Q: Which wine goes with mussels?

Mussels need a fresh , mineral , very dry white wine as a partner. Predestined here is a Sauvignon Blanc a cuvée partner with Sémillon or Colombard (from Bordeaux , Gascony or the Loire , for example) is ideal. Apart from that, crémant or champagne is also recommended with oysters. Roasted scallops also go very well with Chardonnay , Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc due to their slightly nutty flavour. If mussels, clams and/or cockles are cooked in a spicy broth, an aromatic variety such as Viognier can go well alongside Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc

Question 1

What do you have to bear in mind when combining wine and food?

Accepted Answer

"A good wine, poured with several dishes, is like a good actor who reveals new facets of himself each time the direction changes" This quote by sommelier and wine author Sebastian Bordthäuser vividly describes the possibilities and effect of a successful wine accompaniment to a meal. Food and wine both make their contribution to the culinary connection and both gain by being able to reveal new, enriching nuances of taste when they interact with each other.

When combining food and matching (corresponding) wines, the aim is to create a coherent and lasting experience of enjoyment. You can either focus on harmony (matching or complementing) or on tension. Incidentally, this is also the approach to cooking when playing with aromas, textures and temperatures in individual dishes.

Basics

Three factors are important for wine selection:

the way the food is prepared
the richness and content of the food, and
the aroma expression and intensity of the food.

Two examples may illustrate the first point in particular (on which the last point also depends): A tomato tastes rather sour when raw, but sweet when cooked, and veal tastes different when grilled (steak) than when fried (escalope) or cooked (boiled beef).

Wine and food should be equal partners: The wine must harmonise with the dish in terms of taste and should underline the flavours of the food, but should not overpower them.

The Colour of the wine is not primarily decisive in the selection: it is also possible to combine white wine with dark meat and red wine with fish. The traditional rule of "light wine with light meat (and fish), dark wine with dark meat (and fish)" still applies because it has lost none of its meaning; red wines are fundamentally stronger and more austere than white wines - simply because of their higher tannin content. But many a white wine(Pinot Gris, Chardonnay) aged in wooden barrels can have more substance and content than a fruity red wine(Trollinger, Portugieser, Pinot Noir) aged in stainless steel tanks.

In the course of a menu, both the wine and the food should increase in aroma and flavour intensity as well as in content and richness. Since it is very difficult to return to lighter ones after flavour-intensive dishes and/or wines, one increases the flavour intensity successively - because the strong flavours stress the tongue and often remain at least rudimentary (thus blocking the taste receptors, so to speak), so that they can overlay or falsify the weaker (and also finer) ones. Since white wines are usually at least perceived to be lighter or less powerful than red wines (which, as I said, is also related to the tannin content of the latter), one usually goes from white to red. However, both bouquet grape varieties (Muskateller, Traminer, etc.) and certain production and ageing methods (wooden barrel, mash fermentation) produce white wines with pronounced aromas that can dominate the taste of light red wines in particular (for example, from grape varieties such as Trollinger and aged in steel tanks).

Sensory interactions

When it comes to taste, the goal is harmony between food and wine; opposites must dissolve or be in a relationship of tension that is perceived as pleasant. This means that the sensory characteristics of food and wine must be coordinated in such a way that they complement each other in a meaningful way. Positive reinforcements are desirable, but negative reinforcements should be avoided. The aromas of food and wine should be similar (e.g. a red wine with dried fruit and cocoa notes to a game dish with a sauce prepared with prunes and dark chocolate, or a white wine with vegetal notes to a vegetable dish) or mutually enrich each other (as in the culinary creation salted caramel).

Most of the aromas are perceived through the nose. The detailed aroma expressions are registered retronasally, i.e. when the air rises from the oral cavity via the pharynx into the nose - smelling on the exhale, so to speak. The tongue only registers the tastes sweet, sour, salty and bitter as well as umami (savoury, positively flavour-enhancing) and fatty (scientifically: oleogustus).

