Both chefs and food lovers would agree that a dish must be relished and people should be able to appreciate the food’s different flavours, and wines have often been a trusted way to bring out a dish’s optimal taste. Case in point, many tasting menus created by fine dining restaurants will serve a glass of white or red that would complement the dish on the plate.
While you can pair food with a drink from your personal wine collection or the one you newly bought from the store, some of these connoisseur-picked food and wine combinations will certainly impress your taste buds.
Peking Duck and Pinot Noir
Food enthusiasts have different opinions when picking a wine bottle that matches perfectly with this popular Chinese dish, but the most common pick has always been Pinot Noir. This is because Peking Ducks have a rich salty and savoury taste to them due to the hoisin sauce that is added to the crispy duck meat. So, a wine like Pinot Noir which has a relatively high amount of acidity to it balances out the roasted duck’s intense flavours, making this one of the most favoured food and wine combinations.
Shellfish and Japanese Koshu Wine
This wine variety that originates from Japan has subtle notes of fruitiness allowing people to feel the refreshing taste of white grapes and apples in each sip with the Koshu wine being produced at a specific altitude and temperature. Such flavours, in combination with its low acidity, make this white wine variety a perfect drink to pair with shellfish dishes, which are often cooked with a thick layer of butter, as the food and the wine balance each other out. To enjoy the best of this wine pairing, you may want to try the Michelin-starred restaurant Arcane’s Lightly Cured Hokkaido Scallops with a glass of the Grace Wine Gris de Koshu 2021 which Chef Shane Osborn has featured in Arcane’s limited-edition menu in collaboration with CulinArt 1862 that is exclusively only available on the 17th and 18th of May.
Raclette and Burgundy Chardonnay
Another food and wine pairing that has been recommended by top chefs for the light texture of the wine to balance out the heaviness of the dish is the Raclette paired with a glass or more of Burgundy Chardonnay. For those unfamiliar, the Raclette is a classic French dish that is made by melting the Raclette cheese and eaten in combination with boiled potatoes, meat, pickles and spices. With the dish obviously being packed with calories and rich in flavours, a French wine like Bourgogne blanc has citrus notes and a subtle saltiness that make it go well with something heavy like a traditional Raclette.
Wagyu Steak and Rioja Red Wine
Red wines have often been voted as the best wine to be paired with steaks, and apparently, there is a scientific reason for it. Red wines have a substance called tannins, particularly strong in the younger wines, which has a molecular structure that helps to melt fats, thus when paired with a dish like steak, it brings out the taste to the fullest by cutting into this thick layer of meat. True to this technique is Chef Stanley Wong’s recommended pairing – Binchotan-Grilled Australian Wagyu Striploin with Finca La Emperatriz Las Cenizas 2018 which can also be enjoyed at CulinArt 1862’s six-course tasting menu that has been created alongside Arcane.
