5 Incorrect Wine-Pairing Clichés: Fish, Cheese, Cakes...

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Today, Julien looks at 5 classic wine pairings and demystifies some clichés about how to pair wine with fish, poultry, cheese, rich dishes like paste or barbecue, and cakes.
1- With fish? White wine only!
So, I guess white wine is always going to be a safe choice with fish or seafood dishes, simply because fish generally has more subtle flavors, and so has white wine compared to red wine.
That said, it doesn’t mean that white wine is always going to be the better choice and especially, it certainly doesn’t mean it’s always going to be the best possible pairing for a fish dish.
Also, some people simply prefer to have red wine, but like a enjoy fish with it as well.
It is perfectly ok to pair red wine with fish dishes, but you must have a few things in mind.
Recommended reds with some fish dishes: light fruit-driven reds with good acidity and not much tannins like fruity Pinot Noirs, Beaujolais or Gamay wines, you’ll also find some young Spanish wines made from Grenache or some fruity Italians like some Valpolicellas.
2- Wine with Poultry
Some may still argue that poultry only goes with white wine. Again, based on the type of cooking technique and the recipe chicken, duck, turkey and the likes will have a wide variety of flavors and textures, with even more freedom to be paired with bolder styles of reds if you as ask me!
3- Red wine with cheese
Perhaps indeed again you are safer with a red on a cheese platter, as some cheeses might be so strong and powerful that they will overpower delicate whites.
But think about the delicious combinations that are available to you to experiment with in a quest for extraordinary sensations if you allow yourself to play with white wines and cheese too.
Recommended wine and cheese pairings:
-a crisp Chardonnay will cut through the creaminess of a mild Camembert or a Brie Style Cheese much better, and for a much more delicate combination than with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon for example.
-A nice grassy, citrusy and zingy Sauvignon Blanc on goat cheese can be phenomenal while most reds will taste harsh against the acidity of that type of cheese!
-Late harvest sweet or off-dry whites on blue cheese is another example of delightful pairing.
-Gewürztraminer with strong stinky cheeses… just perfect.
Now sure, some cheeses arguably do pair best with red wines, such as the hearty ones, firm and aged hard cheese like aged Goudda, Cheddar, aged Manchego or Pecorino. Those will certainly be wonderful with your Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Tempranillo or Sangiovese.
4- Rich reds and rich dishes
Much like for cheeses, it is a common cliché to assume that a rich dish like lasagna, mac & cheese, a rich stew, a meat pie, or fat barbecued meats are better with a rich bold red.
While I won’t say that they can’t go well together. Bold flavors and rich textures against bold flavors and rich texture will often work quite well indeed. It’s obviously always going to be down to personal preference and the occasion.
But you could see it from a different perspective also and think: the dish is rich and strong in flavors, so let’s go with a lighter option which will make everyone feel lighter and brighter after eating, and use wine more like a palate cleanser rather than an extra layer of opulence. Many white wines like a dry Pinot Gris or a dry Riesling will do that very well.
5- Champagne wine with cake
Of course, Champagne sparkling wines are festive and synonymous with celebration, as are cakes often, and they do work reasonably well together.
The only problem here is that very sweet cakes, like sweet frosted cakes for example don’t really allow much of an appreciation for the wine, especially if it’s fine cuvée of expensive Champagne. Plus, if it’s a cake after a meal, well, everyone is generally too full by then to enjoy the wine’s nuances and delicate balance.
So, why not rather, serve your delicate and complex Champagne as an aperitif before the meal while everyone’s taste buds are still acute, and serve a light sweet Italian moscato or prosecco with the cake instead?

[@claudiow1129]

There are 3 kinds of wine pairings
1. The one which both wine and food gets better together
2. The ones that food and wine stays OK, with no improve and no incompatibility
3. The one which the food and the wine are incompatible, and both gets worse together
I can't see and scenario of improvement of the food and wine when you pair seafood of fish with reds. It MAY be drinkable, but never will improve together with the food... When not tasting like metal, because of the iodine from the seafood.

[@geletitiah]

Could you talk about the key to pair white with red meat (beef)?