The following interactions between wine and food must be taken into account:

Sweetness in wine enhances the flavours of the food and weakens acidity, pungency and bitterness in the dish.
Acidity in wine emphasises the sharpness and spiciness of the dish, enhances the acidity and can weaken the sweetness of the dish. It also makes fat more digestible.
A high alcohol content in the wine enhances both the sweetness and the spiciness of the dish. It can soften spiciness and makes fat more digestible. A low alcohol content makes the acid in the dish more prominent.
Salt enhances the aroma and bitter substances and also the sweetness - both in the dish and in the wine.
Bitterness in wine (in the form of tannins) reduces the sweetness in the dish and helps digest fat.
Roasting substances (whether in the food through hot frying or in the wine through wood barrel ageing) harmonise the sweetness and moderate the acidity.
Carbonic acid (in sparkling or semi-sparkling wine) dampens the sweetness of the food; at the same time, sparkling wines often appear sweeter than they actually are when paired with food.

In summary, the following relationships exist between individual tastes (whereby umami and fat are deliberately neglected here, as they are virtually absent from wine):

	sweet	sour	salty	bitter
sweet	neutralising	complementary	reinforcing	complementary
acidic	supplementary	reinforcing	neutralising	complementary
salty	reinforcing	neutralising	reinforcing	reinforcing
bitter	complementary	complementary	reinforcing	reinforcing

The following recommendations can therefore be made for the combination of food and wine:

Food	Wine
salty	acidic, rather dry
spicy	bouquet-emphasised, low in acidity, slightly
spicy	bouquet accentuated, low acidity, light, also residual sweetness
acidic	mineral, discreetly residual sweetness, rather full-bodied
tart	fruity, quite residual sweetness, rather low acidity
fatty	full-bodied, acidic and/or tannic, also discreetly residual sweetness
sweet	fruity, residual/sweet

Some foods generally prove to be difficult partners to wine:

The intense acidity of vinaigrettes (vinegar-oil marinades), lemons and raw tomatoes masks the finer acidity in most wines.
In eggs, certain ingredients of the yolk can seal the taste buds of the tongue and make wines taste unpleasantly metallic under certain circumstances.
Artichokes contain cynarin, which gives wine a distinctly sweeter or metallic taste.

Tips for specific occasions

Social gathering:
If the focus is on wine in this round, the usual rules (wine sequence, etc., see above) should be followed in the selection. If the participants can then contribute information or stories about the individual wines, success is assured.

Party:
Here, rather simpler wines are used, but of good quality. To meet the taste of as many guests as possible, a "mainstream" wine is recommended: harmonious and uncomplicated, without rough edges, balanced with enough juice and melting, rather light. At a party, you don't want to enjoy reverently, but need a wine that accompanies conversations and food in a versatile, unobtrusive and coherent way.

Picnic:
A drinkable, well-chilled rosé wine usually goes best with a picnic. The various, rather light summer dishes go very well with the freshness, fine fruit and delicate spiciness of the rosé.

Candlelight dinner:
If you know your partner's taste, the wine selection is quite easy. If the wine is enjoyed without food, it should be aromatically intense and multi-layered so that the second glass doesn't become boring; the right mix of fullness and finesse is what makes it so appealing. If the wine is served with food, the rules described above apply.

Festive menu:
Selecting wine to accompany a festive menu is a real challenge. Both the sequence of dishes and the different preferences (or dislikes) of the guests must be taken into account. The logical "taste sequence" of wine and food must be planned in such a way that the components increase in intensity and content.

Contributor to this article: Ulrike Banse (www.vinoscola.de)

Question 2

What bread is served with the wine?

Accepted Answer

Bread is often served at wine tastings to neutralise the taste buds. For this purpose, it should have as little flavour as possible and be easy to chew. White bread (i.e. baked with wheat flour), such as baguette or ciabatta, is recommended.

Rye bread is also possible, but without grains (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.) and absolutely without aromatic additives such as herbs or spices (e.g. caraway, fennel or aniseed). These can alienate the taste of the wine.

If the bread is served with a snack or meal that the wine should accompany (cheese, sausage, ham, bacon, tartar, smoked fish, etc.), it may also be stronger and grainier. Then it's more about the food than the wine tasting, and the wine can be chosen specifically to accompany it

Question 3

What fruit is served with wine?

