Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

Exercise 11.1 265

Table 11.2 Wines, Food Items, and Anticipated Match Levels

Wines Food Items Anticipated Match Level

Moscato d’Asti Chilled Shrimp and Melon with

Mint-Curry Cream

Good plus

Cool/moderate-climate

Chardonnay

Caesar Salad Refreshment to neutral

Cabernet Sauvignon,

Meritage, or Bordeaux

Grilled Sirloin Good plus

Tawny Port Stilton Good plus

Moscato d’Asti, Cabernet

Sauvignon, or Port

Bittersweet chocolate These should all work, but for different

reasons, and preferences will vary

STEPS

1.Prepare and distribute the food items.

2.Pour a sample of each wine for each student.

3.Taste the wine samples and assess all wine elements. Record your observations on Figure 11.2a (and / or Figure 11.2c).

4.Taste each food sample and assess all food elements. Record your observations in Figure 11.2b (and / or Figure 11.2c).

5.Taste the food items in the following order. You can then go back and forth between them later if needed.

a.Shrimp and Melon with Mint-Curry Cream

b.Caesar Salad

c.Grilled Sirloin

d.Cheese

e.Dark chocolate

6.Using Figure 11.4, calculate a predicted level of match for each item, and match each item with at least one wine using the

profiles created with Figures 11.2a and 11.2b.

7.Taste each food sample with each of the four wine samples. Using the perceived level of match scale at the bottom of Figure

11.2c, rank your perception of the match using the 0–10 scale. Compare this match score with the one you predicted using

Figure 11.4.

8.Discuss and record any sensory observations you make about the relationship between the wines and food items. Which wine

and food had the best match? Was it what you predicted? Which wine and food had the lowest match? Did any items have a

no match rating? If so, why? Were any of the matches truly synergistic?

9.Rank the level of match for each food item with each wine from lowest to highest level of predicted match using the score

from Figure 11.4.

a.Shrimp and Melon with Mint-Curry Cream

Lowest score"1. 2. 3.

4. "Highest score
   b.Caesar Salad
   Lowest score"1. 2. 3.


5. "Highest score
   c.Grilled Sirloin
   Lowest score"1. 2. 3.


6. "Highest score
   d.Stilton Cheese
   Lowest score"1. 2. 3.


7. "Highest score
   e.Dark chocolate
   Lowest score"1. 2. 3.


8. "Highest score

10.Write any other comments, thoughts, and observations that you identified during this evaluation process. Did the predicted
level of match coincide with your perceived level of match when the food and wine were tasted together? Was there a pre-