Usher in September with wine and food pairing tips from a local pro

-A message from MWWine School-

– As summer blends into early fall celebrations, pairing food and wine is a glorious way to pay homage to the region’s rich bounty and a wonderful way to toast the end of a season and welcome in a new one. Certified wine educator Melanie Webber has helped over 500 wine industry pros and wine enthusiasts in the Paso Robles area expand their wine knowledge and achieve their certifications.

Locals have come to know Melanie through the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) courses she has taught over the last five years and as one of the founding team of The Garagiste Festival that launched in Paso Robles 13 years ago. Melanie’s Central Coast-based wine school, MWWine School, is the first, and most attended, resident wine school in Paso Robles and is offering WSET Level 1 on September 17th at Broken Earth Winery next month where Melanie will be sharing her expertise in wine and food pairing.

“One of my favorite things to teach my Wine & Spirit Education Trust students is wine and food pairing, and I especially appreciate the smart way that WSET formulates those principles,” shares Melanie Webber. “There is a long tradition of food and wine pairing that is regionally focused: look at how often the wines of a region naturally match the food of that region (after all, they literally grow up together sharing soil, climate and topography).”

Three of Melanie’s top principles for food and wine pairing:

#1: SWEET GOES WITH SWEET

At the risk of being a killjoy, one of the least advantageous food and wine pairings is Brut Champagne with a traditional, iced wedding cake because when you pair sugary food with wine, the sugar on your tongue makes the wine taste more acidic, more bitter, less fruity, and much drier. Champagne is naturally high acid, and its fruit is subtle, so matching it with sweet food is a dangerous game. What would make more sense? A sweet or medium-sweet sparkling or still wine. There are many options – from a Moscato Asti to a Demi Sec Vouvray or a Sauternes – with enough sugar to stand up to that cake.

#2 TART GOES WITH TART

Acid is easy to detect in wine and food – it is what makes you salivate – think about what happens when you suck on a lemon, how the sides of your tongue water. While sugar can be a wine enemy, acid in food can be quite the wine friend, making your wine taste fruitier, less dry and less acidic – so if you have a dry white that makes your mouth pucker, a Riesling, for example, try matching it with a salad with a vinaigrette– and, if it is an off-dry Riesling, try adding some sliced peaches or grapes (sugar to sugar) to the vinegary salad and it will be brilliant. And think about how glorious Chianti from the high-acid grape Sangiovese is with pasta and marinara sauce, acid on acid heaven! But beware of matching acidic food with low-acid wines like Viognier and Gewurztraminer, it could throw the wines out of balance.

#3 FAT AND SASSY, GREAT WITH ACID

Fatty or oily foods coat the mouth and make the tongue and mouth less vulnerable to the sting of acid, so matching fatty foods with high-acid wines makes sense, plus the acid in the wine cuts through and balances the unctuousness of the food. Classic examples are oysters with Muscadet or Sancerre or Chablis or Champagne) – the oiliness of the oysters masks the searing acid of these wines, but not so much that the wine goes off balance. And don’t get me started on the joys of French Fries and Champagne! And, of course, cheese is a classic at every wine tasting, working beautifully with both red and white high-acid wines.

“Just remember that it really is hard to ruin the wine with food or vice versa, and that personal preference matters the most. These principles are simply opportunities to elevate the experience of what is on the plate and in the glass and, I hope, build confidence to experiment,” shares Webber.

To learn more about these tips and more for terrific wine and food pairings, and for beginners starting a wine career or pursuing an interest in wine, WSET L1 is an ideal course to explore. Held at Broken Earth Winery in Paso Robles on Tuesday, September 17th, for more information and to register, click here. Paso Robles Daily News readers will get 10% off course registration.

Use code: PASONEWS. For more tips on food and wine pairing, check out Melanie’s blog at her website.