Accepted Answer

Fruit can be served at wine tastings to neutralize the taste buds. For this purpose, fruits should be those that do not have too strong a taste of their own and rather little acidity, such as ripe apples and/or pears.

If the fruit is to be served as a dessert as part of a menu that the wine is to accompany, there are hardly any limits to the imagination - whether pome fruit, stone fruit, berries, local or exotic fruit, whether as a salad, compote, mousse, ice cream or gratin. The wine should then have enough residual sugar, because the sweetness of the wine neutralizes the sweetness of the fruits and reduces their acidity. In this respect, a dessert wine is then recommended

Question 4

Which cheese do you serve with wine?

Accepted Answer

Cheese can be served at wine tastings to neutralise the taste buds. For this purpose, it should be a mild semi-hard or hard cheese that does not have too strong a flavour of its own, for example young or middle-aged Appenzeller, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, Tilsiter or Leerdammer.

If the cheese is to be served as part of a menu as a separate course that the wine is to accompany, the choice depends on the wine. In general, residual and noble sweet wines harmonise well with cheese - whether fresh, soft, hard or blue cheese, whether from cow, goat or sheep. The higher the alcohol content of the wine, the stronger the cheese may (and should) be. Red wines that are to go with cheese may be fruit-intensive and spicy, but should not have too much tannin. White wines should have rather little acidity, but may also be aromatic (keyword: bouquet grape varieties) and gladly more mature.

Question 5

What water do you serve with wine?

Accepted Answer

Water is an indispensable companion at wine tastings as well as at meals. It neutralises the taste buds and helps regulate fluid balance. A rule of thumb says that when drinking wine you should drink at least the same amount of water, or better still twice as much, to reduce intoxication and prevent a hangover.

When tasting wine, the water should be as neutral as possible, i.e. not too rich in minerals, because then it often tastes salty. Curative waters, which often have a particularly high mineral content, are therefore not recommended. The carbonic acid should also be rather moderate, because too much carbonic acid can distort the taste and texture of the wine. However, whether you use more or less carbonated or completely non-carbonated mineral water is ultimately up to your own preferences or those of your guests. It is advisable to provide at least one water with moderate carbonation (medium) and one without carbonation (still).

Tap water is always the first choice for wine tasting, as it is completely neutral.

The interaction between wine and mineral water should not be underestimated. The most important factors are the mineralisation and carbon dioxide content of the water, which, in combination with certain ingredients of the wine(sugar, acidity, tannin), influence the sensory perception. In the restaurant, the sommelier is also happy to advise on the selection of a suitable water to go with the wine

Question 6

Which wine goes with asparagus?

Accepted Answer

Basically, asparagus goes well with wines that meet three requirements: firstly, a rather floral and/or vegetal aroma that harmonises well with the vegetable; secondly, a relatively moderate acidity that must not be too strong in order not to additionally emphasise the bitter substances of the asparagus; thirdly, as little tannin as possible, which would also unpleasantly intensify the bitter substances of the vegetable. In this respect, the focus here is clearly on white wines.

Two grape varieties that are distinguished by the aforementioned characteristics are Silvaner and Grüner Veltliner - both classics with asparagus: one in Germany, the other in Austria. But there are considerably more good asparagus companions: first and foremost the white Pinot varieties ( Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, etc.), which with their yellow-fruity and nutty aromas as well as their mild acidity are ideal partners for asparagus dishes. Müller-Thurgau (a.k.a. Rivaner), Neuburger, white Pinot Noir (Blanc de Noirs) and bouquet varieties such as Muskateller or Scheurebe are also suitable.

Ultimately, however, the wine recommendation always depends on the type of asparagus and the preparation: white asparagus, green asparagus, boiled, roasted, as a salad with vinaigrette, with melted (light or brown) butter, with hollandaise or béarnaise sauce, with green sauce, with ham-egg-parsley-butter sauce, with raw or boiled ham, with veal or pork cutlet, with beef steak, with roasted or grilled salmon fillet and, and, and... Against this background, both the German Wine Institute(DWI) and Österreich Wein Marketing (ÖWM) have designed their own websites on the subject of asparagus:

Question 7

Which wine goes with pizza?

