Kampai Home >
Community >
Food and Wine >
Food and Wine Rules
Kampai's Food and Wine Matching "Rules"
So you're looking to create the perfect food and wine combination and want some pointers? We've done the hard work for you! Listed below are a set of 'rules' for creating the perfect food and wine combination. Oh...and since our first rule is that there are no rules, think of them more as guidelines!
We'd love to hear about your experiences too...share your tips on creating the perfect food and wine combination in our forums.
To view any of the rules listed below, just click on it.
The most important thing when matching food and wine is to use your imagination. There are no rules that work for every situation or person, so all we’ve done here is provided a few hints to guide you. At the end of the day as long as you and your guests are enjoying yourselves then your food and wine matching has been a success.
Just as some people will always hate anchovies, some people just don’t enjoy certain styles of wine, regardless of the quality of the vino. Forcing people to try new things if they’re really not into it is not going to do anyone any favours. No matter how well those oysters and that minerally fresh Riesling go together in your mouth, to someone who just loves to drink big reds it’s unlikely to taste any good. Respect that everyone’s palate is different and think about your guests and their wine preferences first and think about the food match second.
Duck and pinot can make magic together when united, but it’s not always the case. A watery, insipid, cheap pinot is still going to taste sad and bland even if it is teamed with the most succulent duck confit. And the same goes for the food - if it doesn’t taste any good on its own, it is very unlikely that your wine match, no matter how delicious, is going to make the food taste better!
Lighter, more delicately flavoured food generally works best with lighter style wines and your heavy tannic reds tend to be best hooked up with more robust meaty dishes but of course there will always be times when a light wine could team marvelously with a heavy rich dish (see rule number 5).
Contrast is something that we personally love to play with. Using a light acidic wine like Hunter Valley Semillon to cut through the oiliness of fried fish and chips is always a winner.
Finding flavour similarities can result in a harmonious food & wine matching experience. Matching the earthiness of mushrooms in a mushroom risotto can work a treat with a funky earthy Pinot Noir. Or a fresh minty Cabernet Sauvignon to complement your classic roast lamb with mint sauce can also be a flavour explosion.
Like most things in life, if it feels a bit dodgy then it probably is! It’s not the end of the world if the food and wine are more at the divorce end of the relationship spectrum - as long as you follow rule number three, you’ll be able to enjoy each on their own. A judicious sip of palate cleansing water in between mouthfuls can make all the difference.
|
|
|
