A note from Michael Hartley on wine and food matching...

When I was younger living in the driving rain and howling gales of cold, wintery Cornwall, Dad’s glass of red wine, of which I was allowed a little taste, was the perfect match to the rare rump steak we were enjoying.  In summer it was a nice Graves with chicken and salad or even with the Turkey at Christmas; so how does the rule (and I use the term loosely) ‘red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat’ actually stack up? 

Some years later and across the Channel in Brittany I came to a revelation. I spent many summers with the same wine-loving family on student exchange, eating foods I never knew existed and sipping wines I’d never heard of and it dawned on me - they were pretty much drinking whatever they wanted with whatever they were eating, paying little or no attention to the ‘red with red, white with white’ adage of my childhood!  Perplexed, I quizzed them as to why and the answer was simple (and blunt) “You English have not much taste!” (French accent obviously). 

It’s true that red wines do enhance or compliment red meats and whites do the same with chicken and fish but by no means is the aforementioned rule set in stone.

When matching your wine to your meal, the two words I would use would be compliment and contrast.  Some foods are fatty, some lean, some sauced with cream, some dressed a basic olive oil or perhaps a hint of chilly heat? The list is endless.  Think how the food feels while it is in your mouth when you’re looking for a wine to compliment or contrast.  For example, is it creamy? Decide whether you want a wine that has a sharp taste and good acidity to cut through the rich sauce (maybe a Riesling) or a creamy, textural wine to compliment it, such as a Chardonnay.

Click here for some examples of dishes and wine varietals that I think work well together; as I have said, though, there are no rules - a basic understanding of the ingredients and the wines characteristics should stand you in good stead to make a good choice. And remember, if all else fails experimenting is part of the fun.

Salut!