Accepted Answer

The choice of a wine to accompany pizza depends on what the pizza is topped with. As varied as the topping options are, so are the options for the accompanying wine.

Basically, a rather uncomplicated, not too heavy dry red wine always goes well with pizza, preferably - like the pizza itself - from Italy, for example a Barbera or Merlot, also as a cuvée partner (Rosso). If the pizza is topped with particularly spicy ingredients such as spicy salami, lots of garlic, herbs, onions, bacon and/or beef, the red wine may also be stronger; then a Primitivo or a Sangiovese cuvée is suitable, for example.

Pizza with vegetables or seafood or Pizza Hawaii also goes well with a dry white wine that should not be too low in body, such as a Pinot Grigio, Vermentino or Verdicchio

Question 8

Which wine goes with fish?

Accepted Answer

Served cold, smoked white-fleshed fish (e.g. trout, mackerel, maties herring) goes well with a dry, fresh, mineral white wine such as Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Grüner Veltliner neuburger or Chenin Blanc are also possible, as are Verdicchio, Vermentino or Verdejo.

Sushi also requires a dry, fresh, mineral white wine; Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire or white cuvées from Gascony or Bordeaux are recommended.

Salmon is a versatile fish. Smoked or marinated and served cold, it finds a good companion in a dry rosé or even a Chardonnay with a little wood. With poached, fried or grilled salmon, a dry, mineral white wine with a certain body is recommended, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Neuburger or even a Southern French white cuvée with Grenache Blanc, Colombard, Ugni Bl anc or Viognier. Alternatively, a dry rosé is a good choice.

White-fleshed fish that is poached, roasted or grilled offers numerous options for wine selection - also depending on the side dishes and sauce. In any case, it should again be a dry white wine: from Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay(Chablis) to Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon or Grüner Veltliner to Verdicchio, Vermentino or Verdejo. A white cuvée can also go well here, for example from the south of France.

Question 9

Which wine goes with mussels?

Accepted Answer

Mussels need a fresh, mineral, very dry white wine as a partner. Predestined here is a Sauvignon Blanca cuvée partner with Sémillon or Colombard (from Bordeaux, Gascony or the Loire, for example) is ideal.

Apart from that, crémant or champagne is also recommended with oysters. Roasted scallops also go very well with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc due to their slightly nutty flavour. If mussels, clams and/or cockles are cooked in a spicy broth, an aromatic variety such as Viognier can go well alongside Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc

Question 10

Which wine goes with duck?

Accepted Answer

Duck, with its dark meat, goes well with a dry red wine that is both powerful and elegant.

Three classic ways of preparing duck are given as examples:

Duck with red cabbage and potato dumplings goes well with Pinot Noir, Lemberger (Blaufränkisch) or Sankt Laurent.
Duck à l'orange may be accompanied by a red wine that, thanks to a certain degree of maturity, has a fine melt and mellow tannins, such as a Syrah from the Rhône, a Primitivo from Apulia or a Tempranillo from Rioja.
Duck prepared in Asian style needs a sufficiently spicy partner - for example, the traditional southern French varieties Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well as Grenache Noir and Carignan; Tempranillo, Monastrell or Primitivo are also suitable

Question 11

Which wine goes with goose?

Accepted Answer

The goose has dark meat and a lot of fat, so a full-bodied, strong dry red wine is indicated. Southern France (Rhône, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, Sud-Ouest), Italy (Piedmont, Apulia, Sicily, Sardinia), Spain or Portugal are suitable countries of origin. A Blaufränkisch from Burgenland or a Dornfelder or red cuvée from Germany are also good options. Those looking for an insider tip can also choose Greece or a south-eastern European wine country

Question 12

Which wine goes with lamb?

Accepted Answer

Lamb is characterised by a strong, spicy flavour of its own. Accordingly, the accompanying wine must also have a lot of power and aromatic strength. Dry red wines from southern France (Rhône, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, Sud-Ouest), Italy (Piedmont, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia), Spain or Portugal as well as Greece or overseas (South Africa, USA, Australia, New Zealand) are recommended. Grape varieties that are suitable are, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache Noir(Garnacha, Cannonau), Carignan, Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Malbec, Carmenère, Tempranillo, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Xinomavro or Agiorgitiko. The wines should be well matured

Question 13

Which wine goes with game?

