One of the most unforgettable facets of any occasion is frequently the fare and beverages attendees are served. Creating a perfectly matched menu can take the whole dining experience up a notch and make it shine.
But even trying to find a single complementary wine for a dish can feel like an art form. Whether you are masterminding a small dinner party or an intricate, sprawling meal for a larger number of people, we can give you some insight on what goes well with what.
Understanding the Basics of Food and Wine Pairing
Before examining specific combinations, we must grasp the basic principles of the art of food and wine matching. This age-old custom aims to create a harmonious balance between the flavors and textures of the food and the wine’s qualities, allowing both to shine.
We must think about these controls:
• Acidity: The flavors of wine with a crisp acidity—like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir—work well with foods that also possess a similar acidity, such as dishes built around citrus or tomato.
• Sweetness: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Matching sweetness levels between a wine and a dish creates balance; Riesling or Moscato with a spicy Thai curry or fruity dessert does just that.
• Tannins: The tannin levels in red wine might seem not to interfere with the flavors of a given food; however, red wines with higher tannin levels, like Cabernet Sauvignon, definitely work well with rich, meaty foods because they cut through the fat with their texture and taste.
• Weight: Light-bodied wines work well with dishes like salads or seafood, while fuller-bodied ones, like Chardonnay, thrive with richer flavors and cuisines.
Classic Pairings That Never Fail
The classic combinations are hard to beat: when a partnership of food and wine has stood the test of time, you can be pretty certain it’s for a good reason.
• Red Meat and Cabernet Sauvignon: Juicy ribeye or rack of lamb, taken with a well-proportioned (but not too hulking) glass of ‘Cab.’
• Seafood and Chardonnay: Okay, perhaps not the bottle of ‘Chard’ that’s served too often in cabinas along the Costa del Sol, but a hand-poured glass of something luscious that will take you back to the gentle tide lapping at your feet.
• Pasta and Chianti: The Chianti di Castello flanked by high heels, with its sweet breezes and wild herbs, is nature’s way of ensuring a dynamite pairing with any number of dishes ensconced under the “pasta” umbrella.
• Cheese and Port: Think blue and “stormy.”
Choosing the Right Food Catering for Your Event
Choosing the right food catering is essential for your event. The reason is quite simple: a soirée is more likely to be memorable for its guests if the food, wine, and service at it are exceptional. And even if your event isn’t a “sit-down” affair, the catering staff can still ensure that the guests have a flawless experience regarding the pairings of sustenance and refreshment.
So what makes a best catering company and how can you tell whether a service you’ve shortlisted might be up to your demands? It boils down to a combination of skills and attributes that, when combined, create a recipe for success. Here’s our rundown:
• Every Occasion is Unique: It’s just what life’s milestones dictate. Catering a wedding demands a deft and delicate touch. That’s because the bounds of conventionality and creativity are stretched wide, thanks to a giant canvas that is the entire day.
• Catering Flexibility: There are many moments (that total with time in the hours) when guests partake of food and drink. From mingling at the cocktail hour to chatting over plated courses during the meal, from snacking at a midnight buffet to consuming a sweet send-off, a couple’s nearest and dearest are constantly interacting with the comestibles.
Tips for Creating Your Own Pairings
For those of you who feel like striking off on your own and being creative, here are a few tips to get you going: • Start with a Wine You Love: Plan your dinner around the wine rather than the usual way, which is to plan the dinner first and then pick a wine. But also think about the wine’s dominating flavors and its characteristics.
