Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

A Profiling Approach to Match Level Assessment 255

Food Item:____

Wine:__ Producer__ Vintage ____

Components Similarity Contrast Score

Sweetness Match ____

(Food Sweetness < or = Wine Sweetness: Yes = 1, No = 0)

Acidity Match ____

(Food Acid < or = Wine Acidity: Yes = 1, No = 0)

Low to Moderate Levels of Food Saltiness _____

(Yes = .5, No = 0)

Low to Moderate Levels of Food Bitterness _____

(Yes = .5, No = 0)

Moderate-High Food Saltiness or Bitterness and Wine Effervescence Level Match

(Yes = 1, No = 0) _____

High Levels of Food Salt or Bitterness (Yes = No Match) No Match

Texture Similarity Contrast Score

Food Fattiness and Wine Tannin Match _____

(Food Fattiness = Wine Tannin: Yes = 1, No = 0)

Food Fattiness (Vegetable Fat) and Wine Acidity Match _____

Figure 11.4

Quantifying Wine and Food Profiles to Predict Match Level

The first step is to evaluate the match relationships for the components. You can see
from Figure 11.7 that this food item is slightly sweeter (due to the sweet cream and fresh
corn in the dish) than the Sauvignon Blanc. At this point, you need to make a judgment
call. Is the food sweetness level difference high enough to lower the level of perceived match?
Or will it balance out with a contrast to the acidity in the wine? As you can see, the sweetness
match could be given a 0 or a 1 depending on your judgment. The acidity component
indicates a match, as the wine acidity is much higher than the food item. The pasta has low
to moderate levels of salt and bitterness, resulting in a value of .5 for each. There is no need
to match this item with a sparkling wine, as it does not have moderately high levels of salt
or bitterness—although this does not mean a sparkling wine would not be a good match.