The taste of wine is best revealed not on its own, but when accompanied by suitable products. Thus, before buying wines for a feast, think about how they will go with the prepared meals.
Basic rules for the selection of wines
The first principle says: simple wine will suit a simple dish. For example, for a steak without additional additives, an ideal accompaniment would be a simple red dry or semi-dry wine of small aging. More complex dishes with conflicting flavors and more spices require brighter wines.
In a good restaurant, contact the sommelier for the selection of wine - he will tell you the perfect solution based on the stocks in the cellar of the institution.
Try to match local wine with local cuisine. Exceptions may exist, for example, if there is no winemaking in a particular region at all, but if wines are produced, they are often the best additions to local dishes.
Consider also the serving time of each wine during the meal. It is recommended to start with a simpler but high quality drink. Save your best wine for the main course. For cheese or dessert, you have the opportunity to maneuver - you can finish your lunch with a simpler wine or change the type of drink. For example, if you served red wines with appetizers and a hot meal, end your meal with rosé or whites.
Please note that these recommendations are conditional. You can be guided by your taste and preferences, as wine tasting is a very subjective area.
Specificity of certain varieties of wine
The most careful consideration should be given to the serving of sweet wines, for example, Sauterna. They are not compatible with all products. Sweet wines will reveal their taste well with dishes with a rich taste or a lot of spices, for example, with meat with curry sauce, with roast lamb with herbs. Also sweet wines are good in combination with pates, such as foie gras. At the same time, you should not serve sweet wine with desserts with a lot of sugar. For a dessert with cream or sweet fruit, brut champagne is an ideal accompaniment.
Cheeses are best paired with white wines. This is especially true for goat cheese and young soft cheese with mold - Camembert and Brie. A glass of St-Émilion wine will perfectly complement these French drinks.
There is an opinion that red wine is more suitable for meat, and white wine is more suitable for fish. This is not always true. Pork will go well with white Chablis, and some fish will go well with very bright and rich red Spanish wines.
In rare cases, wine should not be served with a dish, but separately from food. This applies to the most expensive collection drinks, as well as to wines more than twenty years old. However, only a professional can get special pleasure from these wines.
