Personally, I didn't really get into wine pairings until I was about 18-19 and was more interested in understanding the nuances of different wine with other food. My folks were/are wine enthusiasts and so, that also helped.
With red wines, you want to look for complexity. For example, a good Cabernet Sauvignon should give you a balance of a black current flavor but with a peppery bite and a rich mouthfeel. A good Pinot Noir should have the same kind of complexity as a Cabernet Sauvignon, but feel less alcoholic and a bit more delicate. A Merlot is like Cabernet Sauvignon, but I guess you can say it's "gentler" in that there isn't that distinctive bite and less acidic. A Malbec has the same traits as a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot, a Shiraz has more of a spiciness element compared to a Cabernet Sauvignon and bit on the chewy side, and the famous Sangiovese is more on the fruity side. Compare the styles and see what's best for your palate.
As far as beers go, the rule of thumb as it applies to wine, can also be applied to beer. Poultry tend to go better with lager and pilsner while red meat goes better with an amber, brown, or Belgian style ale. Stouts and porters are acceptable with certain kinds of seafood (salmon is quite nice), but are best enjoyed with chocolate desserts.
i rarely get wine with dinner, maybe a few times a year...usually if i go to a nice italian restaraunt i'll get a Pinot Grigio with veal or something like that
other than that steak/ribs/etc = beer or whiskey seafood = vodka/gin + tonic sushi = japanese beer or saki italian = wine or vodka tonic mexican = mexican beer or margarita
I typically don't mix beer with food unless I'm at a BBQ, I just don't care for the mix, even with the snobby beers that some of you putzes drink (yes, I'm looking at you) . Typically anymore I just drink water with just about everything, but if I'm going to have a drink with my meal it will typically be captain and ginger, or if it's hot and I'm eating outdoors a mojito or some other summer cocktail, occasionally a beer. Since I don't drink soda at all anymore, occasionally I will order a fountain soda with my meal since I consider that a treat (I have no idea why I love fountain soda so much, and it's 10x better than bottled/canned soda -- the bubbles, I think?). If I'm on a date and she wants wine, I'll usually just have whatever wine we order, since, well, that keeps her drinking wine... I'm not stupid. So yeah...
Nice thread here. I'm like a lot of you, don't care for beer with food generally. I thought I was alone in this, or at least in the minority. Most of my buddies like to have a beer with whatever they're eating, but for me there's only a select few things that go well for me. Burgers on the grill is definitely one of them.
The only time that I will drink a white wine is when the food we're having dictates it. Other than those occasions, I like my dry reds.
Omaha Red Sox wrote:Nice thread here. I'm like a lot of you, don't care for beer with food generally. I thought I was alone in this, or at least in the minority. Most of my buddies like to have a beer with whatever they're eating, but for me there's only a select few things that go well for me. Burgers on the grill is definitely one of them.
The only time that I will drink a white wine is when the food we're having dictates it. Other than those occasions, I like my dry reds.
Whenever I'm at a restaurant, there are times I'll pair a beer for what I feel like having (knowing before I order). At the pub, I don't care, I'll drink my Guinness with chicken and mushroom pie and won't be arsed if it's a lousy pairing.
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. Typically anymore I just drink water with just about everything, but if I'm going to have a drink with my meal it will typically be captain and ginger, or if it's hot and I'm eating outdoors a mojito or some other summer cocktail, occasionally a beer. Since I don't drink soda at all anymore, occasionally I will order a fountain soda with my meal since I consider that a treat (I have no idea why I love fountain soda so much, and it's 10x better than bottled/canned soda -- the bubbles, I think?). If I'm on a date and she wants wine, I'll usually just have whatever wine we order, since, well, that keeps her drinking wine... I'm not stupid. So yeah...
