Food and wine matching
Welcome to the Waitrose food and wine matching adviser, compiled by wine writer and expert, Andrew Catchpole.
'One of the main points about the enjoyment of food and wine seems to me to lie in having what you want when you want it and in the particular combination you fancy.' So wrote Elizabeth David in her seminal essay, 'An omelette and a glass of wine'.
Given the many pretentious articles written on the subject of food and wine pairing, this is deeply reassuring advice. There are classic pairings – think of Sauternes and foie gras, oysters washed down with Chablis or succulent lamb with great Bordeaux – but these are few and far between. More often, food and wine pairing is about using a little common sense.
Start by thinking about the dominant elements in the dish. Then think of the wine as an added ingredient or condiment. Any home cook uses their palate in this way all the time to balance a recipe. The same rules apply for pairing wine with food.
As with any other ingredient in a dish, the wine should be a balanced addition, either complementing or contrasting the food on the plate.
Our taste is based on salt, sour, sweet and bitter, while the texture and temperature of food complete the sensation. The weight and intensity of a wine, its bite of acidity or bitter-edged tannins, sweetness or dryness, and dominant aromas and flavours should all be taken into consideration.
Wine and food matching is loosely based on science, though art is also involved. So don't be put off. The most important thing is to feel free to experiment after taking on board a few basic, common-sense rules.
Follow this link to find out more about Andrew and his top tips on matching wine with food.