Matching Wine And Food Is Not An Exact Science

By Author: Cheryl Buckner
Total Articles: 30
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When it comes to matching various food and wine there seems a number of people a dead set on the traditional matches. When we talk about traditional food matches we mean fish and white wine and read meat such as steak, lamb etc. with red wine. The reason red wines don't usually go with fish is because the wine contains "tannins" and this creates a metallic flavour when eaten with fish whereas white wine is lighter and matches the flavours of the fish.

Meats are heavier foods and red wine is heavier than white so it is only natural that these two go together. These combinations are well known which is why people tend to stick to them but many people do so because they believe it is the best way. Wine and food matches are not set in stone and they are not an exact science, everyone's taste buds are different which means these traditional tastes may not apply to everyone. It might send wine connoisseurs crazy but why not mix the two and see if your taste buds are different; you may find that you find a good match or you may see why most people stick to the traditional combinations.

We are all taught at an early age ...
... that our tongues can detect 4 different tastes; sweet, sour, salty and bitter, however our noses can pick up around 200 different scents which is why during wine tasting courses you are taught to smell the wine and see what different scents you can pick up. However, as we all know, not one single person is the same so why would our taste buds be the same?

One thing you need to bear in mind is the acidity of the food because this is going to have a big impact on the wine you choose. If you choose a dish that has fruits in such as lemon and orange then this is where the tasting notes come into play as you should opt for a wine with acidic tones. There are many rules that experts will tell you to stick to but at the end of the day, like many things, wine and food matches are a personal opinion and what one person likes the other may hate. Try and few combinations and see which ones you enjoy the most, you may find that you are different from the rest!

Whether you are choosing a nice, crisp South African wine or another new world wine, the wine companies in the UK have a great range to choose from. Visit http://www.gatheringwines.co.uk for more information.