I. Basic Principles
The name Sileni is derived from Greek/Roman mythology where the Sileni, or demigods of Bacchus the god of wine, celebrated the end of a good harvest with indulgence (usually over indulgence) in good food, good wine and good company.

 

The mission of Sileni is to extend these acts into its business philosophy – hence the strong emphasis of food and cuisine at the winery and its philosophy of making wines to enjoy with food, as reflected in the elegant and intense fruit-flavoured wine styles it produces.

 

Sileni is now committed to a major research project to establish a stronger scientific basis for food and wine matching, so enhancing the enjoyment of cuisine and wine through an understanding of the chemistry and molecular basis of flavour and texture harmony. More on that later.

 

This brief article will be the first in an ongoing practical series and will cover the basic principles of food and wine matching.

 

Today, the former rule of colour co-ordinating wine and food – white wine with fish or white meat and red wine with red meat – is out. Balancing the intensity of flavours and textures of the cuisine and wine is in. It is as simple and complex, as that.

1. Match the wine to the dominant taste of the cuisine dish.

Food allows us to experience five tastes – sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami (the intense savoury taste of soy sauce or shiitake mushrooms, or any food rich in glutamic acid) – as well as the sensations of heat and cold.

 

Most wines are not really perceived as salty or savoury, so the three basic tastes of wine are sweet, sour and bitter.

 

Sour/acidic (e.g. lemon, tamarind) and salty (e.g. bacon, tomatoes) foods tend to make wine flavours milder; thus, to create balance select a wine that is sweeter, fruitier and less tannic.

 

Sweet (e.g. cream, scallops) and savoury (umami) foods tend to make wine flavours more pronounced (stronger); thus, select drier, more acidic wines to create better harmony in overall taste.

 

Wines high in acidity (e.g. sauvignon blanc, chardonnay) amplify some of the subtle flavours of food. High acidity also provides a palate-cleansing contrast to rich or oily foods.

Foods and wine both have texture, which can be defined as ‘mouthfeel’ or how they feel, alone and combined, in the mouth.
Some foods and wine seem richer or ‘fattier’ in the mouth, others feel far more austere or lean. Foie gras has a rich texture, whereas a lightly dressed green salad is the opposite.

Marry ‘power with power’ – light tasting and light textured dishes with lighter wines; heaver dishes with fuller-bodied wines.
As a guide, light-bodied wines are sauvignon blanc (white), rose￩, pinot noir (red), medium bodied, unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay (white), merlot, cabernet franc (red) and full bodied wines chardonnay, semillon (white), merlot blends, cabernet sauvignon and syrah (red)

 

The higher the alcohol content, the richer in body or ‘weightier’ a wine seems. The higher the alcohol content of a wine the more it will also amplify the perception of salt and hot spices.

3. Consider the method of cooking the food in the dish and match the flavour intensity of the dominant ingredient or dominant flavour of the cuisine dish, with the flavour intensity (or power) of the wine. Neither should overpower.
Flavour intensity of the food preparation changes radically in large part due to the method of cooking chosen.

 

Roughly, in order of increasing intensity: poached, steamed, saut￩ed, stir-fried, pan-fried, deep-fried, braised, roasted, broiled, grilled or blackened - could be matched in equivalent rough order of intensity with riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon and chardonnay or red wines based on pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.

 

Flavour intensity of a dish can also be influenced by sauces, garnishes and seasoning and also need consideration, as does sweetness in balancing flavour with desserts. Ensure the dessert is less sweet than the wine to be matched.

4. Decide on a matching objective as either complementary or contrasting the flavours and textures of the food with the wine.
Complement – match intensity with intensity, richness with richness, power or body with power.

An aged, less astringent or acidic wine with a similar flavoured dish. Older wines are in general better with milder flavoured dishes. A fruity wine with fruit-based sauces.

Contrast – play off tannin against fat, fruit against spice, complex against simple.
A young, somewhat astringent or acidic wine will cleanse the palate and so de-emphasise fat and richness; e.g. tannic cabernet sauvignon with lamb or beef and acidic sauvignon blanc with an oily fish dish.

 

Further articles in the series will develop these principles and provide useful examples and lists of suggested food and wine matches.

References:
Barham, P. in The Science of Cooking, Springer, 1950.
Beckett, F. in How to Match Food and Wine, Mitchell Beazley, 2002.
Johnson-Bell, L. in Good Food Fine Wine, Cassell, 1999.
Kapoor, S. in Taste: A New Way to Cook, Mitchell Beazley, 2003.
Kolpan, S.; Smith, B.H.; Weiss, M.A. in Exploring Wine, 2nd Ed, Wiley, 2002.
McGee, H. in On Food and Cooking, Fireside, 1984.
Williams, C. in Food & Wine Pairing, Time Life, 1999.

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