For those new to drinking red wine, you may be surprised to learn that there are certain foods that go with the wine you are drinking. For experienced red wine drinkers, you may know that there are foods that go with what you are drinking, but not know what exactly they are. Matching food and wine has been done for centuries and is a common practice in cultures all over the world.
There are many different types of red wine, but they allow follow the same basic food pairing rules. A hefty steak does not go well with a light wine. When eating a hefty steak or a similar kind of meal, it is best to drink a heavy, flavorful wine. If you are eating cheese and crackers, you will want to be drinking a lighter wine. These basic rules are rather simple to learn and hard to forget. Now that you know them, this article is going to teach you about what kinds of food go with specific types of red wine.
Barolo is all about flavor and therefore goes with a variety of flavorful foods. Red Barolo wines usually have a hint of cherry and is much more enjoyable with foods that have strong flavors than foods that have more bland tastes. Beef and chicken dishes that come complete with seasonings and sauces are great with this type of wine. Dry and aged cheeses that possess strong flavors also go along well with Barolo. If you are a pasta eater and Barolo drinker, you are sure to enjoy this wine with some tomato sauce covering your pasta.
Bordeaux is another category of heavy red wine that has a high level of tannins. The best foods that go with this kind of wine are both heavy and flavorful. Lamb, beef, and other juicy red meats will be a perfect fit with a glass of your favorite red Bordeaux.
Burgundy is not too light, but not too heavy. While many dishes like salmon are too light for this wine, others like lamb chops are much to heavy. Burgundy red wines are best served with meals containing foods like chicken, turkey, duck, or some heavier seafood.
Merlot is one of the most popular red wines and goes with a large variety of different types of food. Merlot is not the strongest kind of red wine, but it is extremely flavorful and works well with all sorts of flavors. This is the best choice of wine for sauce lovers. It goes well with all kinds of red pasta sauces and many chicken sauces from your favorite dishes. Merlot is also an excellent red wine choice to have with your desert. It tastes wonderful with chocolate and other deserts that are bursting with flavor.
Pinot Noir is the softest red wine of the bunch, but that does not mean that it does not go with most meals. In fact, Pinot Noir red wines are outstanding because not only can they be enjoyed with dinner, they also are perfect to go with a snack or your lunch. For meals, types of this red wine go best with salmon, turkey, and other lighter dishes. Since the taste of Pinot Noir wines is thin and not filling, it goes great with things like cheese and crackers, deli sandwiches, and appetizers.
The most important thing to remember when pairing food with red wine is that your taste buds will guide you more than any person or any article can. You may find that very heavy wines with very heavy meals is too filling for you, or that there are certain red wines that you just don’t particularly like altogether. Trial and error is the best way to find out what red wines go best with your favorite foods.