If you read about the history of food and wine pairing, you will discover that it can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who documented which types of wines would best pair with different dishes. Roman soldiers added wine to their water to kill any germs before eating a meal, and during the Middle Ages texts document very specific examples of which foods should be consumed with wine, such as eel and peaches!
However, the five theories of food and wine matching are more recent, and you will probably be familiar with several of them. However, it is important to remember that these theories will not work in every situation, and also may not match individual palates. That is why some of the newer theories take some of these nuances and complexities into consideration.
Major Wine and Food Categories
Before diving into the five theories, it is useful to provide an overview of the major wine and food categories that these theories encompass. These are illustrated in Table 1 below.
| Wine | Food |
| White wines Rosé wines Red wines Sparkling wines Dessert wines Other (orange wine, etc.) | Vegetables & Fruits Cheeses & Cream Sauces Eggs & Beans Fish Meat & Poultry Breads, Pasta, Potatoes & Grains Sweets & Desserts |
It is important to recognize that these are very broad categories, and that the different flavors, spices, texture, acid, color, sweetness level, and other additions create a much higher level of complexity. And that’s not even getting into the 120 most commercially available wine varieties in the market! But these major wine and food categories serve as a starting place so that everyone can begin on the same page.
The 5 Major Food & Wine Pairing Theories
#1) Color Coding Theory – this theory is one of the oldest and also the simplest to implement, but it does have some good common sense principles that allow it to still be relevant in a wide variety of situations. Basically, this theory suggests that the color of the food and wine should match or be very close in hue.
You’ve probably heard of ‘white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat.’ This is the basic premise of this theory, and it does work in a surprising number of situations. This is because white meats are often lighter in texture and taste, and therefore lighter white wines can pair well with them. Likewise, many red meats are heavier in texture and flavor, and therefore big, bold red wine styles often make a perfect foil, in that they can stand up to the stronger flavors.
Examples include fish, poultry and pork with white wine and beef, lamb and venison with red wine (see photo). However, when sauces are added to a dish, this can cause this theory to fall apart, because there are always some exceptions – such as fish with a red sauce, which can pair with a lighter red wine. This theory also doesn’t work as well when it comes to vegetables, pastas, and cheeses.
#2) Weight Matching Theory – this theory is based on the premise that the weight of the food and wine should be matched. Therefore, lighter foods should be paired with lighter style wines, such as white, rosé, sparkling, and light-weight red wines; whereas heavier foods should be paired with heavier wines, such as highly oaked white wines, bolder, more tannic red wines, or any wine that seems heavier on the palate, such as a highly textured orange wine.
The beauty of this theory is that it can be applied to all food categories, and therefore it can be easier to match to grilled vegetables, pastas, beans, fruit, and dessert, as well as meats, egg dishes and cheeses – the latter of which vegetarians and vegans are not interested in consuming. Therefore, this theory also has some credibility, but it also doesn’t consider the impact of different flavors and spices.
#3) Flavor Matching Theory – this theory focuses on the topic that the previous two theories gloss over – flavor. Here this means that the flavors found in the food and wine, including all of the spices. This theory recommends using a combination of similar, opposite and complementary flavors in your pairings.
A good example of similar flavors includes matching a light flaky halibut with lemon and parsley to an unoaked Chardonnay with notes of lemon and herb, such as a Chablis from France. The use of opposite flavors can be illustrated in pairing spicy Thai curry to a semi-sweet floral Gewürztraminer wine, so the sweetness of the Gewürztraminer softens the spiciness of the curry. Complementary flavors can be illustrated in pairing spicy Mexican food with the dried red cherry notes and hints of spice found in a Tempranillo wine from Spain or Mexico.
This theory can be fun to play around with, and it requires experimentation and creativity. However, sometimes the flavor matching doesn’t work for everyone, and explosions can occur on the palate.
#4) Classic Region Theory – this theory states that the food and wine from a specific region will naturally pair well together because they were grown in similar climates, soils, topographies and with a common cultural heritage. It also supports the 100-mile or local eating rule, which suggests that in order to be sustainable (supporting the environment and local farmers, winemakers, and stores) that food shouldn’t be sourced from more than 100 miles.
Interestingly this theory seems to have some credence in that food and wine pairings from older classic regions, such as France, Italy and Spain, often do pair very well together. Think of Chianti from Italy with pizza, Beef bourguignon from Burgundy with Pinot Noir, and roasted Iberico pork with a red Rioja from Spain. These dishes, and other classical regional dishes, do seem to pair amazingly well. The issue with this theory can be found in regions that don’t have a traditional wine industry – then it is a little more challenging to implement.
#5) The Balance Theory – this theory is more recent, and has been perfected by Tim Hanni, MW. He says, “Eat and drink what you want, but balance it with condiments and spices.” The beauty of this theory is this way people can select the food and wine that they enjoy the most, but still create a memorable experience – because, genetically, we all have different palates.
Hanni recommends balancing food and wine with the 6 major tastes of salty, sweet, sour, savory, spicy, and bitter. So if the wine tastes too sweet with the food, balance the pairing by adding more savory components. Or if the wine tastes too bitter (tannic) and acidic with the food, balance the pairing by adding salty or sour components.
The only issue with this theory is consumers need to understand how it works and what ingredients they should add to balance the food and wine. Interestingly, most great chefs will ensure that their dishes encompass all of the 6 major tastes, so it is often easier to pair wine with them.
So What Does This Mean?
All five of these food and wine matching theories do have some credibility, and each can work remarkably well in certain situations. The question is which one works best for you, and which do you think will be the easiest for you to implement?