Enjoy matching food & drinks

Wiling away an afternoon or evening at a degustation dinner has to be one of the finer things in life. Degustation is the French word for tasting, and literally it is a menu offering lots of different dishes to try, accompanied by complementary wines, beers or even cocktails.

Four to nine courses is usual, although some restaurants will offer as many as 20 courses. You’ll definitely need to taxi or Uber home, unless of course you host your own degustation dinner.

Think about it. There are numerous well-established wine and food matches you could try, or, for a contemporary take, try serving a craft beer as an option for one or two courses, and maybe a cocktail alongside a sticky wine with your dessert.

Maybe offer guests a beeror wine choice for each course, or even more than one option of each.

Some wines, for instance Champagne or New Zealand produced methode traditionelle bubblies, work with a multitude of dishes from hors d’ouvres through to desserts and cheese boards.

The idea is to taste and discover what matches you like. After all which beverages you enjoy comes down to personal taste.

Here are some common wine/food and beer/food matches:

Wines
Champagne salty foods, oysters , caviar, sushi, crayfish
Sauvignon blanc green vegetables, herb dishes, seafood
Gewurztraminer spicy Asian dishes such as curries
Pinot gris light fish dishes, fresh salads
Chardonnay shellfish, creamy pastas, white meats
Pinot noir earthy dishes, duck, rabbit, lamb
Merlot beef and lamb, venison
Cabernet sauvignon wild game, steak, chocolate

Beers
Lager roast chicken, salmon, ham, cheeses
Pilsner salads, seafood, asparagus, spicy food
IPA pork, barbecued ribs, French fries, steak
Amber ale pulled pork, jerk chicken, brisket
Wheat beer soups, salads, spicy foods, fruit tarts
Dark lager sausages, stews, casseroles, burgers
Porter crayfish, barbecued meats, wild game
Stout chocolate, crayfish, barbecued meats