1/8/08 Food & Wine

Welcome to vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Although my instincts tell me to just eat and drink what I like; I must admit - when I experience a meal that really lends itself to the wines - I do so enjoy the results. On today's program we begin a two part series explaining what to consider when seriously matching food and wine. When pairing a wine with a special food consider these three things; the Components, the Smells, and the Textures. First the Components are the basic characteristics: In wine they are sugar, acid, tannin and alcohol. In food they are sugar, acid, salt, protein, carbohydrates, fats & oils. Second are the Smells: and they are primarily responsible for the flavors. Third is the Texture or the way the substance feels in your mouth  its weight and consistency. When pairing foods and wine we can look for foods with similar or contrasting components, smells and textures. Ideally, neither the wine nor the food should dominate the match. For example if you have a very thick creamy sauce that's being poured over your main dish you could choose a very creamy thick wine with lots of texture to match the sauce making a similar pairing; or you could select a wine that is crisp and high in acid to cut the sauce and become a contrasting match to the food. Either one could work. So whether you're selecting a wine that is similar or contrasting to the food think about what it is that's making them work together - or not. Until tomorrow when we further explore food and wine pairing; thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.