Accepted Answer

Whether hare, pheasant, wild boar, roe deer or venison - game meat is dark and strongly spicy. Accordingly, the accompanying wine must also have a lot of power and aromatic strength. Dry red wines from southern France (Rhône, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, Sud-Ouest), Italy (Piedmont, Tuscany, Apulia, Sicily, Sardinia), Spain or Portugal as well as Greece or overseas (South Africa, USA, Australia, New Zealand) are recommended. Grape varieties that are suitable are, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache Noir(Garnacha, Cannonau), Carignan, Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Malbec, Carmenère, Tempranillo, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Xinomavro or Agiorgitiko. The wines should be well matured.

Since game is sometimes prepared with sweet components, an Amarone or another red wine made from partially dried grapes with a slight residual sweetness (Appassimento) is also an option in these cases

Question 14

Which wine goes with fondue?

Accepted Answer

There are different types of fondue, and the wine recommendation is different for each version.

Traditionally, a dry Chasselas (Gutedel) is served with cheese f ondue. Alternatively, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay or Riesling are also suitable.

A dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois or Chardonnay, is also recommended with fish f ondue; Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Neuburger can also harmonise.

With meat fondue, it depends on the type of meat that is cooked in the hot broth or fat. With poultry, a dry white wine (Pinot varieties), with pork and veal either a dry white wine with more body (Pinot varieties with a little wood) or a light red wine (e.g. Vernatsch, Zweigelt, Spätburgunder), with beef a red wine with more strength (e.g. Blaufränkisch saint Laur ent, Merlot, Syrah).

With chocolate fondue, nothing beats a sweet wine, for example a Maury or a Trockenbeerenauslese.

Question 15

Which wine goes with cheese?

Accepted Answer

The varieties of cheese are so many and varied that it is difficult to give a general answer to this question.

Admittedly, there are a few clues:

In general, residual and noble sweet wines harmonise well with cheese - whether fresh, soft, hard or blue cheese, whether from cow, goat or sheep.
The stronger (riper) the cheese, the higher the alcohol content and the sweeter the wine may be.
Red wines that are to go with cheese may be fruit-intensive and spicy, but should have rather little tannin. South Tyrol, for example, is a recommended address here.
White wines to go with cheese should have rather little acidity, but may also be aromatic and more mature. This is where the bouquet grape varieties (e.g. Scheurebe, Traminer, Muskateller) come into their own.

A good choice is always a wine from the same region of origin as the cheese in question (if this is possible)

Question 16

What wine do you use for mulled wine?

Accepted Answer

For mulled wine - whether red or white - fruit-driven grape varieties are suitable that can also hold their own in the interplay with spices (cinnamon, cloves, star anise) and citrus extracts with sufficient aroma strength and body. For red mulled wine, for example, Dornfelder, Regent, Zweigelt, Sankt Laurent, Merlot, Syrah or Tempranillo are suitable, for white mulled wine Riesling, Pinot Gris, Kerner or Grüner Veltliner.

Two basic rules apply:

The better the base wine, the better the mulled wine. It doesn't have to be a top-quality wine costing over 20 euros a bottle, but it should offer more quality than an industrial product for 3 euros from the supermarket.
The more residual sugar the base wine already has, the less the mulled wine needs to be sweetened. Seasoning is essential.

Incidentally, wineries increasingly offer mulled wine made from their own grapes or special mulled wine base wines in winter.

Question 17

What kind of wine do you use for cooking?

Accepted Answer

There is a view that simple or even inferior wine should be used for cooking, because it is "cooked anyway". In fact, it is unlikely that one will use a wine for cooking that costs 20 or 30 euros per bottle. But it does not have to be a supermarket product.

Basically, the better the cooking wine, the better the dish afterwards. The wine used in cooking is usually also the basis for the sauce - and it should be as good as possible, especially if the other ingredients are of high quality. It is therefore advisable to use a rather strong, aromatic wine for cooking, which gives the dish additional substance and flavour.

