FRONT ROYAL — The right wine and food pairing has the power to intensify the flavor of any food and vice versa. While pairing the two is nothing new in the culinary world, it is still considered by some an art that eludes most people.
Sound intimidating? Daniel Elliott, co-owner of Front Royal Wines, recently shed some light on common pairing misconceptions as the holiday season approaches.
“The most important thing to think about is the balance of flavors and in terms of how the wine complements the food that’s being served,” Elliot said. “The best way to do that is you basically want to match rich with rich and light with light. If you don’t do that, either the wine overpowers the food or the food overpowers the wine.”
Elliot said turkey is a great example of how various types of wines can be paired with the star of the Thanksgiving feast depending on how the bird is prepared.
“Turkey itself is not an intensely flavorful meat,” he said. “It’s usually how you cook it — deep fry, brine it. If you’re going to do a sweet sauce, an apple chutney, or anything related to the turkey you will want to pair it with a gewurztraminer or a riesling on the white side.”
For deep fried turkey, Elliot suggested a pinot noir due to its high acidity, which helps complement the flavors. He also suggested a zinfandel from California.
When considering a wine to complement a sauce, Elliot said he likes to gauge by color. A cranberry sauce or a red wine base sauce, pair well with a red wine. If using an Alfredo sauce, lean toward a white wine.
“A good gauge is to think of color but also the heaviness. If it’s a heavy food, pair it with a heavy wine, or if a lighter dish, pair it with a light wine.”
Hostesses seeking to elevate their holiday parties should start with lighter fare and then move into a heavier dishes, Elliot suggested.
“If you’re going to have multiple courses, you don’t want to start with a really heavy course because that affects your flavors.”
Consider pairing chardonnay and potato chips, which Elliot said is a famous pairing in the industry because the wine has a butter-oakiness that matches with the salty and greasy flavors of the potato chips.
For fruit and cheese pairings, Elliot suggested a light Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, to start the evening off.
Moving into the second course, such as a soup, Elliot said both would be best complemented by white wines. Elliot said one of his favorite soups, leek and potato, pairs well with a chenin blanc wine.
“It’s to die for,” he said. “With white wines there are two general categories: very citrus and acidic and the other category is going to be more like stone fruit and mellow.”
Elliot said the flavor profile of wines like pinot grigio or a chardonnay tend to pivot toward citrus flavors whereas a chenin blanc is more on the flowery side.
Menu items like pork pair well with fruity red wines like a malbec, or Argentinian reds, which are known for their wonderfully fruity characteristics that really complement pork dishes, Elliot explained.
Beef pairs well with heavier Italian wines like a brolo, which comes from a famous region of Italy with nice and strong fortified wines.
With a higher alcohol content, brolo wines are best paired with food.
“What you’re trying to do is you’re trying to make sure that the wines truly complement one another, not cannibalize one another,” Elliott said.
A wonderful way to finish off the evening, especially after a larger meal, is to pair a slice of delicate cheesecake or sweet apple pie with a dessert wine. Elliot explained that Hungary’s Tokaj wine is an excellent choice due to its late harvest. He also suggests pairing the dessert with a Virginia wine.
“There are a lot of Virginia sparkling wines like Thibaut-Janisson and Rappahannock, these are done in the Champagne style, which is basically Champagne, but you can’t call it Champagne, so it’s sparkling wine.”
When serving wine at a holiday party without a full-course meal, Elliot said to focus on a pinot noir from the Pacific Northwest.
“You want to make sure it’s something that can stand alone by itself,” he said. “That way it’s not overwhelming to someone in terms of the alcohol content or flavor profile that you can drink by itself.”
White wines are best served on their own, even though they are typically seen as a more summery wine. Sauvignon blanc from the lower valley of France is the perfect stand alone wine for any gathering, Elliott said.
Acknowledging that pairing isn’t as easy for everyone, Elliot said his biggest tip to purchasing wine is to visit a local shop where you can ask questions.
“If they’re lucky enough to have a wine shop like this in their hometown, I really think you get a more personal touch, more knowledge right here from myself and the staff,” Elliot said. “We’re more interested in helping than a big box store.”
Front Royal Wines is at 300 E. Main St., Front Royal and is open Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.