Flavor Pairing ... Our basics for successful combinations

Which foods go well together in terms of taste, aroma, texture, colour, temperature and intensity?

• Acidic foods (ceviche, salads, tomatoes) and acidic wines (Riesling, Chenin Blanc) intensify. You therefore need a balance for harmonization, for example with more olive oil in the marinade. Acidic foods make wines with a weak acidic taste stale.

• The acidity of the wine enhances the delicate flavors of the food and vice versa.

• Alcohol, oil and fat are buffered by acid.

• High-alcohol, tannic wines make spicy food even spicier.

• A tannin-rich red wine cleanses the palate after greasy food.

• A cold, sweet, finely fruity white wine with little alcohol softens the sting of hot spices.

• Tannins and acidity in wine are enhanced by sweet foods.

• Bitter foods (chicoreé, radicchio) increase the bitterness of the tannin, which is why low-tannin wines with plenty of saltiness and sweetness are needed here.

• Bitterness is enhanced by acidity and spiciness (lemon, ginger, chilli and pepper).

• Strong-smelling foods like gorgonzola need wines with strong acidity and sweetness.

• If sauces are served with fish or meat, the choice of wine must be geared to the sauce, because it dominates in terms of taste and intensity

• Sweet foods make dry wines taste bitter. It is better to choose a sweet wine as an accompaniment. And: the wine should always be sweeter than the dessert.