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Posted 19 May 2020

Behind the scenes

Tips for pairing wine with food

Planning on cooking something special and looking for the perfect wine to go with your dish?

Matching great wine with food is about creating a balance between the characteristics of a wine with the elements of a dish. Waddesdon’s wine expert, Peter Tompkins, gives his tips on how to perfectly pair wine with food.

1. Always pair the wine with the principal ingredient of the dish.
2. Match the weight and intensity of a dish and the wine, rich dishes require a rich full-bodied wine and light dishes a light wine.

The intensity and weight of a wine such as Waddesdon Pauillac 2015 would work beautifully with the flavour and intensity of roast beef.

3. Don’t let the colour of the wine influence your decision.
4. Consider the sauce that brings the dish together.
5. Wines with prominent acidity work well with rich creamy dishes as they cut the richness.

The piercing acidity of Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc would work well with creamy shellfish dishes.

6. High alcohol wines work well with fatty cuts of meat.
7. Wines high in tannin should be avoided with spicy or salty foods.

A selection of cheese and wine laid out on a table

8. Try not to pair overtly complex wines with overtly complex dishes.

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