Wine Pairings with Food

Ok, so I can’t tell you all there is to know on this subject in the space below, but I do have a few comments. I recently attended a wine dinner featuring nine of the 2005 Wine Spectator Top 100 List. The wines were awesome, and the food was very good. Any of the dishes we were served I would order again in a restaurant and be thrilled. But the wine pairings missed the mark, at least for me. So, a few clues, and some suggestions.
Tannin in red wines, the astringent or almost puckery feeling in your mouth, is an acid that bonds with and neutralizes fat. This is why the great Napa Cabs work so well with steaks with marbling (NY Strip and Rib Eye). A meat with less visible fat, Filet Mignon for instance, pairs better with a less tannic red, perhaps a Merlot. Acid in white wines make you feel a rush of saliva move forward in your mouth. While different acids, they have the same effect. A butter sauce or cream sauce pairs well with acidic Sauvignon Blancs and French style Chardonnays. Be confident matching regional foods with their local wines. The Italians make their wines for the express purpose of matching their foods. Rustic French Rhones pair with stews and peasant foods. The toughest pairing is the salad course when a vinegar based dressing is used. I find Reislings and the Gruner Veltliner are good white pairings, and surprisingly Chianti works fairly well from the red side. But the main rule still remains: If you drink a wine you like, the pairing with food probably won’t be that bad. Always default to a favorite wine if you are in doubt. The dog can have any of the food you don’t like!