Food Pairing With Malbec (Guest Post)

I’ve decided that I will accept guest posts for this blog, especially while I’m pregnant, in order to provide you with fresh wine news. Here is another post from Chuck Withers over at Two Guys Wine and Travel Blog.

Serving drinks takes a certain amount of expertise. Whether you are having a big dinner party with your friends, or if you are in charge of drinks for a work banquet, learn how to pair the food with the drink to get the maximum flavor experience with both the food and the drink. When you serve any type of drink, it is important that you pair the food just right. If you don’t get it right, the drinks could taste bitter. The wines flavors could overtake the flavor of the food. Sometimes the entire meal can be ruined simply because the drink was not paired right with each course. The challenging part in all of this is actually knowing what to serve with which drink. If you are serving Malbec, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind so that you pair the meal correctly.

Flavors

The first thing that you can do to pair your food correctly with this drink is to think about the flavors in the drink. Typical flavors for this white wine are blackberry, blueberry, and citrus. Black pepper and cocoa also come out in this drink and it sometimes has a smoky undercurrent. Keeping these flavors in mind, you can choose foods that are similar to the flavors, or contrast them in a complimentary way.

Ingredients

Base ingredients that might work well with this varietal include the following:

• Beef
• Pork
• Smoked Salmon
• Sausage
• Chicken
• Veal

When you are cooking your meat, consider smoking or barbecuing so that the smoky flavor compliments the smokiness of the drink. There are bridge ingredients that you can add to your dish that will enhance the meat and bring out the flavor in the drink. Because of the flavors in this white drink, blackberries, blueberries and other fruits are a good choice. Aged cheeses, bacon, and mushrooms also do well to bring out the flavors in the drink.

Specifics

If you are unable to take the above mentioned ingredients and make a dish on your own that will go well with the drink, the following are some specific meals that you can pair with this drink:

• Steak and potatoes. There are those who would argue that steak and potatoes go with anything, but try them with Malbec and you will understand why it is recommended. Buying a full-bodied bottle will help to bring out the wonderful flavor of the steak.
• Barbeque ribs. Not just any barbeque ribs, but ribs wrapped in smoked bacon. The smoky flavor enhances the smoky flavor of the drink.
• Dark chocolate. No, it’s not exactly a meal, but if you are looking for something good to eat as an appetizer or a snack, dark chocolate and this rich white drink work well together.

When you serve any kind of wine, it is important to get the food pairing right so that you can enjoy both the food and the drink. By doing a little bit of research beforehand, you can find the foods that will work the very best with the wines that you have chosen for your guests.

Article courtesy of Chuck Withers of the Two Guys Wine and Travel Blog, follow him on Twitter @twoguyswine for more updates on wine, travel and many more international delights.

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