AJA Vineyards
Pairing Wine With Food
Music and dancing. Beyonce and Jay-Z. Food and Wine. Please name some more iconic pairings. At AJA Vineyards, our wines have been crafted with care and pair well with different food selections. Have you ever heard someone say, “oh never pair red with fish” or “a bold red pairs best with a bolognese” but never understood the reasoning behind it? Same. There are many factors in play that can promote a successful full flavor profile when pairing food with wine.
The main objective when pairing wine with food is to compliment each other instead of overpowering one another. The flavors are supposed to harmonize and create a balance of flavor.
Wines have specific anatomy that shift the flavor depending on the production and aging of the wine. These shifts cause the flavors to determine if a wine pairs with one food better than another. Some of the factors that you need to take into consideration are, the acidity, sweetness, tannins, and the alcohol content.
When eating a softer oil or butter dish a more acidic rich wine will balance the calm flavors. It will cut through the sweet flavors of the dish and add an acidic taste. An example of a great acidic pairing would be AJA’s 2022 Chardonnay with a chicken piccata or light vegetable dish.
On the other side sweet wines are produced by leaving residual sugars from the grapes. Some wines are made keeping the natural sweetness while others ferment the sugars out. Depending on the sweetness level the wines can pair well with various flavor profiles. Sweet wines often pair well with desserts as well as spicy or bold flavor foods. The sweet mellows out the strong spicy taste making a sweet and spicy blend.
Sweet wines often taste a little more wet while others with more tannins taste “dry”. Tannins are usually found in reds and pair well with bold flavor foods. Think of foods like sharp cheddar cheese, red meats, and juicy foods. The alcohol content can influence the meals that pair well with foods.
At the end of the day you are in charge of your tasting. Never dismiss a wine because of its color or your preference because you never know what will stand out most. Sommeliers and wine experts give recommendations based on flavor profiles. Therefore, if you order a white fish but say you only drink red wine they will find a pair for you with a red that will compliment the dish…you CAN enjoy red wine with fish! Wine and food are an iconic duo and should be explored together. AJA has crafted wines that pair very well with a wide variety of dishes and hope that you have happy tastings!
When you visit our wine pages, our Proprietor, and Certified Sommelier Amanda has recommended pairings with just about every wine! Grab a bottle and try your pairings out today!
Sincerely Sipping and Eating,
Braden