1. Food and
Wine Pairing
By
M Naveen Kumar

2. Food and Wine Pairing
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from
fermented grapes or other fruits. The natural
chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment
without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes,
water, or other nutrients. Yeast consumes the
sugars in the grapes and converts them into
alcohol and carbon dioxide. Different varieties
of grapes and strains of yeasts produce
different styles of wine

3. Food and Wine Pairing
Types of Wine
Red Wine Still wine made with black grapes. These can range from light to
dark and bone-dry to sweet.
White Wine A still wine produced from green and sometimes black grapes.
Flavors span from rich and creamy to light and zesty.
Rosé Wine Still wine from black grapes produced by removing the skins
before they deeply color the wine. Also formed by blending red and white wine
together. Both dry and sweet styles of rosé are common.
Sparkling Wine A style of winemaking involving a secondary fermentation
causing bubbles! Sparkling wine can be red, white or rosé and can range from
minerally to rich and sweet.
Fortified Wine A style of winemaking involving fortifying wine with spirits.
Typically a dessert wine, but many dry-style fortified wines exist such as dry Sherry.

4. Food and Wine Pairing
Types of Wine
Level of Sweetness
Within the five main styles of wine are different levels of sweetness. This is a
winemaking style as most wines can be produced from Dry to Sweet.
Dry A dry wine is produced when all of the grape sugars are
fermented into alcohol. Some dry wines may have a touch of RS to add body but not
sweetness.
Semi-Sweet (aka Off Dry) A semi-sweet wine leaves a touch of the sugars in a
wine usually to complement acidity and/or aromatics in wine. Riesling is typically
Off-Dry.
Sweet A sweet wine leaves a lot of the sugars in a wine unfermented.
Sweet wines are typically lower alcohol if they are not fortified. Typically a dessert
wine, but many dry-style fortified wines exist such as dry Sherry.

5. Food and Wine Pairing
Know the taste
Wines are separated by style, primary flavor and sometimes even an additional
grouping of High Tannin, Round or Spicy. Here are definitions of the terms:
High Tannin Wines with high tannin feel like they dry out your
mouth. The sensation is similar to licking a popsicle stick or putting a wet tea bag in
your mouth.
Round Round wines tend to have less tannin and balanced
acidity on the finish. People often describe the sensation as ‘Smooth’ or ‘Lush’ when
using wine descriptions.
Spicy Spicy wines tend to have higher acidity or higher
alcohol. Imagine the tartness of cranberry juice versus the smoothness of peach juice.

6. Food and Wine Pairing
Know the taste
5 S’s of Wine Tasting
1. See
2. Sniff
3. Swirl
4. Sniff
5. Sip

7. Food and Wine Pairing
Guidelines to pair
Food and wine pairing need not be rocket science. Use these simple guidelines to pair
confidently!
Choose Similar Flavors
Similar food and wine flavors complement each other.
Example: Sole with lemon sauce and Sauvignon Blanc both have citrus flavors.
Choose Similar Weight and Texture
Similarly weighted food and wine complement each other. Food and wine can be
light, medium or heavy-bodied.
Example: Lobster and Chardonnay are both medium-weight and rich so they
complement each other.
Choose the Same Sweetness Level
Wine should be equal to or higher in sugar than the dish.
Example: Roasted pork with apple glaze pairs beautifully with Riesling.
Salt Needs Crispness
Crisp wines balance salty flavors.
Example: A crisp Sauvignon Blanc balances salty olives and feta cheese.

8. Food and Wine Pairing
Guidelines to pair
Pair with the Sauce
Pair the wine to the sauce served.
Example: Light citrus sauces pair with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Example: Heavy cream and mushroom sauces are ideal with Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir.
Example: Red and meat sauces match Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah.
No Sauce? Pair with the Meat
Match wine to meat, fish or poultry when serving without a sauce.
Example: Pinot Noir tastes great with duck.
Spicy Foods
Sweeter wines offer relief from spicy foods.
Example: Riesling pairs well with Asian cuisines.
Tannins Need Fat to Balance Out
Tannic wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon cut through the coating that fat leaves in
the mouth.
Example: Cabernet pairs great with steak.

9. Food and Wine Pairing
Guidelines to pair
Look: Pair by Color
Nature has color-coded fruit and vegetables with the wine best suited to their flavors.
Light wines - light foods; deeply colored wines - rich foods.
Example: Sauvignon Blanc is pale yellow and pairs well with citrus.
Consider Acid Levels
Like sweetness, wine should be equal to, or higher, in acid than the dish.
Example: Pinot Noir matches well with tomato tapenade.

10. Food and Wine Pairing
Pairing Chart

11. Thank You
By
M Naveen Kumar