Don't agonize about making the perfect choice. Your selection might not be perfect according to the "experts", but you might discover a perfect match for you!!

Remember: Wines can vary by grapes variety, vintage, wine-making methods, region, and more. There is no end all and be all for this stuff!! No absolutes!! Have fun!! Experiment!!

Reading all the source books, doing the research for newsletters - past and present - one theme continually runs through all the literature...

Wine, and the particular wine style of a region, was made to complement the food of the region. So, when in doubt, select a wine from the region from which the recipe originates. I know many recipes may be a mixture of regions or cultures, so figure out which region makes up most of the dish and go from there.

Rich heavy weight foods, like game, roasted meats, and red meat casseroles, need a full–bodied wine.

Powerful red wines are the usual selection, although its the weight of the wine that is more important rather than the color or flavor.

A rich full–bodied white wine is better for meat than a light red wine

Lighter food, such as plain white meat or fish, goes better with a delicate wine. Although I might opt for a white wine, a light–bodied, low-tannin red wine might be just as good.

Flavor and intensity are not the same.

Think of plain boiled potatoes or plain boiled rice. Both are heavy in weight but without spices, sauces, or other flavorings they are light in flavor

Think of raw thinly sliced red or green peppers, which for me have a lot of flavor but are light in weight.

Isolating the dominant flavor in a dish is not as simple as many people believe it is because many time the dominant flavor is in the sauce. This plain pasta with a red sauce. It is not the plain pasta that dominates the flavor of the dish, it is the red sauce.

A rich creamy sauce will need a wine that will match the weight of the food and also be complementary to the smooth creamy, buttery flavors of the sauce.

Foods cooked in a moist, gentle method such as steaming, will require a lighter-bodied wine than a food that is roasted which would require a wine that is fuller and more robust in body.

Foods cooked by frying need lighter wines with good acidity, because frying increases the fat content.

A Slow–cooked dish that has been braised pr stewed needs a weightier and fuller–bodied wine.

Grapey or Floral such as a Muscat pairs well with fruit

Spicy, like a Gewurztraminer, pairs well with spicy dishes. (Be aware that the term spicy when we describe a wine can mean a number of different aromas and flavors such as pepper, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, etc.)

Oaked wines pair well with smoked foods. The stronger and more intense the smoke the stronger and more intense the oak flavors can be.

Neutral wines, such as Muscadet or Soave pair well with delicately flavored foods such as seafood.

Tomatoes are high in acidity and, lo and behold, Italian red wines are high in acidity. Remember I mentioned matching the food with the wine of the region.

One note of caution - Dishes that have tart acidic flavors such as lemon, lime or vinegar can be difficult to match and will require some extra care when selecting the wine. I would fall back of the region of the recipe or food.

Tannin in red wine reacts with the protein molecules

Foods high in protein content, particularly red meat, will soften the effect of tannin on the palate.

Light, fruity red wines with low levels of tannin, like Beaujolais and Bardolino, will pair well with white meats

Tannin with oily fish can result in an unpleasant metallic taste so the general rule is to avoid red wines with fish. However, low tannin red wines might be fine with a meaty fish.

High tannic wines can taste bitter with salty foods

Dry wines can seem tart and over–acidic when paired with any food that has a degree of sweetness.

Sweet food is best matched with wine that has a similar or greater degree of sweetness. The sweeter the food the sweeter the wine needs to be.

Wine with a good level of acidity can be wonderful with rich, oily foods.

Hot spices like chile reduce the sweetness in wine and can make a dry red wine seem extremely astringent

Spices can also accentuate the flavors of oak

A good match for spicy hot foods are wines that are made from really ripe, juicy fruit, either unoaked or lightly oaked.

Smoked foods need wines with enough character to match with the strength of the smoking.

Lightly smoked salmon pairs well with a Sparkling wine

Smoked meats like pork benefit from a slight sweetness in the wine.

Barbequed flavors match well with powerful oaked wines.

Salty foods are enhanced by a touch of sweetness.

Salty foods benefit from a little acidity in the wine

Avoid tannic wines (obviously many red wines) because the salt brings out the bitterness of the tannin.

One of my favorite combinations is olives with a chilled, crisp, dry, light–bodied Manzanilla Sherry with olives and salty nuts along with a good mystery novel.

Don't agonize about making the perfect choice. Your selection might not be perfect according to the "experts", but you might discover a perfect match for you!!

Remember: Wines can vary by grapes variety, vintage, wine-making methods, region, and more. There is no end all and be all for this stuff!! No absolutes!! Have fun!! Experiment!!

• Addendum - Section includes supplementary information which may be of interest or use to the reader. The use of the Addendum and the citations and references within kennuncorked.com
• Certifying Organizations for Sustainable, Organic, Biodynamic Agriculture - List of Organization researched by kennuncorked.com
• Dornenburg, A. & Page, K. (2006). What to Drink with What You Eat: The definitive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea -- even water. Bulfinch Press. New York:NY.
• Fielden, C. & Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2004). Exploring the World of Wines and Spirits. London:England.
• Fletcher, J. 2007). Cheese and Wine: A Guide to Selecting, Pairing, and Enjoying. Chronicle Books LLC. San Francisco:California.
• Gasnier, V. (2006). A Taste for Wine: 20 Key Tastings to Unlock Your Personal Wine Style. Dorling Kindersley Limited. New York:New York.
• Goldstein, S. (1999). The Wine Lover's Cookbook. Chronicle Books LLC. San Francisco: California.
• Johnson, H. & Robinson, J. (2007). The World Atlas of Wine - Sixth Edition. Mitchell Beazley. London:England.
• Kitowski, R. & Klemm, J. (2007). Clueless about Wine. Firefly Books. Buffalo:New York.
• Lausanne, E. (1970). The Great Book of Wine. Galahad Books:New York.
• Lichine, A. (1974). New Encyclopedia of Wines & Spirits. Alfred A. Knopf:New York.
• Robinson, J. (ed.) (1999). The Oxford Companion to Wine - Second Edition. Oxford University Press. New York: NY.
• Radford, J. (1998). The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley. London:England.
• Ridgeway, J. (2004). The Cheese Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide. Second Edition. Quintet Publishing Limited. London:England.
• Schuster, M. (2002). Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course. Michell Beazley. London:England.
• Werlin, L. (2007). Cheese Essentials: An Insiders Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. New York:New York.