Wine Food Pairing & Exploring

1. WineFood Pairing&Exploring

2. Wine and Food Pairing • Characteristics of the Food and the Wine must be considered • Do they mingle or complement each other? • Goal = Keep the flavors in balance • Elements of - Fat, Acid, Salt, Sweetness, Bitterness, Texture • In the end -Trust your palate

3. Wine and Food Pairing FAT • Meat and Dairy Products high in fat • The tannins come from the grape skins & barrels – they help to strip the fats/cleanse palate • Cabernet & Zinfandel - pair with red meats • Dry Rose- pair with Rich Cheese Dishes

4. Wine and Food Pairing Acid • Both foods and wines have acid • Adds lift and freshness to flavor • If a meal is acidic then wine must be at least equal in acidity • Sauvignon Blanc – great with tart acidic dressings & sauces • Avoid Acidic wines & cream sauces

5. Wine and Food Pairing Salt • The high salt content in some foods may make some wines taste stripped or bitter • Sparking Wines – pair well with salty foods as the carbonation helps to cleanse the palate • Oysters and salty fried foods

6. Wine and Food Pairing • Sweetness • Fruit sauces over a meat Touch of sweetness- matches well with Chardonnay • Sweet Desserts – make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert - Moscato • Chocolate & Wine

7. Wine and Food Pairing Bitterness • Bitter foods – mustards, olives, lemon peel, radishes, broccoli rabe • Bitter Wines – higher tannin or can occur from unripe grapes or not removing stems • The two combine

8. Wine and Food Pairing Texture - How does it feel on your palate? • Contributing factors are Alcohol, Sugar & Tannins • Alcohol content – Higher % = Heavier • Light foods – Light Wines • Heavy Foods – Heavy Wines • Words to describe: creamy, smooth, rich, lean, velvety, supple, silky, voluptuous and succulent

10. Wine and Food Pairing • Pinot Noir – Earthy flavors (mushrooms) • Malbec – Spicy BBQ sauces • Syrah – Spicy food • Dry Riesling – Sweet & Spicy (hot Asian) • Pinot Grigio – Light Seafood • Wine & Food Pairing Chart • Try different pairings & see what your palate likes

11. Atlantic County Wine Trail ( 9 ) • Cape May Wine Trail (4) • Gloucester - Salem Wine Trail (5) • Shore Wine Trail (4) • Sussex Wine Trail (3) • Warren - Hunterdon Wine Trail (7) • http://www.visitnj.org/new-jersey-wine

12. Exploring NJ WineriesLate summer & Fall events August 31 and Sept 1, 2013 Times: Noon to 5:00pm September 7 and 8, 2013 Times: Noon to 5:00pm

13. Dates: October 5 and 6, 2013 Times: Noon to 5:00pm . Event will also feature live music, crafts and food vendors. Location: Fosterfields Living Historical Farm Morristown NJ Dates: October 12 and October 13, 2013 Times: Noon to 5:00pm Location: Cape May - Lewes Ferry Terminal Cape May, NJ

14. Journaling your Tasting • Apps available to keep notes & find wines • iPhone Apps for Wine Enthusiasts • Wine App - Mobile Apps for Wine Recommendations • Use flavor terms to describe the wine – acidic, sweet, oaky, crisp, dry, fruity etc • Wine ratings Wine Spectator vs Your rating Everyone’s palates are different

15. Wine Spectator 100-Point Scale 96 • 95–100 Classic: a great wine • 90–94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style • 85–89 Very good: a wine with special qualities • 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine • 75–79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws • 50–74 Not recommended 91 87 83

16. Classes & Making your own Wine • WINE MAKING IN NJ - Make your own wine NJ - NJ winemaking brew on premise schools

17. Are there any questions???