Wine pairing rules for normal folks

Why do we obsess over the perfect wine pairing?

Author

Dozie Anyaegbunam
January 12, 2024

Hello to the two new subscribers who’ve joined me on this journey 💫

Please forward this to ONE friend today and tell them to subscribe here.

I was on an episode of Ronnie Higgin’s Marketing Under the Influence, talking about my Dad and a gift from him that’s become a family heirloom in the wake of his passing.

It was one of my many ways of telling him the thank you I never got the chance to say.

Listen to the full episode here → https://share.transistor.fm/s/fd8aa050

Malbec is best paired with meat.

OK…rolls eyes.

Look, you aren’t trying to win some sommelier pairing competition. So why do we tend to approach wine and food pairing like it’s a surgery we can’t afford to botch?

Some wine pairing rules for normal folks

  • Stop obsessing over wine pairing. There’s no single perfect wine pairing. A lot of things need to come together for it to be perfect - the sauce, your palate, the wine’s temperature, and the age of the wine. So drink and pair what you like. Who knows, you might discover the perfect pairing.

  • Does the wine taste woody or oaked? If yes, that’s not a great choice if you are about to have a meal. Oak can be a rather overpowering flavor.

  • Sparkling wine is the most versatile liquid out there. Try it out with almost anything , it works. I have tried it with Okra soup before, and it was amazing.

Okra soup is a West African soup made with okra, tomatoes, crayfish, pepper, spinach, dried fish, palm oil, and your protein of choice.

  • New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs usually have high levels of sugar ( I still like them). So keep that in mind, as sugar can lessen certain flavors - such as sour and bitter flavors. It also reduces the peppery feeling you get when you eat spicy food.

  • What sauce was the food made with? Is it spicy, sour, or bitter-sweet? Use that to pick your wine bottle. The sauce can make or mar how your wine pairing experience.

Now, go uncork a bottle, it’s the weekend.

Dozie ❤️

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