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Beware of these foods with wine
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Warning, there are “Ugly Stepsisters” that can wreck havoc with wine matching. These are foods that should not be paired with wine, according to the author of Wine Lovers Cookbook.
Cooks and wine drinkers agree that food enhances wine and vice versa. There are some foods that are awesome on their own. But, be careful when you are planning to combine wine and an asparagus dish or four others on the list.
“Asparagus is awful with wine,” contends Sid Goldstein. “It contains phosphorus and mercaptan, two components that twist flavors in most wines in the wrong direction.”
If you must drink wine with this noble vegetable, he suggests a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc that have enough acidity to deal with this less than perfect wine food.
Artichokes contain an acid called cynarin which makes everything tastes sweet after eating. Think of your first gulp of milk after eating artichokes. It tastes like sugar was dumped into the glass. Wine, will kick up the obvious sweetness of the wine and that’s not a good thing.
Chiles store a heat that comes from a substance called capsaicin. Some milder varieties such as poblanos are not troublesome for wine pairing; hotter ones can be like a tornado
with oakey white wines and tannic reds. Goldstein says high alcohol wines will taste hotter, even burning, and tannic wines will seem more bitter. In short, chiles numb the palate’s ability to appreciate the subtleties of wine.
For spicier, chile-infused dishes, the best bet are fruity whites like Riesling and soft, fruity reds such as Zinfandel. (Personally, I prefer Sangiovese, a Chianti-style red wine, with fiery dishes.)
Eggs can scramble and coat your palate and make it more difficult to taste wine. However, when they are an ingredient in quiches or sauces they are less forward.
If you crave wine with eggs select Champagne, Sauvignon blanc and fruiter styles of Chardonnay.
Vinegar and pickled foods are wine combatants. The exception is Balsamic vinegar that has a sweet character. Conversely, it should be use sparingly to avoid overpowering the wine. When matching salad dressings to wine, the book recommends three parts oil to one part vinegar. White wine vinegar snuggles up best to white wine dishes and red wine vinegar goes best with red wine.
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