Food and Wine Matching

Forget that old chestnut about drinking only red wine with red meat and white wine with poultry and fish. These days, the trick to finding a food and wine match made in heaven is to consider what accompanies the protein component on your plate and then to look for similarities, not contrasts.

Think of this process as searching for a flavour hook – some component of the wine which complements one or more flavour characteristics of the food.

Consider, too, the relative weight and acidity of the wine and match this to the intensity of the food. Fresh, simple, delicate fare demands an elegant, light-bodied rose or white wine that's young and lively, while stronger-flavoured dishes can cope with full-bodied red wines and even fortifieds.

But remember that the best match of all is good food, good wine and good company, and that friends and loved ones are by far the most important ingredients.

Sparkling wine
Drier sparkling styles go well with oysters and canapes, while slightly sweeter bubblies are better suited to fruit-based desserts and anything spicy.

Verdelho

Sushi, caesar salad, fresh seafood, smoked salmon, asian dishes.

Red and green thai curries, greek salad, seafood risotto.

Chardonnay

Pasta carbonara, anything served in a buttery or creamy sauce, grilled or poached salmon,

mild chicken satay.

Noodles, antipasto platters, tomato-based dishes, sashimi, tandoori chicken.

Asparagus, goat cheese, herb salads, lemonbased sauces, oysters, most seafood.

Asian dishes, spicy salads, thai fish cakes, roast duck and other game.

Merlot

Mushroom risotto, baked ham, moroccan-style lamb, most roast meats.

Rare roast beef, tomato-based pasta dishes, aged cheddar and other full-flavoured hard cheeses, offal.

Middle eastern dishes, steak with green pepper sauce, veal parmigana, barbecued meat, ratatouille.

Sweeter styles suit pate de foie gras, chocolate mousse, coffee, gorgonzola, stilton and other blue cheeses, while lighter fortifieds are perfect with fruit-based desserts.