#Yang Jungah
2017.02.14
Chapter 1. Food and Wine Pairing: Mariage
Introducing the columns written by member of Amorepacific Group
ColumnistYang Jungah
Amorepacific Mass MC Team
# intro
"The day you open a '61 Cheval Blanc, that's the special occasion." That's what a woman said to the main character, Miles Raymond, who has kept premium wine for a very special moment when he met her in the vineyards of California in the film Sideways. The film ends with him drinking his prized wine from a disposable cup at a fast-food restaurant on the very day when he made a decision to walk away from the past and start afresh.
This film draws important moments of one person's life along bottles of wines and it seems to make the perfect introduction to my column about wine. Wines are often taken as not-easy-drinking, but there are about 10,000 varieties of wine grapes and even the same variety can offer different tastes depending on where, by who and when a wine is made. Like the life of a person, strong wine grows soft and mellow with time and even the same wine can come across differently depending on one's personal preferences and experience. For example, I felt one wine was flavored similar to a natural body wash product, but my friend said it smelled like food waste. Wine is much more than a mere beverage. It offers such an enduring fascination.
This film draws important moments of one person's life along bottles of wines and it seems to make the perfect introduction to my column about wine. Wines are often taken as not-easy-drinking, but there are about 10,000 varieties of wine grapes and even the same variety can offer different tastes depending on where, by who and when a wine is made. Like the life of a person, strong wine grows soft and mellow with time and even the same wine can come across differently depending on one's personal preferences and experience. For example, I felt one wine was flavored similar to a natural body wash product, but my friend said it smelled like food waste. Wine is much more than a mere beverage. It offers such an enduring fascination.
The Very First Story About a Glass of Wine!
Food and Wine Pairing : Mariage
There are some foods that taste better together than they do solo. And it's the same with wine and food! I sometimes do the cooking just to accentuate the good flavor of wine. Good wine and food pairing offers a new joy for even the most jaded palate. So, I'd like to talk about the pairing between wine and food that's a mariage made in heaven to help you find the right wine for our usual, home-cooked food, rather than the fancy dishes served at high-end restaurants.
What is mariage? It is a union between spouses and the word 'marriage' in English derives from French. It is also used to describe the best match between food and wine. Just as a moisturizing cream is used to balance the level in the skin in dry winter season, wines are paired with foods to balance tastes: sweet, oily, spicy and the like. In general, sweet flavored wine works great with foods in sweet sauce and desserts while white wine with a relatively high level of acid pairs well with high acid foods such as fresh salad. And sweet wine counterbalances the heat, meaning that it's a good match for hot spicy food, which are a central part of Korean cuisine.
There are some foods that taste better together than they do solo. And it's the same with wine and food! I sometimes do the cooking just to accentuate the good flavor of wine. Good wine and food pairing offers a new joy for even the most jaded palate. So, I'd like to talk about the pairing between wine and food that's a mariage made in heaven to help you find the right wine for our usual, home-cooked food, rather than the fancy dishes served at high-end restaurants.
What is mariage? It is a union between spouses and the word 'marriage' in English derives from French. It is also used to describe the best match between food and wine. Just as a moisturizing cream is used to balance the level in the skin in dry winter season, wines are paired with foods to balance tastes: sweet, oily, spicy and the like. In general, sweet flavored wine works great with foods in sweet sauce and desserts while white wine with a relatively high level of acid pairs well with high acid foods such as fresh salad. And sweet wine counterbalances the heat, meaning that it's a good match for hot spicy food, which are a central part of Korean cuisine.
But unless you tastes different types of wines, it can be difficult to tell apart the different tastes found in wine, for example sweet, sour and salty. So today, I will introduce the 10 most popular varieties of grapes, which represent 75% of the global wine production and offer a mariage between foods and wines that are easy to get, even at a retail chain.
"Um, this wine is medium bodied, light acid and high in tannins."
You may have heard this or something similar in a wine-drinking scene in films or on TV. "Body," "acidity" and "tannin" are words often mentioned when drinking wine. What then do these words describe?
"Um, this wine is medium bodied, light acid and high in tannins."
You may have heard this or something similar in a wine-drinking scene in films or on TV. "Body," "acidity" and "tannin" are words often mentioned when drinking wine. What then do these words describe?
Tannin That Gives a Dried-out Stiff Feeling in the Mouth
Tannin is what leaves a drying sensation around the gums in the mouth after taking a mouthful of wine. The stronger the dried-out feeling in the mouth, the higher the level of tannin in wine. Have you felt your mouth dried out with a sip of water right after munching green grape flavored candy placed in HUB? If you know that feeling, it will help you understand how tannin feels in the mouth. Among all the different varieties of grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Syrah offer a greater tannic flavor when blended. Such strong tannin goes well with fatty meats, for example steak, as it cuts through the fat of meats. To better understand, imagine Coca-Cola with a burger. It works similar to tannic, bold red wines.
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(From the left) 1) Yali Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile,
2) Trapiche Single Vineyard Las Piedras, Argentina for Bulgogi (Korean style sliced and seasoned beef) and Galbijim (braised short ribs),
3) Kilikanoon The Lackey Shiraz, Australia for steak,
4) Zenato Valpolicella Superiore, Italy for Jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce),
5) Domaine Anne Gros et Jean Paul Tollot, La Ciaude, France for meats, salami and jamon
Acidity Will Make You Salivate
Do not take it wrong; the sour taste of wine at the first sip does not tell you its actual acidity. The acidity of wine is described by the mouth watering sensation you get after drinking. In other words, high-acidic wine makes you salivate more and low-acidic wine tastes rather dry.
In general, white wines are more acidic than red wines. Most popular white wines pairing well with sour taste are Sauvignon Blan, Riesling and Chablis (made only of Chardonnay grape grown in Chablis region, France). High acidic wines are a great match for crisp, sour and tart foods. Tannin cuts the fat of meats whereas the high acidity of white wines tapers down the natural fishy oiliness of seafood, including oyster and octopus.
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(From the left) 1) Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand for green salad with balsamic vinegar dressing,
2) Hugel & Fils Riesling, Alsace, France for seafood,
3) Albert Bichot Chablis, France for oyster,
4) Faiveley Bourgogne Chardonnay, France for fish dish,
5) Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, the U.S. for shrimp marinated in soy sauce, salad and sweet-and-sour pork
Body, Weight of Wine on the Tongue
Body of wine is the weight felt in the mouth. Imagine your tongue as a weighing machine. Put a sip of wine to feel its weight. Think about the way how milk and water feel different on the tongue. It's the same for wine.
You will be able to feel the full weight of wine when you drink red wines blended with Merlot and Grenache. Both are as smooth and mellow as milk. These full-bodied wines have a sweetness that complements meats in a sauce. Red wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay are light bodied. And they pair well with mushroom, and dry-roasted food.
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(From the left) 1) Finest Central Otago Pinot Noir, New Zealand for fried mushroom and salad,
2) Domaine Richard Rottiers Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, France for dry-roasted food and salad,
3) Delas Ventoux, Rhone, France,
4) Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Blue Label Merlot, the U.S. for sweet-and-sour chicken, sweet-and-sour pork and hamburger
Though someone may have all the right qualities including academic background, career, wealth and family matter, you may not be 100% happy with him/her and the same goes with the mariage between wine and food. There are certainly pairs that work better together, but I believe the best pairing for wine is good company. Have a glass of wine along with good food when you are fed up with your everyday routine or feel bored. I hope that it spices up your life a little bit. This is it for my first column.
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