The secrets to a perfect pairing

We all know that food and drink are an inseparable duo, but the pairing depends on some golden rules. That’s why we’ll share with you some tips to make your next food pairing unforgettable, especially if you’re thinking of pairing a Pinot Noir.

Some fundamental tips

As wine lovers, many of you surely have heard “red wine goes great with red meats” or “seafood must be paired with white wine”. While many of these statements make a lot of sense, it is necessary to take into account other details.

To find the perfect pairing, consider that the food can either highlight the wine’s desired qualities or cancel them out, which can affect our perception keeping us from enjoying all the qualities of a wine like Pinot Noir – which must be served at 14°C, by the way. Did you know?

Does any wine work?

Unfortunately not. If we want to find a good pairing, we must keep in mind that the flavors that we find in a dish – sweet, salty or acidic, to name a few examples – can affect how the wine tastes.

Therefore, when thinking about the perfect pairing, consider that:

• If we have a sweet dish, a dessert for example, we must choose wines as sweet as the food.
• If the dish is salty, we could go for tannic wines. Know that salt is a wine “ally”, as they enhance their qualities and cover their faults.
• If acidic tastes predominate, look for wines with equal or greater acidity.
• If the dish is spicy, you should look for a low-alcohol and fruity wine.
• If we have fatty dishes, high acidity wines are a good match as they “cut through” the fat.
• If we have a Umami flavor, go for fruity wines.

Another important tip is that when we prepare a meal at home, we should plan the menu. Think about all the dishes that we are going to serve, their order of serving, and then choose the wines according to the food.

Balance is another aspect to consider. To understand it, you have to think about the weight of the wine and the food :

• In the case of wine, the weight is given by the body and intensity of flavor, which is determined by the alcohol level, concentration of tannins and aging, among other elements.
• In food, weight is defined by the raw materials used, the amount of fat and the intensity of each flavor.

With these elements in mind, we should look wines and dishes that have the same weight to find balance.

Finally, we have to know that dishes and wines can be paired by association or contrast. The first highlights the similarities of both. The second highlights disparate elements that allow finding harmony.

Recommended pairings for Pinot Noir

To appreciate all the characteristics of a good Pinot Noir -like the Bicicleta Pinot Noir, which has positioned itself as the best-selling wine in the United Kingdom-,  pair it with meats such as chicken or duck, mushrooms and soft cheeses. These foods will allow you to appreciate all the qualities of the wine, being able to distinguish the notes of red fruits and spices that are so characteristic of this Pinot Noir.