Five Tips on Matching Wine and Food

by Andrew Barrow, Posted Sep 15th 2005 @ 2:28PM

Five simple tips when thiinking about food and the wine to go with it -

Think Country - the old world especially has been serving food with the local wines for generations. Of course other wines will work, but why struggle to find something else?
Red Wine with Meat/White Wine with Fish - now this old advice does work; but you don't have to follow it. But the "drink dry before sweet" and "lighter wines before full-bodied ones" are really the ones to follow.
Light and Light/Hotter and Richer - you should serve lighter wines with lighter and colder dishes (think salads for example) but more weighty and or richer foods with heavier wines (think char-grilled or rich sauces).
Sweet Dishes need Sweeter Wines - a wine, even one with some sweetness, will taste hollow and sharp if served with a dish that is sweeter than it is. Go for a wine that is sweeter than the dessert.
Richness needs Acidity - Creamy, buttery and oily dishes need white or red wines of good acidity which will cut through the richness and lighten the dish.