VINSIGHTS

A staff training infographic worth 1,000 words by MARNIE OLD

While following the old adage about serving white wines with fish and red wines with meat will work reasonably well , it ’ s possible to take your wine-pairing skills to the next level by learning a few tricks of the trade .

Sommeliers almost always match wines to the strongest flavors on the plate , which are rarely the main ingredient . More often , these flavors come from sauces , seasonings or cooking methods . From that point , sommeliers apply a “ like with like ” strategy that is highly effective for identifying harmonious combinations .

Just as we instinctively partner lighter fare like sushi or salads with lighter wines , and richer dishes like roasts and stews with richer wines , the same principle holds true for other dimensions of wine ’ s sensory experience beyond weight , such as sweetness , acidity , earthiness or even oakiness . The most obvious example is how we partner sweet dessert wines with sugary desserts , but it is also standard practice to pair the most acidic wines with the most acidic foods , and the oakiest wines with those foods that have been browned in the cooking process in a way that echoes this quality . The aromatic resemblance between browned foods and barrel-aged or barrel-fermented wine provides them with a natural affinity .

Browned foods feature the flavors of caramelization and Maillard reactions . The distinctive flavor that new oak imparts to wine has a strong resemblance because it also results from the application of heat . Foods that are raw or cooked without browning often pair best with wines that are young , unoaked and fresh . Foods that are browned in cooking — roasted or grilled , baked or fried , seared or sautéed — are typically better partners for oakier wines . •

Marnie Old is one of the country ’ s leading wine educators . Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan ’ s French Culinary Institute , she is best known for her visually engaging books published by DK such as Wine : A Tasting Course and her popular Wine Simplified series of wine tutorials on YouTube . Marnie currently serves as director of vinlightenment for Boisset Collection .

WHAT DO SOMMELIERS DO DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT COMES TO PAIRINGS ? Wine drinkers usually orient around main ingredients alone when choosing wine . For example : picking a white for pale seafood like scallops , a pale red for white meats or a darker red for red meats like beef . When sommeliers match wine and food , they assess the total sensory experience of each dish , including how it ’ s cooked , sauced and seasoned . If the recipe is tangy , herbal , smoky or sweet , they will generally choose wines with similar flavor profiles , regardless of whether the main ingredient is meat or fish . The “ like with like ” mindset is the same , but professionals look beyond the protein at the heart of a dish , and consider how the recipe makes it look , taste , smell and feel in the mouth . www . beveragedynamics . com Fall 2024 • Beverage Dynamics 9