The choice of wine depends entirely and exclusively on the recipe. Ideally, the same wine should be used for cooking as the wine that will later be drunk at the table with the dish in question (provided that the price is reasonable). Since most people who cook with wine have the experience of drinking a glass of it during the preparation and serving of the food, it can be said that this is a golden rule: For cooking, one should take a wine that first of all goes well with the meal and secondly one should drink it solo - during cooking and/or after the meal - with pleasure. In this respect, it should be five to twelve euros per bottle.

Question 18

Which wine do you use for the sauce?

Accepted Answer

The basic rule is: the better the wine, the better the sauce afterwards. The basis for the sauce should be as good as possible - especially if the other ingredients are also of high quality. It is therefore advisable to use a rather strong, aromatic wine for the sauce, which gives the dish additional substance and flavour.

The choice of wine depends entirely and exclusively on the recipe. Ideally, the same wine should be used for the sauce as the one you will later drink at the table with the dish in question (provided that the price is reasonable). Since most people who cook with wine have the experience of drinking a glass of it during the preparation and serving of the food, it can be said that this is a golden rule: For cooking, one should take a wine that first of all goes well with the meal and secondly one should drink it solo - during cooking and/or after the meal - with pleasure. In this respect, it should be five to twelve euros per bottle.

Question 19

Which wine goes with salmon?

Accepted Answer

Salmon is a versatile fish. Smoked or marinated and served cold, it finds a good companion in a dry rosé or even a Chardonnay with a little wood. With poached, fried or grilled salmon, a dry, mineral white wine with a certain body is recommended, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Neuburger or even a Southern French white cuvée with Grenache Blanc, Colombard, Ugni Bl anc or Viognier. Alternatively, a dry rosé is a good choice

Question 20

Which wine goes with sushi?

Accepted Answer

Sushi consists of cold rice with raw or smoked fish, seafood and/or vegetables; there are many variations.

A dry, fresh, mineral white wine is a good match; Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire or white cuvées from Gascony or Bordeaux

Question 21

Which wine goes with steak?

Accepted Answer

Whether grilled or roasted - a steak is appreciated, among other things, for the roasted notes it develops during cooking.

Therefore, a dry red wine goes well, which may be aged in wood. From Pinot Noir or Blaufränkisch to Tempranillo or Primitivo to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Syrah, there is a wide variety of grape varieties to choose from. This is especially true for dark meat such as beef or lamb, but also for veal or pork.

Poultry steaks are even better served with a dry white wine, which is definitely strong and also likes to be matured in wood: such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris or Grüner Veltliner.

Question 22

Which wine goes with paella?

Accepted Answer

Paella is a versatile pan-fried dish from Spain's east coast that comes in variations with rice, vegetables, meat and/or seafood. The wine must be just as versatile.

In keeping with the origin of the dish, a dry wine from Spain is a good choice, and both white and red wines are possible. These can be national or international grape varieties - for white wine, for example, Verdejo as Spanish or Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc as international varieties, for red wine e.g. Tempranillo, Monastrell or Garnacha as Spanish or Merlot or Syrah as international varieties. Wines from other, preferably southern European countries such as France, Italy or Greece are also possible, and a cuvée of some of the varieties mentioned or others is undoubtedly a good choice

Question 23

Which wine goes well with mushrooms?

Accepted Answer

A dry white wine with a rather nutty or vegetal aroma, which may also have a slight woody note, or a light dry red wine goes well with pelts.

White grape varieties include Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Silvaner, Gutedel or Grüner Veltliner as reds, e.g. Trollinger, Portugieser, Pinot Noir, Frühburgunder or Zweigelt.

Question 24

What wine do you use for punch?

Accepted Answer

For punch, take a fruity white wine that may have a little residual sweetness and has been matured in stainless steel tanks.

From Germany, for example, a Riesling, Pinot Gris or Pinot Bl anc is a good choice, from Austria a Riesling or Riesling Grüner Veltliner or Riesling, from France a white wine from Alsace, from the Loire in Languedoc-Roussillon, from Italy a white wine from the north (for example from Veneto, Friuli, Trentino or South Tyrol), from Spain a Verdejo or from Portugal a Vinho Verde.

Question 25

What wine do you use for Feuerzangenbowle?

Accepted Answer

For Feuerzangenbowle, use a strong, dry red wine.

