Wine Focus: Top combinations

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Enhance your customers' dining experience with wine that brings out a meal's flav our. Ben McFarland reports.​

The first steps of wine's seemingly unstoppable march into the hearts, minds and wallets of the British consumer were taken, hand-in-hand, with food. Grape's kinship with grub has catalysed wine's meteoric growth - not to mention its overhaul of beer as the number one choice among modern drinkers. That ongoing battle between wine and beer is forecast to take place at the dinner table.

Despite this age-old association, however, licensees have been relatively reluctant to give their blessing to the relationship. Only 30 per cent of pub wine sales are attributed to the dining occasion, according to The Publican's wine research carried out by Taylor Nelson Sofres in association with Waverley and Jacob's Creek. With dining rapidly becoming as important as drinking in the pub business, this is bound to rise and it will be those outlets with the confidence to match food and wine that will benefit the most.

Profit-making opportunity​

"Matching not only represents a major profit-making opportunity for pubs, but the right food and wine match can also enhance both the flavours of the dish and characteristics of the wine" says Patrick Venning, head of wine marketing at Pernod Ricard UK.

Jacob's Creek say that licensees need not be tail-coated gurus of the grape with a French accent, a silver tastevin and a glint of disdain in their eye to successfully team up food and wine.

"Pairing the right kind of wine with the right dish is easier than you think," he says. "The rule that red wine goes with red meat and white wine is best with fish is a good basis for food and wine matching, but feel free to experiment as, beyond the basics, there really are no set laws governing what goes with what."

Waverley TBS's wine development manager Paul Quy agrees. "Drink the wine you like to drink," he says.

"OK, so there are accepted classic food and wine pairings, but in the mainstream world of quality, everyday food-led outlets, where the menu may well reflect many types of cuisine - Italian, Indian, Thai - the importance, or even relevance, of being accurate about what wine goes with what is minimal.

"There are no hard and fast rules and anything reasonable goes," adds Paul.

"After all, dabbling with wine to see if it really is what you want to drink, then nibbling, and slurping some more to see what taste you prefer with the food is a very rewarding and sociable thing to do."

Demystifying a perfect partnership​

A simple and straightforward demystification of wine's relationship with food can be found in The Jacob's Creek guide to Excellence in Wine in pubs and bars, a pocket-sized manual available from Pernod Ricard UK which covers all you need to know about pub wine.

Top food and wine matching tips include:

• Always consider the preparation, cooking methods and flavours of the food when choosing your wine to ensure they complement one another
• Think of food and wine in terms of their "weight". A light dish such as a salad will require a lighter, fresher style of wine whereas red meat such as beef or lamb is best with a full bodied wine
• Champagne and sparkling wines are perfect served on their own or with appetisers. These wines aim to whet your appetite
• Jacob's Creek riesling rejects the theory that beer is the only drink for Asian or ethnic food. Wines with a highly perfumed nose such as riesling or grenache are perfect with these foods. Their perfume and flavour complement Asian spices and pair well with strong flavours such as coriander.

Food and wine matching: what wine best complements dishes according to different styles of venue​

At the beginning of the Wine Focus Series, we identified four different types of outlet to which a signature dish and a suitable wine accompaniment has been attributed. While it certainly isn't rocket science, there are some interesting basic scientific considerations behind the selections that help explain why they work so well with the corresponding dish.

• Wine Bar​
  Dish:​ Chicken Caesar salad
  Wines:​ Ripe chardonnays from Australia or California such as Moondarra reserve chardonnay or Jacob's Creek chardonnay.

"As with any attempt to match food and wines, the common factor to consider will always be identifying the strongest flavour in the dish," suggests Paul. "In this case the dressing (either with or without anchovies) is the key ingredient. It's creamy and garlicky with the strong nuttiness of parmesan. Ripe New World chardonnays match the weight and strength of these flavours because they have an underlying richness from a generous touch of oak. This compliments the creamy consistency. The warmth of alcohol in the mouth adds a sweetness that offsets the nutty, saltiness of the parmesan (and anchovies if they are present) while the solid, ripe fruit character balances the garlic flavours with a characteristic hint of hot bitterness.

"In other words, a wine with good presence and ripe fruit character to match the strength of flavours.

Food Led Pub​
Dish:​ Fillet steak
Wines:​ Red wines such as Jacob's Creek shiraz and cabernet sauvignon as well as rioja, Cape Promise Winemakers Reserve pinotage.

Jacob's Creek recommends medium to full-bodied red varietals such as Jacob's Creek shiraz and cabernet sauvignon with beef and lamb-based dishes such as casseroles or peppered steak. "They don't overpower the other flavours of the dish," says Patrick Venning of Pernod Ricard. "More full-bodied and oak-aged reds such as Reserve Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon are often best consumed with duck, beef or cheese."

And Waverley TBS wine development manager Paul Quy adds: "Red meat equals red wine. Don't waste time looking for a cutting edge white wine combination - your steak will just get cold."

A good steak will always welcome any red wine you throw at it. Consider going for softer, less powerful styles if the meat is cooked particularly rare and served alone, unfussed by sauces. "Stronger flavours imparted by chargrilling or marinades will obviously stand bigger, more gregarious bruisers from the likes of Australia and other New World origins," says Paul. Cracked black pepper on a juicy piece of fillet demands a big spicy Syrah or Shiraz or a hefty, ripe Cabernet that keeps the mouth watering with every bite.

To be different, try a big, ripe carmenere with some pedigree from Chile. Creamy mustard or classic peppercorn sauces will kiss your taste buds if you drink big sangiovese-dominated Tuscans, oak-aged Californian zinfandels, or a leathery, hot single estate shiraz from Australia. Reserve level riojas and well-made estate-bottled pinotage from South Africa will also make you go weak at the knees.

Community pub​
Dish:​ Ham, eggs and chipsWines:​ Oliver & Greg's white zinfandel, Oliver & Greg's chardonnay, a white grenache, semillon or sauvignon blanc.

"Light citrus varietals, in particular semillon and sauvignon blanc, create the sensation of being cold or clean