Pair your takeout properly!

Staying In: Pairing Takeout with Wine

By Alex Allardyce, Rebecca Lechman, and Mike Muirhead

Photos by Ian McCausland

Nothing says winter in Winnipeg like staying home and ordering takeout. Especially with so many delivery services in the city, ’tis the season to order in! We started our conversation about pairing wine with takeout by going through some basic wine and food pairing rules. Next, we ordered dishes from three of our favourite restaurants—FreeBird by The Merchant Kitchen, Wasabi Sabi and Sabai Thai. In this handbook, we have tried to take multiple dishes into consideration when pairing wines. This was a challenge, because there are lots of different flavours at play—especially with Asian cuisine—but the best thing about takeout is ordering a bunch of things to share.

48 http://banvilleandjones.cornervine.com

BANVILLE & JONES FREE DELIVERY!

Whether you want one bottle of wine or several cases, for the month of February ALL wine deliveries ordered directly from Banville & Jones are free!

Order before noon for same day delivery 12–5 (Monday through Saturday).Delivery to home or business address (18+ to accept delivery).Some restrictions apply.

Three ways to order: Online*: www.banvilleandjones.com Phone: 204.948-WINE (9463) Text: 204.400.0499

*Free delivery does not apply to orders made through Skip the Dishes; only orders made through the Banville & Jones website qualify.

Wine Pairing Handbook

RULE # 1.

FOLLOW YOUR PALATE

Personal preference is always the best starting point. Choose your favourite wine and see if you like it with the food.

RULE #2:

WEIGHT CLASS

Match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. For example, a big juicy steak matched with a big heavy red or pickerel fillet with a light, fresh white.

RULE #3:

METHOD, MAN

How you prepare your dish will affect what type (and weight) of wine you choose. A wine pairing is more complex than “goes great with chicken,” because BBQ chicken breast pairs differently than chicken Alfredo. Consider what flavours, if any, are introduced with your cooking method (e.g., grilled introduces a charred flavour that roasting does not) and in the ingredients rather than leaning on the type of protein.

RULE #4:

HOT & SWEET

Choose a wine as sweet or sweeter than the food you are eating to prevent killing the flavour of the wine with the sugar in your meal. On the flipside: hot spice can also destroy your wine. For spicy dishes, choose a wine that is lower alcohol or/ and has some residual sugar to counter the heat (like a Riesling!)

RULE #5:

WHAT GROWS TOGETHER, GOES TOGETHER

Italian tomato sauce (high in acid) and pasta go well with red Sangiovese (also high in acid). French Beef Bourguignon? It’s right in the name: try Bourgogne (red Burgundy)! Aussie lamb chops on the grill: Aussie Shiraz in your glass.

RULE #6:

COMPLEXITY & INTENSITY MATTER

Rich, intense wines can overpower light, delicate dishes (and vice versa). A complex California red blend would overpower a summer berry salad, but a simple, crisp Pinot Grigio would balance the flavours perfectly.

RULE # 7:

ASK US

When you are pairing your next challenging meal, bring us your recipe! We can explore the flavours, method, and complexity with you to recommend some exciting and adventurous wine pairings. TIP: You can also Text a Sommelier!! Text us your recipe at 204.400.0499 between 9 am and 9 pm and one of our wine experts can suggest a perfect wine pairing!

RULE #8:

THROW OUT THE RULE BOOK

Have fun, explore, let your palate guide your next wine match made in heaven.

www.banvilleandjones.com 49