THE PERFECT MATCH
at Michels
When it comes to pairing wine with food let’s ask Tanya Roberts to mix it up.
Dining out is all about the experience, and enjoying time with friends and loved ones. If you are a lover of food and wine, matching these two elements can really enhance your evening. However, it doesn’t have to make or break your evening. The majority of wine consumed, usually occurs before or after your meal, with only a few sips taken while eating. Therefore, I say,
Next step is to pick a prominent flavour in the dish
don’t over think it. Life is complicated enough already.
and match your wine with that flavour. A lot of times
There are a couple of simple rules: Drink and eat what you like Look for balance and match the wine to the most prominent element in the dish
W H AT D O E S T H AT M E A N ? Drink and eat what you like. Choose a wine you like to drink by itself. Even if it is not the perfect match for the food you have chosen, at least you will enjoy what you are drinking. The same rings true for food. If, for example, you don’t like oysters, no wine is going to make them taste good to you, even if it is recommended to be paired with oysters. Look for balance with the food and wine. By that I mean consider the richness or weight of the food compared to the wine. This is the secret behind all good food and wine matches. A classic match for natural oysters is sparkling wine or champagne.
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it is the sauce rather than the main ingredient that you match with your wine. Is it a creamy sauce, tomato based sauce or a silky red wine jus? For a creamy sauce match chardonnay. For tomato based sauces, a light red such as Montepuliciano, Sangiovese, or a light pinot noir go well. For steak with red wine jus, it’s a shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. These wine and food matches hold the same weight. For example, a hefty shiraz is the drink equivalent of a feisty red wine jus. If you are really after an amazing food and wine matching experience, let the restaurant take you on the journey. Choosing a degustation menu with a wine pairing is always a good place to start. Allow your waiter to explain the food and wine connection and just enjoy the experience. Come in and experience our new degustation menu matched with some of our new wines.