This hub introduces you to the fundamentals of wine pairing and when to drink wine with specific dishes. A good meal can become a great one when paired with the right glass. Flame-grilled steak, delicately pan-seared fish, or roasted chicken thighs — every dish carries its own character, and the correct wine amplifies it.
Tannins, acidity and mouthfeel all shape how a wine behaves with food.
Consider this wine guide as your introduction to the craft of pairing, offering straightforward tips and tricks to choose the right wine every time.
This section equips you with the basics of matching steak with wine and of identifying the flavour profiles of different wine varieties. You’ll learn how tannins shape how a wine pairs with varying cuts of meat and explore different pairing styles, along with examples, techniques, and some cooking tips along the way.
Barrel-aging to wine is like seasoning to food. It adds a complex flavour that can’t be achieved any other way. Oak barrels add new flavours to wine. Floral hints of vanilla, smoky and sweet aromas, and a smoother mouthfeel – these qualities work flawlessly with deeply savoury foods like grilled meats and hearty stews.
This section will cover how to identify these barrel-aged wines in the store, how to pick up their unique notes, and how these flavours affect pairing choices. For more information on how to do your own barrel-aging, check out our guides.
Ribs require a drink that can balance their richness, subtle sweetness, and deep umami flavour. It’s common knowledge that red wines are the go-to for red meats, but we want to go deeper than that. We’ll teach you what makes certain reds more suitable than others, and how to choose a bottle that balances a dish like beef ribs, without overpowering the flavour.
We’ll break down the key differences between white and red wines, including their distinct production methods, flavour profiles, and the different ways they can support a meal. You’ll learn how seasonings, cooking methods, and textures determine the colour and variety of wine that pairs best. Once you understand the cornerstones of pairing wine with food, you unlock a new dimension of cooking.
Mastering wine pairing begins with understanding the basics of identifying prominent and subtle flavours, knowing what flavour combinations work well, and learning how to balance food with wine in a synergistic way.
A good pairing is when nothing is overpowering, everything is cohesive, and most importantly, it’s a delicious concoction of mouthwatering food and drink. It’s an art that we feel we’ve perfected at Hunter & Barrel, and now want to share with you through our blogs and guides.
Explore our beverage and wine guides to learn how drinks and food work harmoniously to create something even better than the sum of its parts. Our blogs cover a wide range of topics, from wine pairing guides and delectable recipes to handy kitchen tips and tricks. Your path to becoming a master in the kitchen starts here.
When paired with the right wine, a steak experience goes from great to magical. Wine brings balance and structure to the table by using a wine’s natural acidity or boldness
Great wine is more than just the grapes. Time and environment play their role, but few factors influence flavour quite like traditional wood. Barrel aging wine is one of the
Matching wine with food comes down to balance—great wine pairings enhance flavour, rather than overpower it. Choosing red or white wine comes down to the meat, the sauce and the
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