ZIMBABWE | WINES
FOOD & WINE PAIRING [ WRITER: Homer ]
[ PHOTO: Freepix ]
Greetings fellow aficionados. The start of a new year and new beginnings in the new normal does not stop giving a reason to celebrate. After almost two years with social gatherings given a backseat, we found ourselves dining in isolation and in some parts of the region with no access to enjoying a good bottle of our favorite fermented grape. We remember our gallant wine makers who went through a tough period disposing gallons upon gallons of wine which could not be exported. Without a doubt we are back stronger. Fast forward on our wine journey, in this article we explore this often spoken about subject in brief and create a reason to have a conversation with some bit of authority on pairing. We are talking basic union of wine and food and how in the comfort and safety of your home you can explore your way to a perfect match. To enjoy wine is to enjoy and celebrate life in its many forms and individual palates makes it entirely about personal taste at the
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TRAVEL & LEISURE | Jan - April 2022
end of the day. Thus said, the marrying of tastes has no limits, experiment with everything to create your own ‘Umami’ (“essence of deliciousness” in Japanese). First, for the novice, it’s understanding the basics of wine pairing and what to eat with your bottle of wine without throwing either away, and if it has to be …`let it be the food’. Achieving this requires the identification of the grape varietals as illustrated in previous articles. We have always heard that white wine ‘goes’ with white meats, red wine with red meats, well we want to go beyond that and have cake with our wine too!! Remember it’s all about personal preferences and how wine and food blend with each other. There will be some distinct relationships that will have a positive or negative impact on the wine which lend themselves to the traditional guidelines. I would use them only for guiding you when hosting to get a perfect union.
