Food & Wine Pairing Tips

The Savvy Cellar is back with one of our most popular classes: Introduction to Food & Wine Pairing. This 2-night series will run consecutive Mondays - June 8th and June 15th. More information and registration at www.savvycellar.com/classes.

Students will run through a wine tasting primer and then learn basic principles of food and wine pairing, such as:

Balance flavor intensity. Pair light-bodied wines with lighter food and fuller-bodied wines with heartier, more flavorful, richer and fattier dishes.

Match flavors. Match flavors. An earthy Pinot Noir goes well with mushroom soup and the grapefruit/citrus taste (and acidity) of Sauvignon Blanc goes with fish for the same reasons that lemon does.

If it grows together, it goes together. My personal favorite tip. Regional foods and wines, having developed together over time and taken on characteristics of the earth from which they grow or graze, often have a natural affinity for each other.

There's much more to it. But the best part is that we will do lots of tasting and experimenting with food and wine flavors to reinforce concepts and have fun in doing so!

When all else fails just remember "red wine with hamburgers and white wine with fishburgers." See the Savvy Sommelier's Top 5 Food & Wine Pairing Myths.