I had some friends round for a supper party and, in order to continue one of my friend’s foray into red wines, as well as the fact it was a cosy Saturday night, the wine was flowing. Specifically, two different bottles were on the menu: a 2022 Baccolo Appassimento Merlot from Veneto, Italy (The Wine Society, £7.75), and a 2023 Tesco’s finest Cotes du Rhone (£9).
The meal was Cannelloni Bean stew (the easiest autumnal student dish that’s gluten free and vegan, but I digress) – a hearty Italian dish. So which would you serve?
Pairing wines with food can seem like a mysterious art that illudes all but pretentious gammon-faced middle aged men. The reality is that it can actually be quite simple if you use a handy hack: match the weight, match the vibes.
Match the weight: make sure the intensities of the wine and food are equal, heavy wines with hearty dishes. Lighter wines with lighter dishes.
Match the vibes: think about where the wine’s from, what grows around or is eaten in that vicinity.
For example, strong Italian reds with hearty tomato pasta, light French whites with chicken and veg. At my Saturday supper, the heavier Italian Merlot, with earthy notes of cherry, smoke and leather, was a better match for the herbal dish.
The jammy Cotes du Rhones, with notes of blackcurrant strepsils and liquorice, was a better choice on its own. Lighter than the other wine, we had it before the meal.
Both were good wines, but both needed their own setting to shine.
Illustration by Rosie Warwood, @rosiewarwoodart on Instagram.