Dinner partners

Is that sauce sour or is the wine changing its taste? Yes, you can ruin a wonderful meal by filling your glass with the wrong vino

The main concept of food and wine pairing is to create the ultimate dining experience. Certain elements, such as
the flavour and texture of your drink and meal, can react either positively or negatively to one another. So it’s important to find the right combination for the components to work together. We enlisted the help of Rhebokskloof Wine Estate to share a few secrets.

A crash course in pairing
Firstly, think about the main characteristics of the dish – is it rich or mild? When selecting a wine, take this into consideration to provide a good balance. For example, acidic wines should go with acidic dishes, so one doesn’t overpower the other. But acidic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc don’t complement creamy dishes, especially certain pasta sauces.

Hot, aromatic or chilli-rich food can destroy the wine’s flavours, so off-dry, spicy wines would be a good choice. If you enjoy fatty dishes, try tannic wines. Tannins come from the grape skins and the wooden barrels used to age the wine, and their astringency helps to cleanse your palate from the fattiness of the food. Follow these guidelines, but ultimately trust your own judgement, as people’s tastes differ.

What about more unusual food?
Wine can be paired with almost anything, but it won’t always work. The most difficult tastes to pair are artichokes, egg yolk and asparagus, as they contain chemical com-pounds that could change the taste of the wine. Egg yolk, for instance, seals your taste buds and therefore reduces the flavour of the wine quite dramatically.

Perfect partnership
• Chardonnay Creamy chicken pasta
• Sauvignon Blanc Calamari or chicken salad dressed in any type of vinaigrette
• Chenin Blanc Grilled fish with a spicy sauce
• Pinotage Roast duck or ostrich
• Shiraz Oxtail or roast beef
• Red blends Kudu steak or venison pie
• Rosé Thai or Indian cuisine, such as a hot, spicy curry
• Méthode Cap Classique Salmon, oysters, caviar or sushi

Is there one golden rule?
Don’t approach it with the thought of letting the wine shine over the meal or vice versa. Instead, think about maintaining a harmonious equilibrium.