Unlikely Wine and Food Pairings

Nick, you crazy guy, asked me to write about pairing wines with food that might not be the normal "red meat=red wine, fish=white wine" kind of thing.

Those work very well but he asked about "what about salmon?" and to that I say this...

Wine is complex and has many different characteristics and so does food. If you cook salmon you're probably going to season it or add a sauce. So what wine goes with the seasoning and the salt. If you love Mexican spices or cover a halibut with a spicy salsa then what wine would go with that? You don't know? Well that's what I'm here to help you with silly!

Take for instance bare salmon. Salmon is a fishy smelling, fishy tasting, oily fish. Chardonnay is buttery and has oak flavorings (generally). Does that sound good together? Probably not. For salmon alone (add salt and pepper at least please!) I would suggest a dry white wine. Something with some acidic tendencies to cut the fishiness and the oiliness. Sauvignon Blanc comes to mind. It's dry, it's acidic (citrus) it's perfect. Also I would think a nice Soave or a dry riesling would go well. Nothing too fruity like a gewurtzraminer or chardonnay.

If you want a RED to go with salmon I would choose a wine that has not too much spice like a cabernet but something along the lines of a chianti or pinot noir. The chianti is dry and complex with just enough spice to cut the oil and fishiness. The pinot has a little more fruit to balance and complement the fish without overpowering it.

Do you get where I'm going with this? You can choose a red OR a white wine with just about any food dish! It's your palate and your preference that should guide you. Experimenting is the best way to figure it all out. If you're dining with friends who order (or bring) different wines ask if you can take a sip of wine. Do this with a taste of food before or after. Compare how it is different than with your wine. Experimenting with different wines will help you figure out how to pair wines in the future.

Here's a list of types of wines I would order/pour with different flavors:

Spicy foods: Red: cabernet sauvignon (big, tannin filled ones! I hate Mexican restaurants that only serve bland, cheap cabs), chianti
Italian red sauce pasta: Chianti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot
Creamy pasta: Chardonnay
Spicy, creamy pasta: Sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, dry Riesling, pinot noir
Grilled salmon: Sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, dry Riesling, pinot noir
Hamburgers and hot dogs at your bbq: Merlot, syrah, shirah, pinot noir, maybe an icy cold sauv blanc
Grilled vegetables: Chianti, merlot, sauv blanc, pinot gris
Grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips: chardonnay
Classic hamburger helper: Chardonnay (compliments because of the cheese), merlot is opposite and compliments the spice

You may laugh at my choices of food above (and I intended you too cuz I'm like that!) but it also is food we eat or have eaten so I want to you to be able to relate! Think about these choices and think about wines you have had and see what it conjures up. Just like we probably wouldn't put salt on peanut butter, there are some wines that just would be terrible with certain foods. Wine is and always has been produced to compliment food. So whether it's intended to "cut" spice or "compliment" cheese, it's all right there to make our tongues happy.

Happy tasting! Keep those questions coming! Thank you Nick for offering a great suggestion; I hope this helps!