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PREFACE
My goal in writing this book is to present a practical approach to the process of food
and wine pairing.Food and Wine Pairing: A Sensory Experienceprovides students with
a clear understanding of the direct and interacting effects of food and wine elements on the
perception of match. The target audience for this book is undergraduate students (hospitality,
culinary arts, and tourism), graduate students with an interest in gastronomy, industry pro-
fessionals, and other individuals who have an interest in wine and food.
While this book covers many fundamental concepts of wine evaluation and service,
my goal in writing the book was to integrate my background in the culinary arts, business,
and sensory analysis to present a contemporary, hands-on approach to this topic area. In
other words, my approach looks at the process of food and wine pairing from a culinary
perspective first and assumes wine provides an additional opportunity for layering of com-
ponents, texture, and flavor as part of the dining experience.
This book provides comprehensive coverage of the key food and wine pairing concepts
in a concise and reader-friendly manner. It is organized into five parts, with each section
building on the preceding ones.
PART A: Mastering the Art and Science of Food and
Wine Pairing
The first section discusses the hierarchy of taste concept, the basics of wine evaluation, and
the notion of gastronomic identity.
PART B: The Foundation: Wine and Food Taste Components
These chapters provide information on the foundation tastes of sweet, sour, salt, and bitter
in food and the qualities of dryness, acidity, and effervescence in wine.
PART C: Wine and Food Texture Characteristics
This section addresses wine texture (the impact of tannin, oak, and body), food texture (the
impact of fattiness, cooking method, protein type, and body), and the interaction between
wine and food texture elements.
PART D: Flavors: Architectural Elements in the Wine and
Food Pairing Process
The chapters in this section discuss the implications of spice, flavor type, flavor intensity,
and flavor persistency for wine and food matching.
PART E: The Whole Enchilada: Putting It All Together
This section summarizes the food and wine interactions developed in the first four sections
and provides a systematic process for predicting match levels using sequential and mixed
tasting methods. In addition, it provides guidance on pairing wine with cheese, wine and
dessert combinations, and service issues such as training and menu/wine list development.