by Thierry Boeuf in the Tribune (May 8, 2001)

 

I have previously spoken more about where the wine is coming from and the history of the worlds vineyards than the wine itself, and I will probably continue with that theme in more detail in the future. However, before talking about any specific area, I would like to focus on the way wine matches food.

My purpose today is only to provide the main ideas, for here we enter the artistic part of wine as opposed to historical or scientific facts. When it comes to Art or Taste, everybody is different, and even if in the past some people tried to codify what beauty was with very specific things such as the Golden Number in Architecture, we now know for sure now that all kind of tastes exist. There is no real reason to say that someone is right or wrong when he says I prefer this sweet white Liebfraumilch to this Sauternes, which is ten times more expensive and that I dont enjoy that much.

In common thing with other arts, the difference between two wines is not often easy to describe. It takes time and education to appreciate wines that we professionally describe as complex. Consequently, people have to learn why and how a Sauternes is usually richer in taste than a Liebfraumilch.

Nevertheless, for the marriage between wine and food to take place, most people agree on some guidelines. With seafood and fish we tend to advocate the drinking of white wines even though huge differences between all white wines. Normally, we would suggest a dry white wine works very well with fish, but here again there are a number of factors to take into account, such as the type of fish or seafood being eaten and the recipe.

If you are going to eat salmon with cream, basil and mash potatoes you will probably like less dry than if you had a grilled snapper with lemon and hot sauce, accompanied by peas and rice, fried plantain and coleslaw.

With the former salmon dish I would suggest a wine relatively round, such as a Meursault from Joseph Drouhin Burgundy, a Côtes du Rhône from Chapoutier or a Chardonnay Turning Leaf from California. But I will also say that other wines could do the business, too, such as the rosés de Provence or light reds such as Valpolicella from Bolla.

With the grilled snapper, I personally consider the choice smaller and I would avoid any red. Most Rosé would probably be to round, so I would suggest a very dry white such as Muscadet, Bordeaux white like Maxims white or Pinot Grigio for people who like it mellower. You see, the choice is always very large at first, but when you know more about the way things are cooked and the ingredients, sauces and vegetables they combine with, you have a much more limited choice - especially if you add the main criterion of choice - you own taste.

The second common trend is that meat goes very well with red wine. This is a general guideline that is applied pretty well in most cases but, here again, the type of meat and the way it is cooked and accompanied will be very important.

I am sure you will agree there is not much in common between a simple steak of beef with fries, a creamy chicken with mushrooms and a duck cooked with some caramel like the Chinese used to do. I believe that with the first meat almost all red wines will be good, and white would be to light, even if Chardonnays addicts would probably enjoy a Chardonnay from Paul Sapin or a Saint-Veran from Drouhin with a steak.

With the creamy chicken I think that the red wines will have to be lighter and fruitier than those you would drink with the grilled beef, such as Beaujolais or Loire Valley Gamay. But if you have very high quality meat and delicate ingredients, I would advise that it is the kind of occasion to open your best Chardonnay. It can come from Rosemount in Australia, Gallo in the Sonoma or even, if you can afford it, a great white Burgundy such as a Clos des Mouches Blanc from Drouhin.

 With the Chinese caramelized duck I would try a fruity white such as a Sauvignon Blanc Paul Sapin from Languedoc, a Sancerre or a delicate Champagne from Taittinger.

Sweet white wines or sparkling wines often accompany the desserts but here again, mix red fruits are very different from ice cream or chocolate cakes. Champagne will always be fine, but with fresh fruits the sweet white wines will be probably to strong in taste, some people will still prefer the red. There are, for example, some recipes such as the pear with red wine and cinnamon and, I have always seen my grandfather preferring his fresh strawberries in a fruity red wine and some sugar.

In many places, the cheeses are very often eaten with red wine, even if the best chefs advise that white wines or Port are often better for enhancing the taste. Speaking about cheese gives me the opportunity to say that professionals never taste red wines with cheese. It is because all red wines are good with the cheese, which makes it very difficult to have an objective opinion of the wine.

All this is mainly for regular seated meals, but wine can also be enjoyed at cocktails and picnics on the grass. For this kind of occasion you usually have a cooler with all kinds of cold drinks. I would say it is not the time for the best wine bottles to be open, though, because you will not carry with you the large wine glasses, that really help in enjoying the wines, but there are many easy-going wines, which will fit perfectly this kind of circumstance.

To conclude, I will say that the food in my mind is almost always better with wine. But for the wine lovers the opposite is not so true, and I will personally enjoy better a very good wine on its own, especially before a meal when our senses are more acute.