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The basic flavors that occur in food are also found in wine which is, after all, another type of food. They are sweet (residual sugar), tart (sour, acidic), bitter (pucker, astringent sensation) and salty (which isn’t found in wine, but affects its flavor). In addition wine has alcohol identified by a perception of “heat” or hotness in the back of the mouth and is the primary factor influencing the body of the wine.

Acidity

• Acidity is a dominant player in any food and wine pairing
• It can heighten the perception of flavors
• In wine tasting, acidity is perceived by a mouth watering response by the salivary glands (also serves to stimulate the appetite)
• Three main acids in wine that have their own associated flavors-malic (green apples), lactic (milky) and tartaric (bitter)
• In dishes that are fatty, oily, rich or salty, acidity in wine can “cut” (or standout and contrast) through the heaviness
• Acidic (citric) wines do not pair well with anything creamy, like an alfredo sauce (think of mixing lime with your milk)
• A wine that is less tart than the dish it is served with will taste thin and weak
• A wine that comes across as “too tart” on its own maybe soften when paired when an acidic and tart dish
• Try to match the acidity level of the wine to the acidity in your food
• The “tartness” of the food and wine cancels each other out and allows the other components (fruit of the wine, other flavors of the food) to be more noticeable
• Acidic dishes like pasta with tomato sauce pair well with a wine that is also high in acidity (Chianti)
• Chianti will overpower a mild seafood dish or a rich creamy pasta sauce (fish with an acidic lemon sauce pairs with Sauvignon Blanc)

Sweetness

• Sweetness of wines is determined by the amount of residual sugar left after fermentation
• Wines can be bone dry (with the sugars fully fermented into alcohol), off-dry (with a hint of sweetness), semi-dry (medium-sweet) and dessert level sweetness (such as the high sugar content in Sauternes and Tokaji)
• Sweet wines need to be sweeter than the dish they are served with or the wine will taste tart and weak
• Sweetness in wine can balance the spice and heat in food
• Can accentuate the mild sweetness in some foods
• Can also contrast with salty dishes often making the wine less sweet but fruitier
• Can balance tartness in food, especially if the food has some sweetness (such as dishes with sweet & sour sauces)
• Remember that cold serving temperatures decrease our perception of sweetness

Alcohol

• Alcohol is the primary factor in dictating a wine’s weight & body (higher the alcohol level, the more weight the wine has)
• Salty and spicy foods will accentuate the alcohol and the perception of “heat” or hotness in the mouth
• Alcohol can also magnify the heat of spicy food making a highly alcoholic wine paired with a very spicy dish taste extremely spicy
• Have a tendency to go well with slightly sweet food

Bitterness

• The bitterness (astringent feeling) associated with wine is usually derived from a wine’s tannins
• It can enhance the perception of “body” or weight in the wine
• Tannins are normally derived from the skins and stems of the grapes themselves (leeched out during the maceration process) or from contact with oak during barrel aging
• Tannins react to proteins by binding to them causing the wine to come across as softer (seen when paring red tannic wines with red meat and hard cheeses making the fruit in the wine more noticeable)
• In the absence of protein from the food, such as some vegetarian dishes, the tannins will react with the proteins on the tongue and sides of the mouth–accentuating the bitterness and having a drying effect on the palate
• Various cooking methods, such as grilling and blackening can add a bitter “char” component to the dish that will allow it to play well with a tannic wine
• The dry tannins also serve as a cleansing agent on the palate by binding to the grease and oils left over in the mouth
• Tannins decrease the perception of sweetness in food (make sweet food taste less sweet)
• Tannic wines do not go well with tannic foods (For example Cabernet Sauvignon and walnuts)
• Avoid spices and herbs high in tannins with tannic wines (cinnamon, tarragon, cloves or cumin)
• Fish oils can make tannic wines taste metallic or off
• Salty foods can make tannic wines taste more tannic
• Spicy and sweet foods can accentuate the dry, bitterness of tannins and make the wine seem to have off flavors