From Germany, for example, a Dornfelder or a Lemberger is a good choice, from Austria a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Grenache or Syrah Blaufränkischfrom France a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Grenache or Syrah (pure or as a cuvée, for example from Languedoc-Roussillon, the Rhône or Bordelais), from Italy a Primitivo (for example from Puglia) or from Spain a Tempranillo, a Monastrell or a Garnacha (pure or as a cuvée)

Question 26

What wine do you use for sangria?

Accepted Answer

For sangria, take a fruity, quite strong red wine that may have some residual sweetness and is preferably matured in stainless steel tanks. Grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Merlot, Primitivo, Portugieser or Zweigelt are suitable

Question 27

Which wine do you use for spritzer?

Accepted Answer

Simple wines are usually used for spritzers, i.e. litre or doubler quality. Since mineral water is added to it, the choice of wine is primarily an economic question. In principle, however, the better the wine, the better the spritzer!

Whether you choose a dry, semi-dry or sweet wine is purely a matter of taste. However, it should have enough fruit, because the spritzer should not only taste like water. Therefore, the wine should be matured in stainless steel tanks rather than in wooden barrels, as it is then generally fruitier and fresher.

Recommended grape varieties for white winespritzers or wine spritzers are, for example, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner pinot Gris, Silvaner or a white cuvée and for redwine spritzers or red wine spritzers e.g. Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Portugieser, Sankt Laurent, Merlot or a red cuvée.

Question 28

Which wine goes with which food?

Accepted Answer

In order to choose the right wine for a dish, there are certain aspects to consider. In restaurants, this task is often taken on by the sommeliers who, as wine experts in the gastronomy, know about the taste interactions between wine and food. The same principles apply when cooking at home and drinking a wine with the meal.

When combining food and matching (corresponding) wines, the aim is to create a coherent and lasting experience of enjoyment. In doing so, you can either focus on harmony (matching or complementing the taste components) or on tension - after all, this is also how you proceed when cooking, when you play with aromas, textures and temperatures in individual dishes.

In this context, the type of preparation, the richness and content as well as the aroma expression and intensity of the food are important for the wine selection. Wine and food should be equal partners: The wine should harmonise with the taste of the dish and underline the aromas, but should not overpower them. The sensory characteristics of food and wine must therefore be coordinated in such a way that they complement each other in a meaningful way. Positive reinforcements are desirable, but negative reinforcements should be avoided.

In the case of a multi-course meal, it is also important to ensure that the intensity of the menu increases. The strongest component in a dish or course is decisive for the choice of wine. This is the component that stands out most clearly from a sensory point of view, and the wine must either harmonise with it or create a positive tension.

The following interactions between wine and food must be taken into account:

Sweetness in wine enhances the aromas of the food and softens the acidity, pungency and bitterness in the dish.
Acidity in wine emphasises the sharpness and spiciness of the dish, enhances the acidity and can weaken the sweetness of the dish. It also makes fat more digestible.
A high alcohol content in the wine enhances both the sweetness and the spiciness of the dish. It can soften spiciness and makes fat more digestible. A low alcohol content makes the acid in the dish more prominent.
Salt enhances the aroma and bitter substances and also the sweetness - both in the dish and in the wine.
Bitterness in wine (in the form of tannins) reduces sweetness in the dish and helps digest fat
Roasting substances (whether in the food through hot frying or in the wine through wood barrel ageing) harmonise the sweetness and moderate the acidity.
Carbonic acid (in sparkling or semi-sparkling wines) dampens the sweetness of the food; at the same time, sparkling wines in combination with food often appear sweeter than they actually are.

In this section you will find a variety of suggestions of suitable wines for specific dishes. They are listed in the menu bar on the right - a simple click leads to the desired answer.

The subject is definitely too complex to present corresponding recommendations in table form. However, further basic correlations (meat/fish etc.) and tips can be found in the following article
What do you have to bear in mind when combining wine and food?

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Wine and food

The combination of wine and food. What goes with what? Which wine goes with which food and why?

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Welcome back!

Please Note:

Wine and food

The combination of wine and food. What goes with what? Which wine goes with which food and why?

Categories

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS: