Tolerant Tasters
Generally like strong-flavoured foods and drinks
Like: -
Strong black coffee
Powerful concentrated red wines with high levels of
... [Show More] tannin, oak and alcohol, such as some Italian wines and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sensitive Tasters
Generally like a range of foods and drinks but prefer to have some intensity of flavour and may be sensitive to bitterness
Like: -
Full flavoured coffee but will usually take milk and/or small amount of sugar
Ripe red wines such as Shiraz, full-flavoured whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, and oaked and full-bodied white wines
Very Sensitive Tasters
Very sensitive for bitterness and astringency making some food wine reactions more extreme, sensitive to bitteness in artificial sweeteners
Like: -
Wines with delicate flavours and may be some moderate amounts of sweetness such as blush wines, sweeter styles of Riesling or more delicate reds with lower levels of tannins such as Pinor Noir
Food Friends - Salty
Wine seems less drying and bitter, less acidic
Wine seems smoother and richer
- Increases the perception of body in the wine
- Decreases the perception of bitterness and acidity in the wine
This means Salt can make tannic wine seem more palatable, which can help soften some of the harder elements.
Food Friends - Acidic
Wine seems less bitter and acidic
Wine seems fruiter, sweeter and richer
- Increases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine
- Decreases the perception of acidity in the wine
This means Acidic take care pairing with wines with less acidity, it can bring a very high acid wine into balance and enhance the fruitiness.
However, if the level of acidity in the wine is low, high levels of acidity in foods can make wines seem flat, flabby and lacking focus.
High acid foods should generally be matched with high-acid wines.
Food Enemies - Sweet
Wine seems more drying and bitter, more acidic
Wine seems less sweet and fruity
- Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and the burning effect of the alcohol in the wine
- Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine
This means Sweet take care pairing with wines with less sweetness or with tannins, it can make a dry wine seem to lose its fruit and be unpleasantly acidity.
With any dishes containing sugar, a good general rule is to select a wine that has a higher level of sweetness.
Equally, some light flavoured desserts can be successfully partnered with intensely flavoured sweet wines.
Food Enemies - Savoury (Umami)
Wine seems more drying and bitter, more acidic
Wine seems less sweet and fruity
- Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and alcohol burn in the wine
- Decreases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine
This means Savoury (Umami) take care pairing with wines with high levels of tannins or oak character.
Many foods that are considered difficult to pair contain high levels of Umami without salt to counteract the hardening effects on wine. These includes asparagus, eggs, mushrooms and ripe soft cheeses.
Other foods that are high in Umami also tend to be high in salt, which can counteract the impact of Umami on the wine. These include cured or smoke seafood and meats, and hard cheeses such as Parmesan.
Food Enemies - Chilli Heat in Food
- Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity, and alcohol burn
- Decreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness and fruitiless in the wine
Dishes high in chilli heat should be paired with white wines or low-tannin reds, both with low alcohol (as bitterness and alcohol burn can be highlighted for sensitive tasters.)
Fruitiness and sweetness can also be reduced so thin about wine with higher levels of these qualities to mitigate this effect.
An intensity flavoured Curry can be successfuly partnered with a lightly flavoured wine - such as a simple, unbaked, light white.
Food Enemies - Acid and Fat
Most people find the combination of acidic wines with fatty or oily foods to be very satisfying. The pairing provides a pleasant sensation of the acidic wine 'cutting through' the richness of the food, and cleaning up the palate. This is a subjective effect.
High-Risk Food - Sugar
Dishes high in sugar should be paired with a wine that has at least as much sugar.
High-Risk Food - Umami
Dishes high in Umami should be paired with wines that are more fruity than tannic, as the umami in the food will emphasise the bitterness of the tannins.
High levels of Umami in a dish can be balanced by the addition of acid or salt. However, the amount added should not alter the basic, character of the dish.
High-Risk Food - Bitterness
Sensitivity to bitter varies gently from person to person. Consider white wines or low-tannin reds.
Bitterness in food and bitterness in wine can combine to reach an unpleasant level.
High-Risk Wines
The more structural components in the wine (and food), the more possible taste interactions there will be.
This make pairing more complicated but also provides potential for more interesting results. [Show Less]