The Changing World of Wine & Food Pairings, Plus Our Picks!

The world is constantly evolving. Included, is the food and wine industry. Years ago, when it was difficult to get all different kinds of foods to different parts of the world, wine and food pairing was arguably a much simpler task. Sommeliers would easily pair a red Bordeaux with beef, for example. However, with the modern access for different foods and spices to constantly cross international borders, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to pair the multitude of wines with the infinite number of food, spice, flavor options. Many upscale restaurants, including Asian-inspired Hakkasan San Fransisco, look to wine experts such as Steve Heimoff for insight.

Heimoff, an American wine expert and writer attended Hakkasan’s food and wine pairing and noted the difficulties in pairing wine with Asian-inspired food. He warns that Asian-inspired restaurants must be careful with pairing sugary wines with their foods, saying that in such cases, the wines overpower the food. He also notes that the major hurdle with wine pairing is the differences in each individual diner’s tastes.  This is true no matter the cuisine being served, everyone has a different palate, making everyone’s opinion on the wine and the meal their own.

“To me, sugar in a wine should never dominate the food, but with this Reisling, it did. For example, the jasmine tea chicken had an earthy, flowery bitterness that the wine’s sugar clashed with. In theory you might think that a slightly sweet Reisling, with its natural high acidity and low alcohol, would go well with Chinese food, but for me, it didn’t.”

For more notes from Heimoff’s experience click here.

What do we recommend?  Try our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon with this Beef Stir-Fry recipe from Food & Wine! The Blackberry, mocha and black plum flavors in the wine compliment the ginger & soy flavors.

Hungry for more?  How about Asian Braised Short Ribs from our friends at Williams-Sonoma?  The use of five spice & plum wine are a nice match to the smooth and silky tannins of our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.

What food and wine pairings are your favorite? Leave yours in the comment section below!