When it comes to pairing food and wine it begins way before a trip to the market. Having at very least some basic knowledge of pH and acidity in both food and wine is vital. one can not live in harmony with out the other. Titratable acidity or total acidity in most wines is 2.5 to 4%, the previous post I showed a chart for food acidity and pH, there are charts made just for pairing food and wine. When choosing a wine, acidity is an important component to both the wines quality and taste. Remember that higher sugar levels produce low acidity which doesn't mean the wine will be sweet. In the world of wine tasting acidity refers to the Fresh, Tart and Sour attributes that balance out the Sweet and Sour of its body such as Tannins. As for the grape in which the wine is produced the longer it is on the vine the more sugar it will hold making for more acidity to be introduced during the fermentation process. In the wine world today's vintages are being released much earlier than wine's from the past years due to accelerated fermentation processes, you will know this when a label reads something such as " The perfect wine to enjoy now or cellared for future years of enjoyment". Now this doesn't mean it is a bad wine, there are many 2011 Cabs, Pinots, Syrahs and Zins out there that are very tasty. A great question is "What about the wines we cook with?" I know many chefs that will argue it makes no difference and buy bulk Red & White wine, usually in 5 gallon boxes and will say no one will know the difference, I beg to differ. If I am serving something with a Cabernet Demi Sauce with no Cabernet Savignon in it I am sorry someone is going to know, I would know so most certainly someone who really knew about wine would know for example, last weekend I witnesses a Master Sommelier tell me what wine I used in not one but two different marinades, so always know that someone will know. So where does one begin in producing a pairing, I choose the wine first then build my menu around its structure. It can be done to the opposite meaning menu first but most chefs including myself are not Master Sommeliers and just because I became a Sommilier in 1998 doesn't mean I am one, that my friends is back in the post "Tale of the Tastevin" many postings ago. I took the coarse and became a "Sommilier" just for understanding and an edge of knowledge many chefs do not have. I must say that my certificate does look Grand on my freshly painted kitchen wall here at home, just to brag a little. So back to pairing, there is an exercise that I may have posted about tasting wines with certain foods, so before I repeat myself I will look back and return with more about pairing soon. Until then "Think Good Thoughts & Smile".
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