It makes sense to our palates to serve a grilled rack of lamb with a sturdy Zinfandel (rather than a delicate Riesling). In the same way it makes sense to serve a Sea Bass with a Pinot Grigio (rather than a heavy Cabernet). Many wines and foods are somewhere in the middle.
Imagine a balancing scale with wine on one side, and food on the other: The scale can be tipped quite far in one direction, and brought back into balance by adding the right ingredients. For instance, a seared ahi tuna can work beautifully with a heavier wine like a Merlot, by serving it with a sauce made with the Merlot.
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