The right combination of food and wine can make a great wine taste even better, creating a synergy between the flavors, while a mismatched pairing can make both taste off. Though choosing a pairing can seem intimidating and you may not know where to begin, here are a few easy tips to get you started:
- Your food and wine selections should have an equal “weight.” Heavy wines complement heavier foods aslighter wines do with lighter foods. They should have the same intensity of flavor. Sauvignon Blanc, a lighter style of wine, matches well with dishes that are equally light.
- Your wine selection should be slightly more acidic than its counterpart, or a touch sweeter. If a food is too acidic, it can make the wine taste too sweet and not crisp.
- Choose a wine that has similar taste characteristics to the dish. For example, Sauvignon Blanc’s crisp acidity, minerality, and tropical, citrus notes pair well with a dish of similar characteristics such as Shellfish (pictured top right). Sauvignon Blanc and Oysters, Clams, Shrimp and fish of all kinds are foolproof pairings!
- If you’re looking to have something spicy like Thai or Vietnamese, choose a low-alcohol white wine (Osmosis Sauvignon Blanc happens to be our bottle of choice)!
- Savory cheeses like Goat Cheese, Feta, or even Fontina and Gouda have bright acidity and tropical fruit notes that are enhanced when paired with the similarly composed Sauvignon Blanc.
- The herbaceous notes of Sauvignon Blanc make it a perfect salad pairing – even better when the salad is topped with Feta or Goat Cheese! It goes well with all types of vegetables and herbs. For example, a sweet and herbal tomato pie (pictured top left) is a great pairing.
These are just a few tips to get you going on your wine pairing journey! At the end of the day, it’s all about what you like. So grab that bottle of OSMOSIS Sauvignon Blanc - available here - and enjoy trying it with a variety of dishes!
