Food and Wine: Impossible
Matches
We read endless articles about
food and wine matches – the classics such as shiraz and lamb, or
sauvignon blanc and goat’s cheese. But what about those foods that
have clashes with wines of toothpaste and orange juice proportions?
Well, let’s set the impossible
matches here.
Artichoke
What is it about globe
artichoke that makes it such a disastrous match with wine?
Scientists have isolated a compound called cynarin in artichokes
that makes wine taste metallic. So however magnificent the recipe,
don’t serve artichoke to your guests if you plan to be drinking
wine.
Asparagus
Fancy an artichoke and asparagus
salad
with your wine? No thanks… |
This is an
odd one. Sometimes we see asparagus as a food recommendations
for sauvignon blanc. This is probably because sauvignon blanc
can take on asparagus notes in some of its forms. Whether or
not you like asparagus notes in your sauvignon blanc is a matter
of taste. Not many winemakers find it attractive.
For any other wine,
however, asparagus is definitely out. The reason is again the
presence of cynarin. It makes the wines taste flat and
metallic. |
Egg Yolk
Egg yolk is a bit of a
disaster. The reason is that the yolk coats your mouth with protein
compounds and dulls the taste buds. If you do have egg yolks, try
eating bread or crackers before tasting wine to remove some of that
coating.
Smoked Fish
Smoked fish is an inherently
salty and oily dish. The oiliness coats the mouth in the same way
that egg yolk does. The oil probably makes the wine slide off the
tongue – a bit like oil floating on water. The two fluids don’t
mix. Salty foods in general are not a good combination.
Chocolate
Here’s a quote from an
American chocolate company pushing chocolate and wine as a
combination:
 |
“Chocolate and wine is one of the most sensual food pairings of
human creation. But apart from chocolate's more familiar (and
often wonderful) companions — Port, Madeira and a handful of
other time-tested dessert wines and liqueurs — even dedicated
chocophiles and passionate oenophiles who have long savored
"chocolate and wine" have not always ventured this particular
frontier of flavor exploration as fearlessly as they might.” |
That’s because chocolate and
wine are a disaster. Chocolate has never gone with wine, which is a
pity since they are both so delicious by themselves.
The reason is that the
chocolate coats the mouth and dulls the taste buds. It does, of
course, depend on the amount of chocolate in the dish. A chocolate
soufflé might be a match for a sweet dessert wine, but the rule is
that the wine has to be sweeter than the dish. In the case of a bar
of chocolate, that is a tall order.
Mint
Ever tried tasting wine after
chewing gum or eating a peppermint? It’s nigh on impossible. Minty
dishes, particularly those that have sauces that combine mint (prime
offender number one) and vinegar (prime offender number two) are a
disaster with wine. So the classic combination of “shiraz and lamb”
has a caveat: no mint sauce on the lamb.
Spices
I was once at a food and wine
pairing session where someone asked, “What is the best wine for
Indian food?” The panel looked at each other for a moment, then one
of them said, “Guinness.”
And he was about right. Hot
spices such as vindaloo or hot chilli sting the mouth and prevent it
from tasting acidity or sweetness in a wine. Some winemakers
suggest a spicy wine like a guwurtztraminer, but even this wine
struggles to keep up. So try a beer instead!
Salty Foods
Here’s a grim combination:
salty food and wine. Salty foods become more saline with high
alcohol wines. So if you are eating salty food, try a low alcohol,
fruity, even a sweet wine – perhaps a Riesling.
Cream Sauce and Red Wine
A rotten combination. The two
things together in the mouth create an undesirable metallic reaction
in the mouth. Try a low tannin red (pinot, perhaps) or a full
bodied white. A full bodied chardonnay that has undergone
malolactic fermentation (where the malic acid is converted to lactic
acid – the type found in milk and cream) would be best.
Emergency Treatment
If you find yourself with one
of the above on your plate and you still (a) want to eat it and (b)
want to drink wine, then in between eating the food, eat some bread
to neutralise the food. You could also try drinking water. |
