Crucial Mistakes to Avoid When Pairing Food and Wine

Any wine expert worth their salt will tell you that the wine is at its best when eaten with the right foods. Wine and food have been inseparable for centuries, and rightfully so. Some foods have a way of bringing out the nuances in wines that most people would never guess were there.

Having said that, not every food goes well with every wine, and the wrong pairings might turn people off completely. Although perfecting the art of wine and food matching is a largely experimental process, some combinations just don't and will never work. You should do your best to avoid the following pairing mistakes, especially when hosting guests.

Caviar & Heavy Wine

Caviar is one of a kind. Nobody does it better than a can of fish eggs when it comes to richness and grandeur, and anybody who has eaten really good caviar knows how delicate it can be. Many people, for some reason, assume that caviar goes best with heavy wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, but this is a recipe for disaster; just imagine swampy grape juice with caviar. Caviar is best enjoyed with a glass of French Wine - Champagne or the Spanish one - Cava rather than on its own. After all, sparkling wine is the epitome of decadence.

Goat Cheese & Chardonnay

As a rule, goat cheese has very strong, astringent qualities that, with the correct wine, may really shine. However, these same tastes have a way of destroying more delicate wines, like the buttery Chardonnay. Even though it's a common combination in the restaurant industry, it nearly never turns out well. Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc are two examples of wines that pair well with goat cheese because of their comparable acidity. It goes against common sense, yet this combination is so good that you won't want to try anything else.

Spicy Food & High-Alcohol Wine

Experts are always on the lookout for new spicy food and wine pairings because of how challenging this combination is. A glass of wine with high alcohol content will do nothing to tame the plate in front of you, no matter how spicy the food is. A crisp, low-alcohol white that has been properly cooled will help stave off the spice of your dish, while the combination of spice and strong alcohol characteristics will simply muddle your tongue. Your results may vary, but in most cases, lots of spice and lots of alcohol don't end well.

Roast Beef & White Wine

When it comes to succulent, flavorful, and expertly cooked roast beef, few things can compare. Wine is a great accompaniment to roast beef since there are times when it's almost too much to eat on its own. The mistake of thinking that a light white wine would be better with roast meat to "cut the fattiness" happens all too often. But what really occurs is that the wine can't handle the meat, and the whole thing turns out to be a bust. A robust, tannic wine, such as Monastrell or maybe Cabernet Sauvignon, would be a much better match. These wines will never deflate in the glass, unlike more delicate varieties, and they have the structure to complement the heartiest of meats.

Chocolate & Champagne

We have already discovered one of the finest Champagne combinations, but which combination does it not work well with? Chocolate cake. For some reason, restaurants all around the world offer chocolate and bubbles together, which is somewhat surprising. But if you've ever had the dessert, you know that the sweet cake and the sour Champagne don't usually go well. Never serve Champagne with chocolate desserts; rather save it for special occasions.

Chicken & Syrah

The big character and rich flavor of Syrah make it a beloved wine around the world. Both amateur chefs and expert sommeliers love it since it's great both on its own and when combined with the right food. Having Syrah with overly sauced foods, like glazed or sweet and sour chicken, is a mistake that even some somms make. The combination of this meal and wine will be too much for your taste, so try to avoid this mistake. When these factors come together, they create a perfect storm that hurts the meal more than it helps. For a more harmonious combination, stick to a tropical white like Sauvignon Blanc.

Citrus-Based Desserts & Dry Red Wine

Citrus-based desserts, such as key lime pie or lemon tart, may have an unpleasant aftertaste when paired with dry, tannic red wines due to the acidic and sour nature of the fruits. Citrus desserts' acidity may bring out the tannins in red wines, creating an uneven and disagreeable combination. Instead, try serving citrus-based desserts with sweet white wines such as Moscato, Riesling, or Gewürztraminer. These wines have just the right amount of sweetness and vivid fruit notes to go well with the tart, lemony desserts.

Tomato-Based Pasta & Tannic Red Wine

The high tannin levels in red wines may create a metallic or bitter aftertaste when paired with tomato-based pasta dishes, such as arrabbiata or marinara, because of their acidic and tangy flavors. Tomatoes provide acidity and may bring out the tannins in red wines, which can make the wine taste unbalanced and harsh. Wines with low tannin levels, such as Barbera or Sangiovese, or medium-bodied whites, such as Pinot Grigio or Vermentino, go well with tomato-based pasta meals since they balance off the tomato sauce's acidity and richness.

Light Salad & Oaky Chardonnay

Oaky Chardonnays with strong buttery and vanilla undertones could mask the vibrant flavors of a light salad, masking both the wine's and the salad's freshness and crispness. Another way that oaky Chardonnay's rich, creamy texture may go wrong with salads is by making them taste too heavy and too sour. Instead, to complement the salad's characteristics and cleanse the palate, choose a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with tangy citrus and herbal overtones or a crisp, unoaked Chardonnay.

If you want to improve your dining experience and satisfy your taste buds with food and wine pairings, avoid these mistakes and try out various wine types and flavor profiles. When selecting a wine to compliment a food, keep in mind the food and wine's respective tastes, textures, and intensity levels. This will help create a harmonious and enjoyable dining experience.