Good food and wine go well together

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 11

Good food and wine go well together

Wine should generally be accompanied by or precede food — champagne, sherry and port excepted. Wines and foods have natural affinities for each other, and are found at their best in combination. There are conventions that certain wines should be served with certain dishes, in a certain way, or at a certain temperature. For example, sherry is commonly served with soup. Fish will be accompanied by a white wine, and beef by a red wine. A white wine might be appropriate with chicken, and a red wine with turkey. A sweet wine goes well with dessert. Champagne may be drunk through a meal. Port accompanies conver-

' sation, digestion and a good cigar after a meal. Although these con- ’ ventions are broadly based, some people say the best thing to do is igi nore them. t It is argued that the best course is to work out ! for yourself which wines 1 you like best with particui lar foods, provided that , better wines are served after ordinary wines, sweet wines after dry and i strong after gentle. i Sparkling wines, all white wines and some- , times dry sherries may be i served cold. Red wines, medium and , rich sherries, madeira and port are generally served s at room temperature. How cold a chilled wine s should be when served . depends on individual taste. But the general

rule is that the drier wines should be chilled below 42 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done by placing the wine in the refrigerator for two or three hours before serving. Under no circumstances should wine be warmed artificially, either by plunging the bottle in hot water, or by placing it near or on a heater. It is better to drink a red wine too cold than to spoil it by heating. All wines may be decanted before serving, although it is usually not essential. New red wines can gain in being aerated by the process, but it does not improve white wines to any extent. However, vintage port and very old wines of any

colour (unless they are sparkling) should be decanted to clear the wine of any sediment. This should be carried out sometime before serving. But normally, if a wine is young and clear, it may be poured straight from the bottle.