1 Textbook Wine Pairing

In the world of wine pairing, some rules are as canonical as those in a textbook. ‘Red wine with meat, white wine with fish’ is akin to the combination of fried chicken with beer or green onion pancakes with makgeolli in Korea. Such wine pairings are generally considered ‘safe combinations’ with a low chance of failure. Of course, exceptions exist, but these pairings are a good starting point, considering the general characteristics of wine and food. Let's explore combinations of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness.

The sourness in food masks the sourness in wine. However, it can enhance the wine's body, sweetness, and fruity flavors. Therefore, most foods with sourness pair well with most wines, amplifying the hidden sweetness and fruitiness of the wine. What about white wines, where crisp acidity is critical? In this case, foods with high acidity might not pair well, potentially making the food and wine taste bland. When matching acidic foods with white wine, choosing a wine with higher acidity than the food is better.

Sweetness in food blunts our sensitivity to sweetness and fruitiness in wine and amplifies our ability to sense bitterness, astringency, and sourness. Imagine drinking orange juice after eating chocolate. The distinct sweetness of the orange juice is overshadowed, emphasizing its sourness, possibly even making it taste unpleasant. For this reason, it is advisable to pair sweet foods with even sweeter wines. This explains why dessert wines are so sweet.

Saltiness in food diminishes our taste of astringency, bitterness, and sourness in wine while enhancing that of fruitiness and body. Pairing tannic wine with salty food makes the wine taste smoother. Imagine enjoying tannic red wine with greasy, salty sausages or meats. The thought alone can whet your appetite. Additionally, as the ‘sweet and salty’ combination is a culinary truth, salty foods pair well with sweet wines.

What about the spicy flavors that Koreans love? Consuming alcohol with spicy food can intensify the burning sensation. This characteristic makes spiciness fundamentally a challenging element to pair with wine. However, if one were to seek a textbook pairing, it would be wines with some sweetness. Have you ever had sweet Coolpis after eating spicy tteokbokki? Sweetness can neutralize the spiciness of food. Wines that come to mind include Moscato and other sparkling wines, sweet rosé wines, and Riesling.

The rules may seem complex and diverse, but understanding the basic principles allows you to think of wine pairings that suit your favorite flavors. But don't feel compelled to memorize these rules. It would be ridiculous if we were required to memorize some rules to eat food and drink beverages. Let's relax a bit and think about some simple wine pairings.

2 There's More at the Convenience Store Than You Think

It's time to close the textbooks. The top student who claims to have studied only from textbooks is not being realistic, as the test questions are never exactly like the textbook. In reality, when we encounter food and drinks, it's rarely the case that perfectly plated dishes are prepared. Sometimes, even snacks randomly picked from a nearby convenience store or fast food quickly delivered can form exceptional pairings.

Convenience stores are a treasure trove of snacks. While grabbing a convenience store snack with a light beer or soju is easy, there's a moment of hesitation when pairing it with wine. However, recalling the relationship between food and wine, which I described earlier, it's not as challenging as it seems. Take, for example, the familiar intensely orange-colored snack ‘Cheetos,’ known for its equally intense salty flavor, blended with corn and cheese tastes. Such intense flavors demand a ‘vibrant acidity’ in the wine pairing. The white wines from France's Loire Valley instantly come to mind. These wines, made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc grapes, are known for their dry style. A refreshing acidity and flint-like flavor characterize them. However, it needn't be a wine from a specific region. Any Sauvignon Blanc with a pronounced acidity should pair well.

What about seasoned seaweed, known as a ‘rice thief’ for its ability to make one consume more rice? It may not be filling, but its salty umami taste is excellent. One of the most famous pairings in the wine world is the combination of Chablis wine from Burgundy and oysters, but it's not always possible to have oysters at home. Seasoned seaweed can be an excellent substitute, offering a hint of the sea. Chablis wines are known not only for their acidity but also their unique minerality. This minerality can be reminiscent of seashells, limestone, or flint. It might not be easy to understand without tasting, but imagine a slightly salty sea breeze. Seasoned seaweed, low in calories and rich in its unique umami, adds a marine flavor to Chablis wine.

3 If Even a Trip to the Convenience Store Seems Too Much, How About Fast Food?

Sometimes, even stepping out to the convenience store feels like a chore. On such occasions, fast food, easily ordered via delivery, can become a fine companion to wine. Sitting comfortably at home, you can order anything from pizza to burgers, making it possible to adeptly pair your food with any wine you have on hand.

Let's think about McDonald's. The Big Mac, complete with its ‘two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun,’ even has its own song, making it easy to imagine a wine pairing. Considering that it contains two beef patties, a certain tannin level is necessary. While the ‘special sauce’ recipe remains a mystery, we remember its sweet yet slightly tangy taste. A Burgundy red wine, not overly heavy but flavorful, comes to mind for pairing with the Big Mac. Red Burgundy is known for its unique red cherry aroma and hibiscus raspberry flavor; and the sauce's acidity enhances the fruitiness. Fortunately, not all such wines are extravagantly priced. Depending on the occasion, you can find bottles in the 20-30,000 won range, making them suitable companions for a Big Mac.

Have you ever gone to McDonald's with a friend and ordered a burger set together? There's an implicit rule about spreading the fries on the tray and sharing them, leading to giggling competition over who can get more. What wine would pair well with these salty, often more tempting than the burger, French fries? Their inherent greasiness and saltiness, which make you crave a sip of soda, match well with Spain's sparkling wine, ‘Cava.’ While classic French Champagne would also be ideal, considering the price of French fries, a Cava Brut, made in the same way but far more affordable, seems the better combination. Cava, with its refreshing citrus notes, inherent acidity, and nutty yeast flavors, stands up to the saltiness of the fries and refreshingly cleanses the palate. Its enthusiasm also helps dissipate any heaviness from the grease. The pairing of fast food from my childhood and the adult beverage of wine feels like a delightful deviation spanning my entire life. Similarly, KFC's fried chicken pairs well with Champagne, Cava, Riesling, or other acidic white wines. If you're looking for a red wine, I recommend trying Beaujolais Nouveau, released in November. I think it would go well with the spicy notes of the fried chicken.

#No Need to Doubt Your Palate

While many insist that fried chicken goes best with beer, several acquaintances always pair it with soju. At the end of this long article, I want to emphasize that there are countless pairing possibilities, and that taste preferences vary from person to person. Even the so-called ‘safe pairings’ might not satisfy everyone. I have shared these matching principles and examples for those who lack standards in pairing wine with food, hoping they might use these concepts as a foundation to develop their own criteria. The most important thing is your senses. Trust yourself and experiment with different combinations. So what if a pairing doesn't quite work? Just set aside that wine or food and try another combination. I firmly believe that all such experiences of failure will culminate in the creation of a most joyous banquet. To celebrate the final installment of this column, I'm thinking of pairing a cherished champagne with potstickers. The champagne might be pricey, but it doesn't matter. To my palate, there's no better wine pairing. I conclude this column hoping that wine will make your joyful moments even more beautiful. Thank you.