FOOD + DRINK
HOW TO...
WINE PAIR WITH JO GINN, WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
I’ M DELIGHTED TO SHARE MY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’ S EVE WINE PAIRING TIPS, CONSIDERING BOTH KENTISH TREATS AND REST OF THE WORLD ALTERNATIVES. REMEMBER, PAIRING WINE WITH FOOD IS NOT DIFFICULT AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW A FEW SIMPLE RULES...
1. Think about the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami. All foods will display one or more of these tastes and you need to choose a wine that complements, rather than clashes.
2. Sweet food needs a sweet wine. A dry wine will simply taste bitter and over acidic when matched with a dessert, but that same dry wine might have been delicious with the main course.
3. Acidic food such as tomatoes or vinaigrettes will need a wine with high acidity to balance it. Something like a chardonnay or pinot noir has high acidity.
4. Salty food can calm acidity and tannins, so you can balance them well with an acidic white or a bold, tannic red.
5. Umami rich foods such as soy will make high tannin wines seem more bitter, so choose lighter, fruitier reds like merlot or full-bodied whites like oaked chardonnay.
If you want to celebrate your local vineyards this season, across the following page I’ ve put together some recommendations for Kentish wines to drink over Christmas and New Year’ s Eve; I’ ve also given you some cheaper alternatives that hit the spot.
120 • www. insidekent. co. uk