With so many wine brands to choose from, you can’t solely rely on the ease of finding the perfect pair for your favorite dish. It would be a challenge for you to find the best wine to go with your meat dish, depending on the same wine you always choose.
So, how do you do it? Here are some simple tips that can help you with the process.
1. Consider the Type of Meat You’re Serving
There are three main types of meat you can choose from. They are red, white, and game. Each type of meat has different characteristics, which affects the pairing you should use to bring out the taste.
Red Meats
Red meat is a type of meat that has a lot of collagen. If you choose this type of meat, you have to consider wines with tannin content to balance the texture and flavor of your meat dish.
White Meats
White meat is the least gamey type of meat you can choose from. It usually has a lighter flavor and texture, using iced-based wines like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay.
Game Meats
Game is the fattiest type of meat. It has a very strong and strong flavor, therefore, you have to go with full-bodied reds to match its strong taste.
2. Consider the Sauce
When you are serving your meat dish, you should also consider the sauce you are going to use. There are so many types of sauce you can choose from, for example, barbeque sauce, teriyaki, or honey. Each sauce has a different flavor and color, so you need to pair your wine accordingly. For example, if you choose a barbecue sauce for your dish, you can go with a Syrah wine.
3. Consider the Weight of the Dish
When serving a dinner, it is normal for you to serve a large dish. But that can be difficult when wine pairing, because you may find out that the wine is overpowering the dish.
To avoid this problem, you should also consider the weight of your dish. It can either be light, medium, or heavy. You can match your wine
4. Consider the Preparation of Your Meat Dish
This tip is a little tricky. If your meat is cured or cooked, it would influence how you pair it with your wine. The best way to do it is to consider the texture of your meat dish.
If the texture of your meat is soft and tender, you can go with a wine with acidic element like Pinot Noir.
Now, if the texture of your meat is chewy and crunchy, you can go with a wine with tannin content like Cabernet Sauvignon.
But if the texture of your meat is chewy and soft, you can go with a wine with high-acid content like iced, fruity, or full-bodied.
5. Consider Your Palate
Don’t forget that you have to consider your palate. You can’t expect every dish you’re serving to be great, because that is not always the case. If you find out that your dish doesn’t taste well with a wine you’re pairing it with, don’t be afraid to change it. What’s important is for you to be comfortable with your taste.
Conclusion
There are so many things to consider when wine pairing. You don’t want to waste your time and energy on finding the best wine to go with your favorite dish. However, you don’t want to experience a bad wine pairing. With the tips above, you can now pick your wine and meat pairings in a more systematic way.
Grafted Whiskey & Wine offers you the finest wine in Reno, NV so you can enjoy your wine and meat pairing to the fullest. Let us help you find the perfect pair to your favorite meat dishes. Visit us today!